The Hired Hands at Folknet’s Mountain Rose

The Hired Hands are sisters from small-town Ohio who all began their musical careers with Suzuki Piano lessons…when given the opportunity, they began to diversify into many different instruments! Allison and Sairey discovered the Scottish lever harp and fell in love with the instrument and its music. They have since studied under some of the masters of Scottish and Irish traditional music, pursued post graduate studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland, and have taught extensively both in the US and in the UK. They have performed at many private venues, community concerts, and festivals, including Ontario’s Celtic Roots Festival, the Ohio Scottish Games, and the Dulci-More Festival. Both sisters have competed extensively, and between 2008 and 2012 have each won and held the title of National Scottish Harp Champion of America. Laura picked up the fiddle and has taken masterclasses and workshops under Andre Brunet of Quebec, Anna Wendy Stevenson and Mike Vass of Scotland, and Ed Pearlman of Maine. She has also competed at the Ohio Scottish Games, the Ligonier Highland Games in PA, and the 2010 National Fiddle Competition. Their repertoire includes, but is not limited to: Scottish, Irish, and Welsh traditional music, classical selections, and religious hymns, as well as selections from the pop and jazz genres.

Put on by Folknet at Standing Rock Cultural Arts in Kent, OH on the first Sunday of months in the spring and fall, this concert series has a history of over 50 years in the Kent area. Suggested donation at the door is $15, $12 for Folknet members, and an additional $5 covers all the children in a family with a responsible adult. Information for the series is available at www.folknet.org.