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My wife sent me a link to a YouTube video. I was instantly hooked.
This is a family that plays bluegrass. That is not unique. But this band is.
I want to go through what makes this venture work. Some things cannot be imitated. Others can.
This video is professionally produced, but anyone with training in lighting and under $1,000 in equipment could have done it. That is the wonder of electronics today.
Even if you don’t like bluegrass, watch this. I’ll then go through what this family has going for it.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8BGHjkHSm2k%26hl%3Den_US%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded%26version%3D3
They are musically talented: way above average. The dobro work is very good. The arranger placed it front and center, which was wise. Usually, the banjo is the heart of bluegrass, with the lead singer playing guitar. Maybe someone like Bill Monroe can make the mandolin work. But rare is a dobro front and center. I do not recall ever seeing a bluegrass lead singer also lead with the dobro. So, the arranger was willing to try something very different. It works.
Notice that the parents are in the background. Momma has a head of hair like Emmylou Harris does. Lucky her. But she just does the bass work. The bass is always in the back. The father is a good enough guitarist to provide rhythm, which is what the guitar is supposed to do.
They put the kids up front. When the daughters are this pretty, marketing demands this.
The harmony is right: authentic bluegrass. A spectacular lead singer is rare: Monroe’s high-pitched wail or Alison Krauss’ incomparable sound. But the music is basically down-home music, ideal for families and local performers. It is harmony-based, not solo-based.
January 20, 2011
Gary North [send him mail] is the author of Mises on Money. Visit http://www.garynorth.com. He is also the author of a free 20-volume series, An Economic Commentary on the Bible.
Copyright © 2011 Gary North
