We are thrilled to announce that our brand new album, The Lord Is Come!, is available! We sincerely hope you enjoy!
Order CDThe Vanderveer Brothers String Band is a driving and energetic old-time string band from the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex that specializes in giving performances for many different kinds of events. Being extremely versatile, the brothers have enthused audiences of 10-15 to groups of 600+ with their rousing performances.
The brothers, each being multi-instrumentalists, play a wide range of instruments, including hammered dulcimer, guitar, banjo, fiddle, piano/keyboard, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, bones, pennywhistle, jaw harp, and harmonicas! Featuring the only brothers ever to win the Lone Star State Hammered Dulcimer Competition, they combine musical excellence and unquestionable fun into an unforgettable experience!
The Andy Griffith Show
The Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival,
Winter Creek Reunion,
Coshocton Dulcimer Days (Ohio)
The Woman's Club of Fort Worth,
HEB Rotary Club,
Tarrant County Seniors' Health Expo,
Winter Festival of Acoustic Music
The brothers play for festivals, church groups, seniors groups, civic activity groups and a variety of other events. They also have a special place in their hearts for playing at retirement centers and nursing homes, ministering to older people who can't get out or do as much as they used to.
They can play anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the needs of the event.
Although their primary genre is old-time, they also enjoy playing Irish, Scottish, Folk, French-Canadian, Middle-Eastern, and South American music.
The hammered dulcimer is a VERY old instrument, originating in the Middle-East and going back as far, in some form, to Biblical times. Quite a few different countries around the world have instruments like the hammered dulcimer. While there are MANY diverse set-ups for the dulcimer, the basics are the same. Boxes, which are trapezoid in shape, have strings which are pulled tight over bridges that sit on the top of the box (soundboard). The strings are then hit with "hammers" (mallets) to produce (hopefully) music. Another interesting characteristic of the dulcimer is that it is set up diatonically, unlike a piano, which is set up chromatically. The word dulcimer means "sweet music" or "sweet song".
Old-time music is often described as the original "mountain music". Since this is old music and comes from the Appalachian Mountains, there is a very close tie to Irish, Scottish and French-Canadian music, making it incredibly difficult to draw a line between them. This tie, of course, comes from the fact that the people who came over to America from these places brought their songs and musical styles with them. Many settled in the mountains where their music would blend, and in some cases, they would come up with their own tunes, blending the music even more. This was the music of early America and was a central part in the lives of many. For some, it was what they did in the evenings - playing with their neighbors and friends on their front porches. For many, it was also the lively square dance music that would bring such joy to their lives.
As more modern music started to take over, old-time music would see a huge change. People like Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe would modernize the music style, adding in elements of blues, jazz and other modern genres. Often writing their own new songs, they split off from old-time music and created what is now known as bluegrass music.
Currently, old-time music is more difficult to find. It is often gathered or collected from people who have been playing for years. In a very real way, this is genuine "hand-me-down music" passed on from one generation to the next.
