Monday, August 24, 2009

Bits of news from The King's Strings...


Our recent group picture August 2009

Reminder: Join us on Saturday, August 29th from 11:00AM-1:00PM for the 2nd Annual Franklin Street Festival On The Crooked Road in downtown Rocky Mount, VA.

The festival begins at 9:00am and lasts until 5:00pm.

Attractions include music, crafters, artists, food vendors, children's area and more. We look forward to seeing you there!

A King's Strings CD recording is in the process....hopefully, we'll be able to finish recording the CD soon. Here are some pictures from our first recording session:

The mandolin players: Justin & Aaron posing with Ben the banjo player behind them.


Ryan & Curtis working on setting up the mics.


Eugene with his banjo & Ryan with his guitar


Elizabeth, Brandon, & Amber practicing their fiddling.









Our wonderful sound guys!
Thanks for spending your afternoon helping us record!!!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Happy August!

The King's Strings August 2009 Schedule

Join us on Saturday, August 8th @ 6pm - Eastbrook Baptist Church, Lynchburg, VA

"Second Saturday Singing at Eastbrook Baptist Church. Their purpose is to provide good gospel music and raise food for those who are in need. No admission charge and no collection plate. A donation of a can or cans of food for our food pantry for the needy would be greatly appreciated but not required."


Join us on Saturday, August 29th @ (Time TBA) - 2nd Annual Franklin Street Festival On The Crooked Road in downtown Rocky Mount, VA. The festival begins at 9:00am and lasts until 5:00pm.
Attractions include music, crafters, artists, food vendors, children's area and more.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

What we've been up to lately:

Playing at the Flea Market! This is something we have long wanted to do, and have finally gotten into a habit of doing this summer! Most Saturdays you can find us at the market from 6:00am-Noon, doing this:


We've never been able to have the entire group out there at once; three of us go out every time, and other members join us as they are able. We set up the tent and table in the crisp morning air, warm up our fingers (as best we are able!) and play away the morning.
Whoever isn't playing passes out tracts and talks with the people who stop by. Sometimes we have a crowd standing around listening; other times folks just give us a smile and walk on by, but we try to get a tract into their hands too. Today I got to have a good conversation with a lady and her young daughter about spiritual matters, which was wonderful! I believe the lady was not saved, so please pray for her. Please pray for all the folks we talk to!

This picture is from one week ago: (Notice our "new player"? Eugene's sister joins us at the Market, and plays the guitar nicely.)

And this is what we did today: (We're so glad you were able to come play, Ryan, Brandon, and Aaron! [And that your mom could come help pass out tracts and sing.:)])
Of course, working at the Flea Market, we meet all sorts of people. Many people ask for our contact info, or ask if we have made a CD they can get. (We're working on that one!) Last week we met some ladies who asked us to play for a party being held that very night! Though it was last-minute, we obliged, and had a lot of fun playing and singing there:
Heather, our "manager," managed to get some personal photos of several players. She wanted to get one of everybody, but the camera batteries died. :)

Eugene:

Ryan: (Yes, we get excited about our music!)
Curtis: (Wow - he's pickin' and grinnin'!...Inside joke. )
Last week, we played at the market for 6 hours, then went to the party and played 2 hours more. This week, we played for 6 hours at the market, then went to a fund-raiser event that we had been told would have a bluegrass group there. We got to relax for awhile and listen to music without playing it!

But it just so happened that the group playing up front (The Little Mountain Boys) spotted me singing along quietly as we sat on the front row. They called out and asked if I wanted to come up there and sing with them. Our parents called out that I fiddled too, and that the whole group of young people sitting in the front row was another bluegrass group.

Before we knew it, we had been sent to fetch our instruments and invited to jump up on "stage!"


(The ladder was a make-shift microphone stand)

(Singing and playing along was such fun!)

(I was proud of how well all the fellas in our group played - even on songs we didn't know!)

(We got to sing, too!)


(Don't let the serious expression fool you. Aaron is quite capable of hamming it up even in front of large audiences, as we found out. We love your spunk, Aaron!)

