DAD PLAYS BASS FAMILY LIFE WELL ORCHESTRATED.Byline: Peggy Peggy may refer to:
PALMDALE - First their oldest son and daughter wanted to play the guitar. Then three daughters began playing violin violin, family of stringed musical instruments having wooden bodies whose backs and fronts are slightly convex, the fronts pierced by two f-hole-shaped resonance holes. . Three more took up guitar, banjo banjo, stringed musical instrument, with a body resembling a tambourine. The banjo consists of a hoop over which a skin membrane is stretched; it has a long, often fretted neck and four to nine strings, which are plucked with a pick or the fingers. and mandolin mandolin (măn'dəlĭn`, măn`dəlĭn'), musical instrument of the lute family, with a half-pear-shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum. . Dad joined in on bass. A few years later, eight children and their father, Brad Darrington, were making music as the Darrington Family Band, playing bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. at community events and competitions around Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . ``We really hadn't even planned to make a band of it. It was just to have fun with music,'' said the children's mother, Lindsey Darrington. Brad Darrington said people are surprised at the skill of the youngsters in the band, who range in age from 7 up to young adults. ``I think probably to anybody who is a music teacher I would say, they're probably very good students,'' said Brad. ``It's nothing miraculous mi·rac·u·lous adj. 1. Of the nature of a miracle; preternatural. 2. So astounding as to suggest a miracle; phenomenal: a miraculous recovery; a miraculous escape. 3. .'' The family won in the band category last May at the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest, and the Darringtons performed in July at the Lake Hughes '49er Days festival. The family music started when Heather, now 21, and Toby, now 19, showed an interest in guitar. ``They began actually taking some lessons, and I showed them some things, and they did very well - took lessons for maybe six months so,'' explained their father, a construction worker who has played guitar since age 12. A family friend then offered to teach violin to Chloe, now 11, and soon Millie, now 9, and Emma, 7, were taking lessons on miniature violins donated do·nate v. do·nat·ed, do·nat·ing, do·nates v.tr. To present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute. v.intr. To make a contribution to a fund or cause. by another family friend. The children's mother had been skeptical about early lessons. ``I never wanted to start my kids too early in music and then have to push them through,'' she said. But the children loved the friend and enjoyed themselves. After a year of private lessons, the three girls became students of local teacher Frank Javorsek, who has been playing bluegrass music bluegrass music: see country and western music. for 40 years and had a bluegrass radio program at KCSN for 20 years. He teaches banjo, mandolin, guitar and Autoharp. Younger children in the family joined in the music. ``I always loved bluegrass, ...loved the idea that it was the roots of country music,'' their father said. The idea of creating a family band soon appealed to Brad Darrington. ``It was hard to imagine even being able to play together at first,'' he said. ``Parts are complicated, and (it) takes somewhat of a mastery of the instrument to make it sound OK. But we're so blessed because we found a fantastic teacher here.'' In the band, the father plays bass. Toby, 19, and Carly, 15, play guitar. Elspeth, 17, plays banjo. Fiona, 13, plays mandolin. Chloe, Millie and Emma play fiddle. Oldest child Heather was recently married and is taking some time off from the band. Toby, Carly and Elspeth are working on improving their vocals. And Toby thinks they should learn songwriting, so he has offered $50 to the sister who comes up with the best song. The Darrington's youngest, Will, 5 and Phoebe Phoebe, in astronomy Phoebe (fē`bē), in astronomy, one of the named moons, or natural satellites, of Saturn. Also known as Saturn IX (or S9), Phoebe is 137 mi (220 km) in diameter, orbits Saturn at a mean distance of 8,047,985 mi , 3, don't play any musical instruments yet but Will is interested in the dobro. Mom Lindsey hasn't joined the band either but wants to learn the Autoharp. Living in a home near Lake Palmdale, the younger children attend school at home, taught by mom. They also raise chickens and goats. Brad's parents live next door. Mom Lindsey is expecting her 11th child in January. Her married daughter expects a baby in February. ``We're having a menopause menopause (mĕn`əpôz) or climacteric (klīmăk`tərĭk, klī'măktĕr`ĭk) baby and a honeymoon baby,'' laughed Elspeth. The band rehearses once a week, and the members all try to practice their individual instruments at least five times a week. ``The community is so accepting,'' said Brad. ``The Bluegrass Association of Southern California has just taken us under their wing, and everywhere we go people are encouraging and love to see young people getting involved in bluegrass. It's the preservation of a tradition.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Brad Darrington, playing bass, rehearses with six of his daughters, from left: Chloe, Millie and Emma, front; and Carly, Elspeth and Fiona, rear. Most of the 10 children in the family play in the family bluegrass band. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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