August 17, 2010 | Story by: Lindsey Chester | Categories: Community, Featured, Music
Story and photos by Lindsey Chester.
Cary, NC – In the sultry southern heat of Saturday afternoon, I was blown away by the breath of fresh air known as the Snyder Family Band from Lexington, North Carolina.
The talents of Samantha and Zeb Snyder belied their youth. Samantha, an eleven-year-old violin virtuoso, and her fifteen-year-old brother Zeb, who masterfully played guitar, banjo and mandolin, were so captivating you couldn’t take your eyes off them.
Samantha was a charmer with her long blond hair and her impish grin. Their dad, Bud, who plays bass, was pleased to announce Zeb’s recent win in a mandolin competition and that they were waiting to hear how he fared in a regional guitar contest. A woman I sat next to explained that Samantha had won the previous year for violin in the Youth Category and now competes with the adults.
The two siblings were trained at an early age in the Sukuki method on violin and guitar. Their love of music and their obvious talents led them to form their duo. Laine, their mother, retold how their son thought the band needed a third instrument to complete their sound. So for a surprise birthday gift, the family bought Bud his upright bass. Bud says it was Zeb who actually taught him to play.
Their music is steeped in traditional bluegrass harmonies that take you back to a time before life got so complicated. One of the original songs they performed was written by Samantha and titled “The Great Civil War.” Simple, yet moving (it showed no preference for the soldiers wearing the Blue or the Grey). They released an album earlier this year called “Comin’ on Strong”.
One surprise was the youngest member of the family, four-year old Owen, who led a number. Owen was sure a scene stealer as his brother joked that he “was a hard act to follow.”
PineCone brought this band and several others this summer to perform concerts at Sertoma Amphitheatre free of charge.
