Hi all,

Here’s an interview I did with two amazingly talented young women who I first met at Maine Fiddle Camp. They are identical twins who just turned 20. They are now studying Bluegrass at East Tennessee State University (yep you can do that!). These interviews are done via email. I ask questions, they answer. Then I dig up the pictures by asking their Mom, etc.. It’s quite a process…Read on

Bill: Hi Adelaide and Amelia! I know you two because you have been coming to Maine Fiddle Camp since you were kids when the family was living in the Bangor area, but before we go into “Camp stuff”, tell us about the music you grew up with. Did your parents play instruments and/or sing? Did you guys take violin lessons when you were little? What kind of music were you listening to by yourselves and  “around the house” when you were growing up? What kind of music did you like to sing and play? How did you find new material?

Amelia and Adelaide: We grew up mainly listening to the music that our dad loved, which included a lot of Grateful Dead, John Prine, Alison Krauss, and a variety of Celtic music. Although our Mom didn’t play an instrument, we grew up listening to our dad play guitar. When we were 5, he bought us fiddles at our local music store in Wisconsin, and we’ve been playing ever since! We started out in classical lessons because those were the only type available, but we were constantly learning fiddle tunes on our own time. Honestly, when we were old enough to listen to music “by ourselves” it was mostly pop on the radio for the first few years, with some exceptions. For example, we listened to a lot of Lissa Schneckenburger and Liz Carroll.

Bill: How did you hear about Maine Fiddle Camp and what was your first year at Camp? Were you both studying fiddle at that time? who were your teachers? How did that go?

A&A: We found out about Maine Fiddle Camp through our mentor, Jeff Silverstein, who we met living in Bangor. Our first year was in 2014, where we were both in the Canada Geese with Jennifer Armstrong. I remember learning Turkey in the Straw that year.

Bill: Did Fiddle Camp change the whole way you looked at music? Did it make you want to try other instruments (or were you doing that already)?

A&A: Yes, fiddle camp changed the way we looked at music for sure. It inspired a real love for music in both of us by exposing us to so many really cool people playing traditional music. It also definitely got us excited about playing other instruments. Over the years, we took mandolin, guitar, bass, piano, harmonica, banjo, and even cello. In our time at MFC, a favorite of ours became warbling with Bennett and Mia, whether it was sitting in for review sessions, or spending whole weeks in the warblers nest.

Bill: I remember having the two of you in my guitar class in 2022. (great to have melody instrument players in the class!) Your dad, Jack, was in the class too. By then your family had moved to South Dakota (a pretty big culture shift, right?) When did that move happen? In class I learned that the three of you had been playing gigs at local bars and clubs. How did that come about? I know you were playing and singing. You must have had to gear your performances to the audience.  Tell me about how you were received and basically about the whole scene. What other gigs were the 3 of you doing?

 

Amelia: Yeah, we moved to South Dakota at the beginning of 2019 and shortly after started playing gigs as a trio called “Morning Dew.” Since there was basically no bluegrass scene in the Black Hills, it was pretty easy to get gigs. We played a mix of folk, old time, bluegrass, and some celtic for our shows, mostly at local restaurants and performance venues. This gave Adelaide and me some really good experience in gigging and a little bit of promotion.

Bill: So, now the two of you have graduated and are at East Tennessee State University, the “Tennessee Bluegrass College” as I like to call it, So how are things going there? Can you really get a four-year bachelor’s degree in Bluegrass? (maybe add to that Old-Time and “roots” music?) Wow!! I think Amelia said they make you play everything in the key of B on fiddle. (Guitars capo 3 and play in G I guess). Can this possibly be true? Anyway, tell us about the program, like what are the classes like? Is it mainly about performing, or other stuff too?

A&A: We’ve been at ETSU for a year and a half now, getting ready to go into our 4th semester. It’s really flown by, but we’re having so much fun. And yes, it’s really possible to get a 4 year degree in bluegrass, and in fact, we have a grad program where you can get a masters degree in Appalachian studies. Highlights of our time in Tennessee have been getting to take lessons from ETSU’s incredible teaching staff (Mike Compton, Aynsley Porchak, Trey Hensley), gigging with bluegrass bands, and spending lots and lots of time playing music with fellow students. The program focuses a lot on performance and a lot on technical knowledge, like music theory, bluegrass history, and audio engineering (both live sound and studio sound). We are both planning to focus on audio production in our time here, which will hopefully open up a whole new world within the music industry.

Bill: Not really coincidentally, you are now on the Fiddle Camp teaching staff after going through the apprenticeship program. There are more responsibilities when you’re teaching, certainly. Tell us about making that change from camper to staff teacher.

A&A: It’s been super exciting for us to get to start teaching in the place we grew up learning music. We have mainly been working with the littles (Eaglets and Falcons), which has been a learning experience for sure. They have lovely little spirits and we feel lucky to be a part of their Maine Fiddle Camp experience. We can only hope that they grow to love camp as much as we do.

Bill: What’s the plan after school? Gonna “hit the road”?

A&A: The fun thing about music is that there’s always an adventure waiting for you that you maybe didn’t see coming. It’s not easy to predict what exactly we will be doing after graduation, but we feel sure that it will involve teaching and performing bluegrass music in some context, and we’re excited to see where that takes us.

Bill: What are your other interests besides music?

Adelaide: I do a lot of painting and drawing, mostly watercolor and sketching. I also enjoy going on bike rides with Amelia, hiking, skiing, and playing tennis.

Amelia: I spend a lot of my time mountain biking with friends and family around the Tennessee and Virginia area. I also do a lot of reading and enjoy the occasional bit of writing.

Bill: Finally, you two have been twins all your lives. (Duh) There’s obviously a special bond, and of course I’m sure you’ve had fun pretending to be the other, or even been frustrated being misidentified. BUT, does being twins play into your musical plans for the future? The ol’ “sister act” is pretty compelling, but I could see wanting get some separation too..

A&A: We’ve definitely enjoyed growing up playing music together as sisters. We have similar musical taste and no plans to stop collaborating. We’ve been playing gigs together as a duo in Tennessee and have been really enjoying working up material. It’s been really special to have someone who’s been with you throughout your entire musical journey, and we anticipate that we’ll still be playing together 50 years from now.

Bill: Amelia and Adelaide, thanks so much for doing this. See you at Camp in June! – bill
Finally here’s a little video of the “Morning Dew” playing “Days Can Turn Around” at “The Down Home” in Johnson City, TN.