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Accomplishments.......
2009 SPBGMA Midwest
Awarded *Instrumental Group of the Year* (6th consecutive year)
*Vocal Group of the Year*
Larita - *Dobro Performer of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Performer of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar Performer of the Year*
2008 SPBGMA Midwest
Awarded *Instrumental Group of the Year*
In 2007
They won 1st place in the SPBGMA International Band Championship in Nashville, TN
2007 SPBGMA Midwest
Awarded *Instrumental Group of the Year*
Larita - *Dobro Player of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
2006 SPBGMA Midwest
Awarded *Bluegrass Band of the Year Contemporary*
*Instrumental Group of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
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2009 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Instrumental Group of the Year*
*Vocal Group of the Year*
*Album of the Year* (Cold Lonely Night)
*Entertaining Group of the Year*
Janice Martin - Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional)
Banjo Performer of the Year
Elvin Martin - Bass Performer of the Year
Jeana Martin - Fiddle Performer of the Year
Dale Martin - Guitar Performer of the Year
Larita Martin - Dobro Performer of the Year
2008 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Instrumental Group of the Year*
*Bluegrass Band of the Year (Contemporary)*
*Entertaining Group of the Year*
Larita Martin - Dobro Performer of the Year
Jeana Martin - Fiddle Performer of the Year
Dale Martin - Guitar Performer of the Year
Janice Martin - Banjo Performer of the Year
Female vocalist of the year (traditional)
2007 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Instrumental Group of the Year*
*Bluegrass Band of the Year (Contemporary)*
Jeana - *Fiddle Player of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar player of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
Larita - * Dobro Player of the Year*
2006 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Instrumental Group of the Year*
*Bluegrass Band of the Year (Contemporary)*
Elvin - *Bass Player of the Year*
Jeana - *Fiddle Player of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar player of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
Larita - * Dobro Player of the Year*
2005 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Bluegrass Album of the Year* - Blue Side Of Lonesome
*Bluegrass Band of the Year (Contemporary)*
Jeana - *Fiddle Player of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar player of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
Larita - * Dobro Player of the Year*
2004 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Instrumental Group of the Year*
Jeana - *Fiddle Player of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar player of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
Larita - * Dobro Player of the Year*
2004
They placed 4th in the SPBGMA International Band Championship in Nashville, TN
2003 SPBGMA Midwest
Nominated *Instrumental Group of the Year*
2003
They placed 13th in the SPBGMA International Band Championship in Nashville, TN
In 2002
Winners of the Youth In Bluegrass band contest at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO
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Dale Martin at the age of only 12 years picked up the Guitar for the very first time. He is known for his clean and tasteful solo rides and backing the band with his smooth and powerful rhythm with his bourgeois country boy guitar! And his playing certainly does not go unnoticed he was awarded SPBGMA’s 2009 Guitar player of the year!
Dale also does most of the lead singing for the band and also sings tenor and low baritone in the trio numbers as well. He is known for his unique singing voice!
His musical Influences are pickers such as Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, and his friends Ricky Faris and Bull Harmon. And bands such as Flatt & Scruggs, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Jim & Jesse, Bluegrass Album Band, Lonesome River band and many more.
His personal Hobbies include listening to good country music, enjoys the outdoors, riding bike, work out at the gym, watchin movies, spending time with family and friends, Most of all playing music, whether it is onstage performing or just playing guitar alone or in a jam with other musicians, or recording in the studio. “Music is his Passion in Life”!
Janice Martin at the tender age of 12 this dynamic performer picked up the banjo for the first time. She was immediately connected to this instrument, Janice is known for her powerful right hand pulling tone, timing and super incredible volume from her Hopkins flat head five string. She has the space in between the notes just right!!!
And these abilities don't go unnoticed. Janice has been awarded SPBGMA's "Banjo Performer Of The Year" in 2006, 2007 and 2009 and has been nominated many other times!!!
Janice sings the highest parts on the trio numbers and her sweet angelic voice is featured on a few lead vocals as well.
Her musical heros are local bluegrass bands including the Drifters, Lonesome Road,
and pro bands like Alison Krauss, and many others.
Her banjo heros include Robby Boone, J.D. Crowe, Sammy Shelor, Steve Dilling, Terry Baucom and Earl Scruggs.
Her personal hobbies are of course playing music, cooking meals when she has time, enjoying the outdoors… hunting, fourwheeler riding, watching dirt track racing and NASCAR, Watching old TV shows and spending quality time with her family and close friends.
From the fiddle stylings of Bobby Hicks, Alison Krauss, Mike Hartgrove, just to name a few has produced and molded this young lady into one of the Midwest's finest fiddlers to come along in many, many years. Being self taught and playing for a mere 10 years Jeana Martin/Faris will delight you with the salty-sweet tone that she evokes from her warm sounding fiddle. But she will also put you in the aisles dancing with tunes like "Tom and Jerry" or "Sally Goodin' " or a crowd favorite "Twinkle Little Star".
Jeana also sings alot of the lead vocals in the band and sings tenor and some baritone in the Trio! She is known for her powful lead voice and great tenor singing!! She is the one who does all the arrangements for the vocals in band as well!
When she isn't playing on the road she spends time with her husband Eddie Faris, who is the newest member of Ricky Skaggs band, "Kentucky Thunder"!!!
Her Musical influences include, Bobby Hicks, Mark O’Connor, Benny Martin, Jimmy Shumate, Old tyme Missouri Fiddle music, Tony Rice, Bluegrass Album Band, Jim and Jesse, Flatt and Scruggs, Stanley Brothers, Reno & Smiley, The Drifters and others!
Some of her hobbies include: Baking & Cooking when she has time, taking long walks, and bike rides and spending time with family!
It is not too often that you ever witness a talented young musician that Woo’s the audience with their ability and knowledge of the instrument they play on stage. But in this instance Larita is the exception to the rule. One of a few female Dobro players in the business, she is an accomplished musician, very proficient. She has the ability to produce sounds and tones from her Dobro that would make you believe Uncle Josh or Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes was standing in front of you.
In the 8 short years Larita has been playing, she has won SPBGMA's "Dobro Performer Of The Year" in 2007 and 2009! She had the honor of playing onstage with the Great Josh Graves when she was only 12 years old!
Larita is also doing some lead singing along with low baritone and tenor, she has a great lower voice that fits in perfect for the all girl trio songs!
Her music influences are Josh Graves, Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes and Larry Beem.
Her hobbies include reading, watching movies, Gardening, listening to all forms of music, and spends hours at a time playing her dobro, but mostly she loves getting all dressed up and performing onstage for her fans!
Elvin on bass lays the foundation for the rhythm section in the band, he has a straight forward on time, on key, and pulls great tone! Also he has a great tenor voice, that he puts to work on some great duets in the band!
His love for bluegrass music started when he was just a young boy, he never played a musical instrument till about 10 years ago when his children started taking an interest in learning to play. He is the father of the Martins, has been married for 25 years to (mom) Verna Martin! Never in his wildest dreams did he think that his children would grow up to play music!
When he isn’t playing on the road He is tinkering with small projects around the house… listening to Bluegrass Music and Old Country Music (the Good Stuff) such as The Statler Brothers, Buck Owens, Charley Pride just to name a few! Cooking on the grill! Watching old TV shows Like the Andy Griffith Show and the Honeymooners and spending time with his family!
