|
|
|
March 5, 2008
|
|
Keister fiddle family bring music to town
Kirsten Mundy
Standard Reporter
Wednesday February 27, 2008
 |
Above, left to right, Paige, Claire, Quinn and Faith Keister, all sisters, play East Coast style music with their family band. They’ll be in town March 2 at Hope Covenant Church at 2 p.m.
photo courtesy the Keister family
|
Strathmore will once again have the honour of being introduced to the talented group of blondes hailing from Chestermere and their fiddles and guitar March 2.
What started as something to keep their children busy, well into their adult lives, has turned into a family band and the Keister family couldn’t be happier about it. The Child Development Society will be bringing them to town at 2 p.m. at the Hope Covenant Church.
“As parents you know you want to find something to keep your kids busy, we chose music,” said Sherry Keister, the mother of four girls and the guitar player in their band. “It just kind of evolved and happened.”
The Keister Family Fiddlers consist of Sherry, Quinn, Claire and twins Faith and Paige. Their father, Loren, does the managing of the band, the sound and Internet and jokes that it’s turning into a full time job. All the girls have been playing the violin since they were 6 but their passion lies with fiddle music.
“Fiddle music was happy music,” said Sherry when asked why they went with that style.
“We do it to make people smile,” said Quinn.
Loren said almost all the music they play is celtic or in the same style of the east coast. It’s “toe tapping and upbeat,” said Loren. The reactions they get vary from people clapping along or getting up and dancing.
The band played over 70 different shows last year. At the Calgary Stampede there are three shows a day for 10 days.
“It keeps us busy that’s for sure,” said Claire.
In addition to family practice every day the girls are also enrolled in violin and piano lessons and learn many different instruments to accompany the band.
Everything from the ugly stick to the tambourine are incorporated into their shows. The girls all participate at different levels based on their abilities. Quinn has mastered the fiddle so well that she’s giving lessons now.
Right now she only has one student, and said she would be able to do more but dedicates the time she would have to spend doing that to working on her own technique and ability.
“(The girls) focus on the classical technique but not so much the music,” said Sherry.
The girls don’t play very much classical music but are well trained in the technique, giving them the ability to play many different kinds of music if they choose to.
One of the highlights coming up for the band will be their trip to Heritage Days this year. Last year they were at the Big Valley Jamboree the same weekend but this year they’re going to try and play both events.
They will also be playing the Calgary Stampede for the third time in two years. They play as a part of the talent search each year and it’s a definite highlight for the girls.
“You just have fun but first you have to get used to it,” said Faith of what it’s like to be in front of so many people.
“There are a lot of places we’d like to play,” said Quinn.
The girls all agree that they would really like to play the Grand Stand show at the Stampede one day, but their dream job would be to travel the world and play as they go.
With whatever free time the girls have between practice and keeping up with school work they do things every other girl in the world does. Quinn is interested in scrap booking and sewing. Faith loves to clean and ride her bike.
“We all like shopping,” said Sherry, who joked that it’s not as much fun for Loren.
The thing they’re most grateful for, said Sherry, is that people are willing to sit and listen to their music and actually enjoy it. The band has high hopes, but they will all be happy as long as they’re still able to play together and have people enjoy it, said Sherry.
“Where it’s going to take us, we don’t know.”
Cybersaver Newspaper Advertising
Click The Image For Full Size Display
|
|
|
 |
Publisher: Jim Mihaly
Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers Limited at 136 - 2nd Avenue, Strathmore, Alberta, Canada T1P 1K2 |
|
|
|
|
| © 2008 Strathmore Standard |
|
| Visit our regional papers in Southern Alberta |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
subscribe | unsubscribe | forward to a friend
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
Presenting...
Submitted by Jennifer Cormier
Are you a displaced Maritimer? Do you have a love of the music of the Maritime provinces and fiddle music in your soul?
When: Wednesday, October 17th at 7:30pm,
Where: Bert Church Live Theatre (1010 East Lake Blvd. Airdrie, AB)
This four piece band will play with experienced musicians, along with a few special guests, will leave you with a smile on your face and whistling good time fiddle tunes.
