Artist description FiddleSticks is a family musical group that performs folk songs and traditional tunes from the Celtic lands, from England, and from America. The band is made up of three teenaged sisters, Rebecca, Kathryn, and Elizabeth Davis, and their father Mark. Featured instruments include fiddle, flutes, cello, bodhran (Irish drum), guitar and vocals. Traditional tune and new tunes in traditional styles are presented in a lively mix, with influences from Jazz, Klezmer, New Age, and Afro-Caribbean traditions.FiddleSticks' music is a lively mix of traditional Celtic and English dance music, together with original pieces by the group's 15 year-old composer and fiddler, Kathryn, as well as plenty of storytelling songs of life, love and laughter. A typical performance also includes a few sets containing Klezmer (Jewish), continental European, contemporary American folk, and Mormon Pioneer music. The program is easily tailored to fit the age and interests of the audience, and can include storytelling, Irish dance, and audience participation. At Christmastime we present a variety of English and Celtic carols, Hanukkah tunes, and Solstice songs.

Music Style Celtic and American Folk, with Jazz, Klezmer, New Age and other Fusions

Musical Influences Altan, Bonnie Rideout, Eileen Ivers, Ceoltoire, Antonio Vivaldi, Aengus, Jerry Holland, J.S. Bach, Black Family, Rankin Family, Klezmatics

Similar Artists Black Family, Rankin Family, De Dannan, Chieftains, Altan, Bonnie Rideout, Eileen Ivers

Artist History FiddleSticks got their start in 1991 when the family lived in the Washington DC area, and since moving to Utah in 1996 they have delighted audiences throughout the state. They have performed throughout Utah, Idaho, Maryland, and New England, and recently completed a tour in Holland and Italy. Despite busy work and school schedules, the family band averages over fifty public performances a year, including various music and folk festivals, numerous community, library, and school concerts, private parties and receptions, and performances for the 1998 and 2000 Utah Performing Arts Tours.

Group Members Rebecca, who plays flute, whistles and recorders, is the group's chief vocalist, and is a junior at Brigham Young University, studying English teaching and visual art. Kathryn, who is just starting high school, is the band's fiddler and has written much of the band's original music. Elizabeth, in eighth grade, plays cello in the band and is an enthusiastic gymnast. Mark, the dad, plays guitar and bodhran with the band, teaches part-time at BYU, and has an international trade firm. Since the members of FiddleSticks are a family, and are mostly kids, they relate particularly well to youth and family audiences. We enjoy school or small seminar programs where the sources and origins of folk music are explored and demonstrated, participation programs where audience members learn percussion or vocal parts and play/sing along, storytelling including the stories told by the songs performed, puppet shows accompanied by featured instruments, explanations on playing the instruments and their origins. Kids and parents alike can sometimes get inspired by hearing the group's young players talk about their music, and love for music, how they practice, and how folk music has helped them in their classical music studies.

Instruments Featured instruments include fiddle, flutes, cello, bodhran (Irish drum), guitar and vocals.

Albums FiddleSticks' three recordings, "A FiddleSticks Sampler" (1998) and "Playing Favorites" (1999) and "Christmas Cold Fusion" (2000) have been enthusiastically received by the band's growing crowd of admirers. Recordings are available in local bookstores, by mail order, or on FiddleSticks' web page: www.fiddle-sticks.com, and are distributed nationwide by Excel Distribution.

Press Reviews What folks are saying about FiddleSticks!"FiddleSticks took our breath away. Their energetic, intricate delivery had the whole crowd responding in kind. Crystal voices and impossible virtuosity on their instruments. My son's friend says he's found the girl he's going to marry. Hint: She plays the fiddle." – David Edwards (singer-songwriter, American Fork UT)"The album really IS charming and lovely and both relaxing and fun to listen to. What more could I want?" -- Deborah Henson-Conant (jazz harpist, Boston, MA)"The recording is terrific; I'm so pleased" -- Joy McCarthy (Celtic fiddler and composer, Berkeley CA)"Your music is inspiring, soothing and lively. It warmed my heart and kept my foot tapping" -- Chieko Okazaki (Mormon Church leader and author, Salt Lake City UT)"Well, I don't know what you thought about that music, but it sounded like hell to me." -- Marion D. Hanks (Mormon Church leader and author, Salt Lake City UT)"Your music is lovely, true, and heartfelt. Thank you!" -- Sue Richards (Celtic harper, Bethesda MD)"The perfect Christmas gift . . . Brings a happy, peaceful feeling each time you listen to it." -- Daily Herald (Provo UT) "The kids like the lively ones, of course--appropriate for kitchen dancing, and we adults tend toward the "Lost Love" type ballads." -- Steven Kapp-Perry (composer/performer, Cedar Hills UT)"Your band is great, keep it up" -- Lisa Moscatiello (singer-songwriter, Wheaton MD)"Your music made my Scotch and Irish blood bubble!" -- Reid Nibley (music professor and concert pianist, Provo UT)"I'm sure I'll listen to it over and over, and I know I'll use it in my classroom for my students." -- Luana Nelson Au (teacher, Ogden UT)"When I'm stuck in traffic I pop your CD into the car stereo and things just seem better. You should market your music as a cure for road rage" -- Paul Nielsen (film editor, Los Angeles CA)"Our whole family listened to your recording and we were transfixed" -- Marsha Paulsen Peters (Iowa City IA)"Your CD has become my treasure! It stays on the CD player all the time." -- Barbara Luke (Provo UT)"We are all now FiddleSticks fans, listening to your music over and over, singing, dancing- and weeping at times" -- Deb Marcotte (Barrington NH)"You have a gift -- it's not just in the music, but in the hearts of your family who perform" -- David Arrington (Salt Lake City UT)"Your music is beautiful, wonderful, incredible (and every other amazing word you can think of)?" -- Jean Ann Michie (Purcelville VA)"Your harmony, spirit, and enthusiasm for life inspire us, your greatest fans" -- Steve & Debbie Barnes (Eugene OR)

Location Orem, Utah - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).