A Guthrie family of musicians and dancers is celebrating their recent trip to Silver Dollar City after placing fourth in the Youth Bluegrass Competition held in May.
The RussellClan, a family band of seven (Braden, Blaine, Seth, Sadie Adelyn, John and Brian), competed against 19 bands, who were chosen from submitted video entries from 15 states.
For their accomplishment, they received a monetary award and will be hired to play at the theme park during the upcoming year.
RussellClan, who plays locally and regionally, combines a rich Celtic heritage with their love for traditional acoustic music, they perform a diverse tapestry of material, including hard-hitting Irish and Scottish tunes, contemporary folk ballads, bluegrass and Western swing. The seven children, ranging from ages six to nineteen, all add their unique talents to the show in an array of singing and dancing.
The seven siblings are the parents of Maris and Brian Russell. Brian serves as the backbone of the group–he strums the rhythm guitar, sings and has written a large number of original songs, many of which are performed by the band. Maris, is a stay-at-home mom and home schools the children, manages and overlooks the booking for the group.
Braden, 19, plays the violin, guitar, bass, percussion and sings lead and harmony vocals. In addition, he teaches musical instruments upwards to 30 students twice a week in Guthrie.
Blaine, 17, plays violin, mandolin, tinwhistle, bass, percussion and sings lead and harmony vocals.
Seth, 15, plays mandolin, guitar, percussion, bass, and sings lead and harmony vocals. He adds much of the energy and pulse that drives the clan’s sound.
Sadie, 12, a gifted dancer, plays violin, keyboard, percussion, bass and sings lead and harmony vocals.
Adelyn, 11, plays violin and cello and also sings.
John, 8, plays the fiddle and plans on adding drums to his arsenal.
Stephen, 6, is following the family’s footsteps as he learns to play the fiddle.
To see more of the family’s accomplishments, including videos and upcoming events visit their website.
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