The band is comprised of Randy Jones on fiddle, Ken Murdoch on piano, Doug Norman on drums, and Jerry Litz on bass. These four musicians have known each other for many years and finally decided the time was right to form their own ensemble. Randy Jones and the Reflections develop quite a following wherever they perform. They have a passion for promoting young musicians and have had a number of young entertainers perform with them over the years. Recently, the Keister Family Fiddlers joined forces with the band. This talented group of 4 young sisters is a joy to watch as their proficient fiddling skills and joy of music shine through in every performance.
The audience will be whisked into a maritime house party during this 2 hour concert. The band and their special guests will acknowledge fiddle music and composers from the Atlantic provinces and Newfoundland with pieces from Don Messer, Ivan Hicks, Ned Landry, and Nathalie McMaster to name just a few. Randy Jones will keep the audience entertained between pieces with stories and more. Keep your eyes open for a dancing fisherman and other entertaining diversions as well!
Gather a group for Wednesday, October 17 at 7:30pm; you will not be disappointed. Tickets for this show are $18 for Adults ($14 for members) and $16 for Students and Seniors ($12 for members) and may be purchased at our local ticket outlets. These include Music Center Canada, Page and Turner’s Bookstore, Air-Alta Insurance, and the Rockyview IDA in Crossfield. For more information, please contact The Bert Church Theatre at 948-2153 or visit the theatre’s website at www.thebertchurchtheatre.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
KEISTER SISTERS FIDDLE FOR FAMILY AND FUN
Two tiny child-sized violins are displayed by the front door of the Keister family's house in Chestermere. All four of the Keister girls, Quinn, 12, Claire, 10, and twins Faith and Paige, 7, learned to play the fiddle at age six with these violins, which are pasted with stickers to show finger positioning.
The Keister Family Fiddlers first performed as a group at last year's Prairie Waters Elementary Stampede Breakfast. Since then the girls, along with their mom, on guitar, have gone on to play around the province. When their mom surprised twins Faith and Paige with the fiddles when they were old enough to play last year, "I was kind of excited," says Faith. "I wanted to play the fiddle because Quinn and Claire played it," she says of her sisters. She and her sisters have fiddled at some pretty big venues, including the Big Valley Jamboree, Spruce Meadows and the Calgary Stampede Talent Show.
The nerves of performing at such high profile events actually contribute to their gigs, according to their mom Sherry. "We give a much better performance when we're nervous," says the mom.
In 2006, the family played about 30 gigs; this year they are already at 40. Their dad, Loren, who keeps track of their schedule and does sound for shows, reports that the family gets several phone calls a week for gigs. The girls sometimes play as many as four gigs a weekend, and currently have bookings well into 2008. As a result of their music, the girls have met people most grade school kids would never get the opportunity to. The family has met the Calgary Stampede Queen and Princesses several times. "Last time we saw them, we exchanged beauty tips," says Sherry. The mom curls each of the girls' hair for their performances. "She's so fast!" says Faith. The girls wear matching western outfits for their gigs. Greg Martineau Projects, a home renovation company based in Calgary, helps them pay for their costumes.
Claire, 10, says her favourite part of fiddling is "bringing smiles to people's faces." She explains she especially likes playing for seniors, since older people seem to enjoy their performances so much. 7-year-old Paige says one of her favourite parts of fiddling is signing autographs. One audience member said he would keep the girls' autographs until they got famous and then sell them on E-Bay, recalls the family.
The girls also enjoy the time that fiddling gives them with their sisters and parents. "We get to spend time with our family," says Faith, naming her favourite part of performing. Besides fiddle, oldest sister Quinn has started to learn to play the mandolin. 10-year-old Claire says she wants to learn to play the drums. But their sister, Faith, explains she doesn't need another instrument. "Fiddle is my favourite; I don't wish to learn another one," she says.
So what's the down side of fiddling? Practicing, the girls agree. While she isn't a fan of scales, "you got to do them," says Quinn. Paige and Faith have just started to do scales in their lessons and haven't learned the dislike that their older sisters have for them yet. "It was fun," says Paige, of her first scale.
The girls have lofty goals for their fiddling. When asked where they would like to play next, they name the Grand Stand at the Calgary Stampede, as well as some more exotic locations, like Disneyland and Mexico.
