The following column will appear in the November 2008 edition of Gaston Alive:
The year was 1998, and the commercial music world was taken over by a new phenomenon – boy bands.
As much as I’d love to say I don’t remember this time in pop music, I unfortunately do.
The name “boy band” was a misnomer from the start. Sure they were boys, but they were far from a band.
Musical instruments were clearly optional in their case. While many young girls were in awe over the boy bands, one young girl could have cared less. Her name was Alana Flowers.
1998 might have been the year of the boy band, but for Alana Flowers, it was the year she was introduced to the banjo. In fact, she remembers the exact day she took home her first banjo – January 13, 1998. And ever since that cold January day, they have been inseparable.
Kids go through phases. It’s what they do. The things I enjoyed at ten years old do not matter as much to me now.
But I think that’s what makes Alana different. She was able to identify her passion at a young age. And even better – she’s quite good, winning multiple banjo competitions in her short career.
But then you start to wonder how much does DNA play a role in her development as a musician. Is it any coincidence that her younger siblings also are talented players?
Take her 13 year-old sister for example. She chose the fiddle. And then there is there younger brother Dylan. He selected the mandolin. He knew if he wanted to join the family bluegrass band, he had to choose an instrument other than banjo and fiddle.
The family, eager to play, recruited Donny Little and his brother Joel to handle the guitar duties. And thus, the Flowers Family Bluegrass Band was born.
In today’s musical landscape, it’s nice to see a bunch of talented players that blend youth and experience the way they do.
And it’s bluegrass – a musical art form that was meant to be passed down from generation to generation.
Boy band-ery is not something I care to see passed down through the generations. It’s too artificial for my tastes.
The youth of today often get a bad rap. All it takes is one performance by the Flowers Family Bluegrass Band and your confidence in today’s youth will be restored.
To learn more about The Flowers Family Bluegrass Band and to hear samples of their music, visit their website at FlowersFamilyBluegrass.com
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