Playing for large groups like that is fun, but this is the real reason we do what we do:
A chance to attract people to the gospel. A chance to talk with them. A chance to witness.


Playing strings for the King of kings.

We are the King's Strings.

Monday, June 15, 2009

What's New With The King's Strings.....


We're pleased to announce that Curtis, our lead guitar player is graduating this week from high school! We are all very happy and excited for Curtis! Please pray for him as he seeks the Lord's guidance and wisdom in this new journey of his life.
Congratulations Curtis!!!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Saturday Night

Our performance at Branch Baptist Church on Saturday night was a lot of fun for us musicians. I think we all came away highly blessed and encouraged.

We provided the "dinner music" for an outdoor supper, and afterward listened to the indoor service along with everyone else. What good preaching was there that night!

Dad caught a short segment of our playing "Brethren We Have Met to Worship" on video. I didn't realize what a long line we made! It was a little difficult to hear one another, being so far apart and outside to boot, but it worked out okay.




We also finally got a group picture with all 11 of us in it. Saturday evening was the first time we'd all played together - we hadn't even been able to have a practice session with everyone present. So Saturday was quite an occasion!
From L to R: Heather{Flute}, Ben {Banjo}, Eugene {Banjo and Dobro}, Joe {Guitar}, Curtis {Guitar and Harmonica}, Ryan {Guitar}, Amber {Fiddle and Mandolin}, Justin {Banjatar and Mandolin}, Aaron {Mandolin}, Elizabeth {Mandolin and Violin}, and Brandon {Jaw Harp}

We represent three different churches and four different families. I wish I had time to tell you all about each of our members.

There's Aaron - no player puts energy into his music quite like Aaron. We laugh and say how much he's added to the group. Such skill and energy!

There's Eugene - our newest member and one that has talent flowing out his fingers. We tease him that his playing steals the show.

There's Ryan - A great guitar player who really knows the feel bluegrass is suppose to have, and hence adds class to our performances. He also gets some of us to sing. :)

There's Brandon - our quiet guy, whose Jaw Harp tickles our ears and adds such a neat sound to the music.

And you've met our other players in previous posts. These four are our new additions, and we're so proud to have them with us. They greatly increase our talent levels! Ryan, Aaron, and Brandon are brothers, and Eugene joined us after hearing us play at the concert earlier this year.

I think we need to change the photo at the top of this blog. It's a little outdated now, isn't it? :):)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Upcoming Events for May 2009

The King's Strings will be playing for a missions conference at Branch Baptist Church in Rustburg, VA on Saturday, May 23rd at 6pm. Feel free to email us at thekingsstrings@juno.com for directions.
Look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Before our Offertory

Practicing "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship"
(Amber and Elizabeth)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Photos from the Concert

(Walking on stage. You don't see all 10 of us there because Heather and Brandon were a little behind. :) From left to right; Justin, Ben, Ryan, Joe, Curtis, Aaron, Amber, and Elizabeth.)


Aaron, Amber, and Elizabeth playing lead.

Justin and Ben. (Can you see the difference between a banjo and a banjatar?)


Curtis playing lead.

Heather, Brandon (jaw harp), and Justin.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Our First Concert

We played at our first concert Saturday night. It was SO fun!

...I've been thinking that I ought to mention that we have three members who aren't included in the blog header picture. They've been playing with us almost since the very beginning, but because they attend a different church, the concert was the first time all three of our families have been able to perform together. They played with us Saturday night, putting our membership up to 10. Ryan, Aaron, and Brandon, on the guitar, mandolin, and jaw harp. You guys really add to our songs! We love your playing!!!!

Ten players, in varying ages, sizes, and talents, spread across the stage.

Wow. Was it fun.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Us? On the Radio?

Dad says that as he was driving to work this morning he heard an announcement on the radio; an advertisement for the concert we're playing for on February 7th.

At the tail end of the commercial, the announcer said "pre-concert music starts at 6:30."

Pre-concert music.

Hey - that's us! We're on the radio!

"Rehersals"....they're a lot more like "hangin' out and havin' fun."