The Keister Family Fiddlers will play at the Chestermere Country Fair this Saturday, September 15th.
Jocolyn Edwards - Chestemre Anchor September 15, 2007
Howdy Airdrie!
These past couple of months have been a bit
quieter for the Airdrie Pro Rodeo Royalty, but just as
much fun. Jessie Madsen and I had the opportunity
to meet a few of the Hitmen at a Block Parent
fundraiser held on Jan. 24. It was held at the Scout
Hall where we also met Mrs. Airdrie, Sheila.
I was able to attend a wonderful pancake breakfast
on Feb. 2, for Groundhog’s Day and met Balzac
Billy. Thank goodness he did not see his shadow and
we can get to rodeo season six weeks sooner!
Jessie and I were also invited to attend a
fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation. We met
many young and talented children of Airdrie. The
entertainment included the talented Keister Family
Fiddlers, who consisted of four young girls, aged 11,
10 and twins 7, and their mom. These girls were only
some of the talented people we met that evening -
talented enough that they even got us up on stage to
help them sing in the finale! That evening more than
$5,000 was raised for the foundation.
The count down is on, only four more months left
in our reign. We have had a wonderful year so far
and are looking forward to the Airdrie Pro Rodeo in
June and hope to be busy for the next four months.
We have begun our search for girls who would like
to run for the title of Miss Rodeo Airdrie 2007 and
the Airdrie Pro Rodeo Princess 2007. There is more
information about the competition on our website at
www.airdrieprorodeo.com
Or you can contact Leanne Grenier by phone
(403) 660-5491, or by email at mailto:leanne_
stampinup@yahoo.ca
Also, if you are interested in becoming an Airdrie
Pro Rodeo Ranch Girl and hauling flags on your
horses with Jessie and I this year, you can contact
Laurie Perry by phone at 226-0371.
Happy Trails and see you around town!
- Submitted Photo
Miss Rodeo Airdrie 2007 Jessie Madsen and
Airdrie Pro Rodeo Princess 2007 Janine Krumm
hit the stage with the Keister Family Fiddlers last
month.
The Keister Family Fiddlers perform their cheery tunes for the seniors at Wheatland Lodge on Aug. 10. The enthusiastic young fiddlers range in age from six to 11.
Stacie Snow Photo
Strathmore Standard — It was a toe-tapping hand-clapping good time when the Keister Family Fiddlers performed for more than 50 seniors at Wheatland Lodge on Aug. 10.
The crowd revisited their youth with vibrant tunes like Swallow Tail Jig, High Road to London and Jack Rabbit Jump.
The group of young fiddlers includes Quinn, who is 11, Claire, 9, and twins Faith and Page, who are six years old.
The group has been playing as a family, with their mom Sherry on guitar, for just over a year.
Faith said that her favourite part about performing is travelling to towns and cities.
“I like seeing different people everywhere we go,” she said.
The Chestermere family has performed at the Calgary Stampede, numerous community breakfasts and countless private functions.
Quinn’s musical goal is to become part of the Calgary Fiddlers.
One of the highlights of her busy summer was being asked for her first autographs at the Calgary Stampede.
She said that the best part about playing in front of a crowd is making people smile.
“It is so great to see people dancing and getting enjoyment out of your music,” Quinn said.
Claire said that she was excited about performing for the seniors at Wheatland Lodge, because it allowed them to revisit their youth.
“Maybe they played when they were younger and now they can enjoy our music,” she said.
She added that one thing she loves about playing an instrument is that it is something you can do for your entire life.
Carl Ikert, and Shirley and Jim Minty also performed at the lodge. They plan on playing for as long as their hands, voices and hearts will let them.
The trio played the guitar, mandolin, harmonica, spoons and even a train whistle, in addition to singing and yodeling.
Shirley met the Keister family at a function in Chestermere, earlier in the summer, and knew right away that she wanted to invite the girls to the lodge.
“They are just the most talented group of young girls I have ever met,” she said.
“They are so enthusiastic, young and energetic. They really brought some excitement to the seniors.”
The Keister Family Fiddlers spread their youthful energy at Waterfest in Chestermere on Aug. 18 and 19, and will be at Barbecue on the Bow in Calgary during the September long weekend.
|
