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Celtic-folk
Searson gears up to test the road full-time; aims for 250 shows Erin Searson won't have to look far to see a familiar face when she steps on stage Saturday. Pierre
Schryer, host of the Old Tyme Jamboree at Kiwanis Community Theatre
Centre, and brothers Daniel and Louis were regular visitors to the home
of Searson's grandparents when she was a youngster. "All of them encouraged us, including the Schryers, to start playing and just to have a love of music," she said during a recent interview. "Just watching them, I think, was more of an inspiration." But the relationship had some immediate practical benefits, too. Searson credited Daniel Schryer for passing on some fiddling pointers to her sister, Colleen. Those early-year experiences have helped pay off for Erin and the rest of her family. Searson, a Celtic-folk outfit, was formed in 1995. Erin, 24, plays piano, sings and stepdances. The group also features younger siblings Heather (bass, vocals, bodhran) and Colleen (fiddle, vocals), father Mike (guitar, vocals) and good friend Jamie Gardner (fiddle). "We all love playing music," said Erin. "This is our passion. It's so much fun to do this as our job. None of us could ask for anything more." Well, maybe just a little bit more. Starting in May, the group is going to test the waters by spending a year full time on the road. "This is something we've always wanted to do before everyone starts getting married eventually, maybe having kids down the road," said Erin, a University of Ottawa graduate. "It's a good time for us to try it out, see how we really like it, and see if we could make this a full-time career." Searson,
averaging more than 100 shows now, is aiming for 250 shows a year with
its move to full-time concern. With two albums to their credit - The
Searsons (1995) and House Party (2002) - the group plans to release
their third album later this year. "As soon as we were finished the last CD we were all 'Oh my goodness, we could do this better.'" The group's website is www.searson.org.
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