Accomplishments.......
22 SPBGMA Midwest Awards!
2012 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
Jeana *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
Janice *Banjo Performer of the Year*
Larita *Dobro Performer of the Year*
2011 Jeana *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
2010 *Instrumental Band of the Year*!!
Dale - *2010 Guitar Performer of the Year*
Janice - *2010 Banjo Performer of the Year*
2009 *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 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
2007 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
Larita - *Dobro Player of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
2006 *Bluegrass Band of the Year Contemporary*
*Instrumental Group of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Player of the Year*
2005 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
2004 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
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70 SPBGMA Midwest nominations!
2012 *Entertaining Group of the Year*
*Vocal Group of the Year*
*Instrument Group of the year*
Dale *Guitar Performer of the Year*
Elvin *Bass Performer of the Year*
*Entertainer Of the Year*
Larita *Dobro Performer of the Year*
Jeana *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
*Female Vocalist of the Year - Traditional *
Janice *Banjo Performer of the Year*
*Album of the Year* - World Of Our Own
2011 *Entertaining Group of the Year*
*Vocal Group of the Year*
*Instrument Group of the year*
Dale *Guitar Performer of the Year*
Elvin *Bass Performer of the Year*
Larita *Dobro Performer of the Year*
Jeana *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
Janice *Banjo Performer of the Year*
2010 *Vocal Group of the Year*
*Instrument Band of the year*
Dale *Guitar Performer of the Year*
Dale *Male Vocalist of the Year Traditional*
Elvin *Bass Performer of the Year*
Larita *Dobro Performer of the Year*
Jeana *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
Janice *Banjo Performer of the Year*
2009 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
*Vocal Group of the Year*
*Album of the Year* (Cold Lonely Night)
*Entertaining Group of the Year*
Janice - *Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional)*
Janice - *Banjo Performer of the Year*
Elvin - *Bass Performer of the Year*
Jeana - *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar Performer of the Year*
Larita - *Dobro Performer of the Year*
2008 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
*Bluegrass Band of the Year (Contemporary)*
*Entertaining Group of the Year*
Larita - *Dobro Performer of the Year*
Jeana - *Fiddle Performer of the Year*
Dale - *Guitar Performer of the Year*
Janice - *Banjo Performer of the Year*
Janice - *Female vocalist of the year (traditional)*
2007 *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 *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 *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 *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*
2003 *Instrumental Group of the Year*
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2007
They won 1st place in the SPBGMA International Band Championship in Nashville, TN
2004
4th Place in the SPBGMA International Band Championship in Nashville, TN
2003
13th Place in the SPBGMA International Band Championship in Nashville, TN
2002
1st Place - "Youth In Bluegrass" band contest at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO
2001
1st Place Lewis and Scott Bluegrass Reunion Band Contest, Grassy, 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 and 2010 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, over 11 years ago, 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, 2009 and 2012and 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"!!! They have a son Haden Alexander Faris, he is 2 years old!
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 11 years Larita has been playing, she has won SPBGMA's "Dobro Performer Of The Year" in 2007, 2009 and 2012! 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 Martin 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!
Lee Martin the Younger brother of the Martins has made special appearances onstage off and on since he was just 4 or 5 years old. He has joined the band full-time as the Bluegrass Martins mandolin player!
He has played guitar for a few years and also plays bass. He has been playing mandolin for less than a year.
Lee is 15 years old, bluegrass music is all he knows, and he has been bit by the bug!
Last year in 2011 Lee made a lot of special appearances playing guitar, he wanted to join the band full-time since we already had a great guitar player in the band and were missing the mando onstage. We brought it up to Lee asking if he could play the mandolin! He of course is always up for any challlenge! So he picked up the mandolin and is fast becoming a great mandolin player.
Lee loves to play music, he is always saying "Lets Pick"! He is learning to drive! Loves to talk about cars and get into deep discussions with his brothers and sisters about anything at all!
Anne Martin 12 years old is the youngest of The Martins, She makes special appearances onstage throughout the Bluegrass Martins shows! Anne has been dancing since she was just 4 or 5 years old.
She had rhythm ever since she could walk, when the Martins all got together in the living room to practice she couldn't keep her feet still, she was always dancing around the house so Dad enrolled her in the Hawthorn Dance Class in versailles, MO where the Martins lived at the time, and she just took it all in and learned very quickly. She has great timing, and now she knows well over a hundred clogging routines.
Anne also plays fiddle on a couple tunes on the shows and she can do both at the same time!
Some of Anne's hobbies : She loves riding horses, and teaching her beagle dog (Ben) new tricks! Watching movies with her sisters, Entertaining her nephew (Haden) Just to name a few!
