Farnum Family

About

About the Farnum Family

The Farnum Family, from Galena, Missouri, consists of six children with dad & mom all performing American and European-originated folk music from the early 1800's thru mid-1900's and beyond. With influence gleaned from bluegrass, folk, gospel, Irish, old-time standards, and cowboy & western, their diverse blend of music is styled in an acoustic string-band fashion – with 5-string banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and upright bass, supported by piano, penny whistle and occasional Bodhran, washboard and harmonica. Their homespun and entertaining presentations – whether for theater concert, church congregation, school assembly or RV Park – is suitable for all ages.

Band Members include…

Dad (aka Norm) is the bandleader, picks the five-string banjo & rhythm guitar, sings lead and harmony vocals, and has nearly 40 years of stage experience under his belt. His musical credits include five seasons at Silver Dollar City, three at The Roy Clark Theatre and seven aboard the Lake Queen paddle wheeler (often accompanied by his lovely and talented wife, Trish). At the 2012 Grand Lakes Festival he placed 2nd in the banjo competition.

Mom (her friends call her Trish) is the pianist for the group, is featured on lead and harmony vocals, and also plays the pennywhistle. She grew up playing music in church, for recitals, school concerts and 4-H programs. In 1987 she first performed in Branson playing the ragtime piano for the Vaudeville Show at the Shepherd of the Hills, later joining Norm on his Lake Queen cruises. They married in early 1988, and played music as a duet...

In July 2003, their two oldest sons, Daniel and Benjamin, began taking music lessons. It wasn't long before they were able to do a song or two with Dad and Mom, and eventually became a full-time part of the band. Their younger sister, Hannah, followed suit in November of that year, and have been playing together ever since!

Daniel, at 19, is doing a great job on the upright bass and lead vocals. A fan of Josh Groban, Tim O'Brien, Marty Robbins, the Bar-J Wranglers and Sons of the Pioneers, his rich baritone voice is featured on many of the songs. Daniel is also our “Regency Dance” caller & instructor, always available for the occasional English Country Dance, Virginia Reel, Patty Cake Polka and many more.

Benjamin, at 17, makes his mandolin ring as he plays rhythm, melodic fills and intricate lead. His skills on the mandolin are exceptional playing bluegrass, Irish or Texas Swing. He took 2nd Place at the 2012 Grand Lakes Festival. He also plays the guitar and harmonica... and no one knows if he can sing!

Hannah, at 14 years old, handles a good percentage of the instrumental leads for the family band. She has a confident style playing bluegrass, gospel, Irish or Texas swing. She also sings some sweet gospel & bluegrass songs. Hannah takes fiddle lessons from her teacher, Ricky Boen, star fiddler with the Sons of the Pioneers. She is also an award-winning fiddler placing 2nd at the 2011 Branson Fiddle Fest & 2012 Grand Lakes Festival!

Nathaniel, now 13-years old, joined the group in August of 2006 singing an occasional specialty number, and is learning to play the lap-slide resophonic guitar. He often adds Ozark percussion on spoons, washboard and the Irish Bodhran. His spirited rendition of Joshua with his siblings is a real foot stomper!

Maggie, at 8-years old, is learning to play the fiddle, and often makes her stage appearances with 6-year old Matthew, both singing on gospel & novelty tunes. With her big sister, Hannah, the two are featured on some sweet fiddle duets.

An award-winning family band, since forming in 2004 they have played venues in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and many times in their home state of Missouri. Besides their many church dates, they enjoy performing fairs, festivals, historic theatres, RV Parks, assemblies and other family oriented venues. They average over 100 live performances per year and hope to eventually go into “full-time” music!

They were first invited to play at Silver Dollar City's (Branson, Missouri) Bluegrass & BBQ Festival and Southern Gospel Picnic in 2006, and have been invited back every year since for similar festival events. They have also enjoyed 3 concert appearances at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas. By a special recommendation, the entire Farnum Family was awarded a scholarship to attend the O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat in Midlothian, Texas in October of 2009 and again in 2011. The whole family traveled to the Rio Grande Valley in 2012 for a 5-week music tour for the Winter Texans and some other venues, and plans to return again in 2013. And this year marks a second year to Wyoming to perform for the July 4th Cody Stampede Parade celebration.

A favorite scripture reference which embodies their music performances and ministry is Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Please contact the Farnum Family to book your special event!

