From: tharper2@aug.edu
Kateh and Lane Gray,
Hey it's good to hear of other kids in BG. You were asking about the
instruments and if the parents were Musicians... well...Neither I nor my
wife are musicians, (ie. can't read a lick). But our daughters got
interested in music at their school when they were in the 4th grade. We
would take my youngest (now 14) to school early to learn to play classical
violin. She hated it by the time she was 11. She was getting ready to quit
when my wife and I bumped into some old high school friends whose kids (boys
near our girls age) play bluegrass. These two boys told my girls, " if you
wanta hear that thing [violin] really make some noise come to our house and
we'll show you how to play some Bluegrass." To shorten this story, the band
(boys 12 and 15, girls 14 and 16) get together in a little town near here
that has a gospel/bluegrass event every first Saturday night. The boys Mom
stands in to play the upright bass out of necessity. (she learned this
instrument just to do this). My daughters sing as does the Mom, but to date
we can't get the boys to murmur a word. But we still are trying. The
instruments- the boys Dad and I can't play a lick but always wanted to. We
are not wealthy by no means but each of us vowed that if these kids were
serious about this music we would do everything possible to keep them going
even if it meant buying quality instruments. I must tell you...it does make
a difference in the music when you have a quality instrument. The kids could
only get so much out of their first instruments and it was beginning to get
them down. It made a tremendous difference in thier attitude when they
acquired the good stuff.
Keep in touch,
T Harper
tharper42@nospam.comcast.net
"kateh" wrote in message
news:2Knqe.407$eL5.242@fe04.lga...
> "Lane Gray, Czar Castic" wrote
>> kateh wrote:
>>> "T Harper" wrote ...
>>>> No Doug...I'm 42, Love Bluegrass, have a daughter 13 who plays fiddle
>>>> along
>>>> with her sister 15 who plays a resonator guitar (Wechter- Scheerhorn)
>>>> in
>>>> their own band which consists of an 11 year old Banjo player (Gibson
>>>> Mastertone), a 14 y.o. guitar player (Martin D-28) and their mother
>>>> playing
>>>> a (Kaye) Bass. I guess I could say we are really "into" Bluegrass down
>>>> here
>>>> in GA. Look us up if you are ever in the area. Augusta GA.
>>>
>>> Somebody related to royalty? We've got seven kids in my
>>> son's band (9 to 14 year old kids), and they're slowly aquiring "decent"
>>> instruments.....but not a Gibson or Martin in sight. How'd you manage
>>> that!? :)
>>>
>> Kate, that's not the surprising thing (although I really think you can
>> get darn good sounds out of lesser-priced axes). Mastertones run what,
>> around 2K, and a D-28 about the same?
>> The Scheerhorn (although I don't know what the Wechter part means,
>> haven't seen that name before), if a new 'horn, cost 5K.
>
> Holy Samolians, Batman! :)
> I'd be a wreck just watching our kids get those out of the cases! Don't
> know whether to be jealous or relieved it's not my group toting around
> such expensive stuff! :)
>
> So are all T-Harper's kids ...the children of bluegrass musicians? Most
> of the other kids I've seen playing in contests and bands seem to be from
> picking-families. Can't imagine how cool that would be! :)
>
> Our kids started cold. Most of them had never held a stringed instrument
> when they joined the band two years ago. And none of the families knew
> what bluegrass was. Worse yet, the teachers didn't know. I had one
> teacher asking me if I could get her any Bill Morrow music. :) It's
> been an interesting two years. Our guitar player is in serious need of an
> upgrade and so is our youngest band member, but they're havin' a great
> time, anyway. :)
> Kate(off to the Lewis & Clark Festival)H :)
>
> I have an old 60's Harmony guitar that I dearly love.....and someday, I
> may get a Gibson, but I won't part w/the old one. :)
>
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