The Anderson Family's story as a band dates to the family's 2001 move to Grass Valley, a northern California town steeped in gold rush history. The Andersons live about 10 minutes from the fairgrounds where the California Bluegrass Association holds its annual festival-the first festival the whole family attended was in 2001, when Daisy was just 8½ weeks old.
At the CBA festival in 2003, Paige and Aimee were inspired by a performance of "Kids on Bluegrass", the CBA's popular program for very young pickers. Shortly after that festival, Paige started taking guitar lessons so she could play along with Mark, a fledgling banjo picker. Aimee picked up the fiddle a couple of months after that, starting out on a quarter-size instrument and also taking lessons.
By the 2004 festival, Paige and Aimee were participants in "KOB", gaining valuable musical and on-stage experience and performing the two tunes the sisters had spent months working out, "Cripple Creek" and "Old Joe Clark". As Paige recalls their debut, "When our turn came, we walked out on the stage and played our first song and got a huge response. Aimee and I looked at each other with really big smiles on our faces".
It's fair to say the band was born at that moment. Christy started playing the upright bass, after a false start on the dobro. Ethan picked up the mandolin, enthralled by the picking of Bill Monroe. Daisy started out fiddling on the quarter-size fiddle Aimee had outgrown, displaying an unerring sense of rhythm at a very young age. The family started playing in public early in 2005 and it's been full speed ahead since then.
The band's most recent CD, Anderson Family Bluegrass, was released in 2008. Containing such audience favorites as "Sounds of Loneliness", "Green Pastures", "Wild Bill Jones" and "Get Down On Your Knees and Pray", the album has met with critical and popular acclaim. In his liner notes, award-winning music critic Jon Hartley Fox pointed out a special part of the band's appeal: "The Anderson Family is the rare band that sounds better and more musically together every time you see it perform. Every single time-even if it's only been a week since the last time…The sky's the limit for my young friends".
The band has played throughout California at bluegrass festivals, county fairs, radio stations, TV stations, schools, state parks, campgrounds, farmers markets, churches, weddings, performing arts centers and many other events.
In June 2008, the Anderson Family won the Best Bluegrass Band award at the Northern California Artistic Achievement Awards ("The Grassies") in Nevada City, California.
Hi There, We started a Facebook site and wanted to let you know about it in you case you have one too and would like to join us there as well as at Myspace. For the link... Just Click here----->
FACEBOOK Urban Monroes Thanks a lot. Hope to see ya there!
i'm seeing patrick and jill tonight and we're going to get some dates together to give you to see when it's a good time to come up to hang out, do something for the zine, ride jill's hourse, etc...
it was a pleasure to see the family play TWICE and i had too much fun running around with daisy at slims... she's got a natural knack for photography!
much love to yall and see you much sooner than later.
It is a pleasure to have you as my new MySpace friend… I find your MySpace page, your talent and your enthusiasm for music pleason’ to many… I welcome you’re other MySpace friends to visit my MySpace page that I’ve dedicated to my admiration of many talented guitar playing musicians of many styles… Stop by check it out and leave a comment if you like… Thanks Ken…
HAd Girlfriend from Bald Knob. Her family owned a restaurant in Mountain View Arkansas where my Dad lived. Used to pick on the courthouse square there.
It's wonderful to see a young family playing together. We really enjoy playing as a family and our children are about the same age. Thanks for the add!
DEAR ANDERSONS. YOU HAVE A GREAT THING GOIN ON THERE & IT WAS SO GOOD TO MEET YOU. I HOPE WE WILL MEET AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. FOR TODAY I JUST CAN SEND YOU MY LOVE FROM RAINY NEW ORLEANS. YOUR FRIEND......DIGGER