Personnel

Norm Farnum: Bandleader, Banjo, Guitar, Vocals
Trish Farnum - Mom: Piano, Penny Whistle, Vocals
Daniel Farnum: Bass, Vocals
Benjamin Farnum: Guitar, Mandolin, Harmonica
Hannah Farnum: Fiddle, Vocals
Nathaniel Farnum: Dobro, Bodhran, Washboard, Vocals
Maggie Farnum: Fiddle, Vocals
Matthew Farnum: Cute factor, Vocals

Influences

We've been inspired by many wonder acts, family bands, and genres. The following come to mind...

Sons of the Pioneers (our daughters take lessons from Ricky Boen, a World Champion Fiddle player; Riders in the Sky; Marty Robbins; Flatt & Scruggs; Don Reno; John Doyle; plus hundreds of bands that we've seen and/or are acquainted with from Silver Dollar City and other festivals.

What to Expect

Typical Gig Duration: 20 - 120 minutes

Family music, entertainment and Christian ministry.

Here's an example from a performance in Texas...

"I want to take a moment to thank you for the wonderful show you and your family performed here at AmeriCana RV Resort last week (January 22nd). Our guests are still talking about the great quality entertainment your family provides. Everyone was truly amazed at the talent displayed by your children. Your kids were extremely well behaved, sociable and brought out the grandparent in all of the guests. Your show was filled with wonderful singing, beautiful instrumentals and belly-laugh humor. The spontaneity of the interactions between family members was 'real world' funny and brought back memories of raising our own families."

Stage/Setup Requirements:
A comprehensive sound system is helpful
A platform or stage is nice
Meals for our family are always appreciated

Additional Notes:
We can use your sound & lighting or have our own sound system.

Here are some professional references...

To Whom It May Concern:

We have been acquainted with the Farnum family for several years since we first saw them and listened to them perform at Silver Dollar City in Missouri. My wife and I do the scheduling of the movies and the live events at our Civic Theatre and we are always looking for new talent.

We were immediately impressed by their considerable talent and stage presence. We went back again to listen to another performance of theirs and after we listened again, we asked them if they would consider coming to our Civic Theatre. Their impeccable family harmonies were exactly what we were looking for in our town.

Our town likes Bluegrass, Gospel and Old Time music which is exactly what the Farnum family provides. Their children from the oldest to the youngest are very talented and the whole family provides a wonderful evening of entertainment. They have performed twice on our stage and are scheduled for two more programs in the future.

We highly recommend this family group for any venue, both large and small. They present a clean family show that anyone can attend. They are presenting and preserving a great part of American music.

Darrell & Joyce Albright, Managers / Historic Pretty Prairie Civic Theatre / Pretty Prairie, Kansas

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To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Carl Adkins and I am the Music Director at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Our park mission is dedicated to the preservation of the music, crafts and folklore of the Ozarks region. We strive to bring in acts that represent the best in authentic folk music traditions.

The Farnum Family, led by Norm Farnum, performed here at the Ozark Folk Center on August 14 of last year. They played a very professional show to an audience consisting of a large percentage of our regular attendees, and were very well received.

I would recommend them as a group that was well organized and fully prepared, which makes presenting them a pleasure. I would appreciate you giving them your full consideration.

Carl Adkins, Music Director / Ozark Folk Center State Park / Mountain View, Arkansas

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To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is in support of The Farnum Family Band of Galena, Missouri. The group is well known to me, as I have booked them for performances at Silver Dollar City on a number of occasions.

The Farnum Family was included in our Bluegrass & BBQ Festival in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and they are scheduled to return in May of 2010. They also served us during our Southern Gospel Picnic Festival of 2006 & 2008, as well as our American Heritage Crafts & Music Festival in 2007.

I recommend The Farnum Family as ambassadors of the rich musical heritage of Missouri. I know the group to be accomplished both instrumentally and vocally, and they are entertaining on a professional level. This group is also flexible and sensitive to the needs of the promoter.

Yours truly,
D.A.Callaway, Talent Coordinator
Silver Dollar City Entertainment & Events
Branson, Missouri

Set/Song/Sequence List:
Please visit the Farnum Family website for a partial list of our music & performance selection. We can cater our performances for almost any church, historic or family theme.

Available for Your

Anniversary Party, Birthday Party, Bridal Shower, Casting Call, Christmas Party, Church Service, Competition, Concert Venue, Convention, Corporate Event, Cruise, Dinner Dance, Ethnic Celebration, Fair, Festival, Fundraiser, Funeral Service, Graduation, Grand Opening, Holiday Party, Hotel, Launch Party, Luncheon/Tea, Other, Parade, Private Party, Prom, Religious Celebration, Restaurant, Retreat, Reunion, Seminar, Sporting Event, Studio Session, Sweet 16 Party, Trade Show, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, Workshop

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