The Swanson Family Band, who after releasing their successful second album "Two in the Morning" in 2010, is recognizable as one of Florida's newest emerging bluegrass bands.
The Swanson Family Band features brothers Travis Swanson (16) on
fiddle/vocals, Tyler Swanson (18) on banjo, and 22-year-old Eric Swanson on mando/vocals, along with Megan Bradley (guitar/vocals), Lynn Swanson (guitar), and Richard Swanson (bass).
From the moment they first took the stage five years ago, The Swanson Family Band has set out to create a style of music that was uniquely their own; music which is steeped in bluegrass tradition but unafraid to befriend other genres.
The Swanson Family Band has played a number of engagements across the central and north Florida region and the United States, including the Spirit of Bluegrass Music Fest in Live Oak, the Country Rocks the Canyon annual event in Crystal River, Florida, and as far as the High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Bass player Rick Swanson is no stranger to
the stage. Driven by his passion for rhythm,
Rick originally took up the bass and played in
rock bands in the 70's. But his true love has
always been bluegrass music, which he listened
to on the radio as a child traveling many miles
back and forth between Green Cove Springs
and Tallahassee Florida due to his parents
employment.
Rick exposed his sons to bluegrass music at
young ages by taking them to bluegrass festivals
and concerts, traveling as far as
North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia so they
could learn the authentic traditions of this style of
music. Together with his wife, Lynn, he believes
it has been an amazing blessing from God to be
able to play music together, and he hopes to bring joy into as many lives as possible by sharing this gift with others.
Lynn Swanson plays guitar and sings harmony
for the group. She has been playing music
since her parents first bought her an old upright
piano as a child.
In addition to becoming an accomplished pianist,
Lynn taught herself classical guitar while in High
School.
Her husband Rick, first introduced her to
bluegrass in the early 90's at the Withlacoochee
Bluegrass Festival in Dunnellon, Florida. It was
there that she first met Ralph Stanley and
The Lewis Family, inspiring her to take up the
guitar again.
With her musical background, she was able to help her sons experiment with playing many different instruments beginning at a young age. Now it is a lifelong dream of hers come true to be on stage performing with her family!
Lynn also handles the band's bookings and day to day business aspects of managing the band.
Megan joined the band in 2009, rounding out the
group, providing female lead vocals.
She first began singing with The Swanson Family
in church, and soon came to be just like part of
the family!
The Swansons loved her voice, and were thrilled
when she agreed to become a full-time member
of the group.
She has been singing since her first church
performance at the age of eight and continued
into college. She was classically trained through
high school and has earned numerous awards at
state and regional level competitions including
solo, duet, and ensemble performances. She is currently a junior in college, majoring in psychology and photography.
Travis Swanson has been playing fiddle
since age nine and provides some of the
groups lead and harmony vocals.
Many of the songs featured on the newest
Swanson Family album, "Two In The Morning",
are penned by Travis.
Travis first became inspired to learn the fiddle
after attending the Roanoke Fiddlefest in
Virginia in 2004 and has already studied under
some of the great fiddle legends of our time,
including Bobby Hicks, Fletcher Bright, and
Barbara Lamb.
Travis has been a featured artist at the Argyle
Bluegrass Festival youth showcase and has
been an invited performer several times at the University of Florida College of Music on bluegrass fiddle.
Although the fiddle is his main instrument, Travis is also a multi-instrumentalist, and plays guitar, piano, mandolin, and drums.
In his free time when he's not playing music, he plays competitive soccer, tennis, and golf.
Tyler has been playing banjo since age twelve,
inspired to learn after hearing Sammy Shelor
play at the Withlacoochee Bluegrass Jamboree
in Dunnellon, Florida.
Tyler has been a featured artist at the
Argyle Bluegrass Festival youth showcase, has
been an invited performer and has given
presentations on the history of bluegrass for
music students at the University of
Florida College of Music.
He has composed several bluegrass
instrumentals, two of which have been featured
on Swanson Family recordings, receiving both
national and international radio air-time.
In addition to his academic demands as a college-bound high school
senior, he volunteers his free time leading worship music at his home church.
Although the banjo is his main instrument, Tyler also plays guitar, piano, fiddle, bass, and mandolin.
In addition to music, he is on his high school's varsity soccer team, tennis team, and golf team.
Mandolinist Eric Swanson has been playing
bluegrass since the age of twelve. A
multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter,
Eric is an accomplished musician and feels
right at home with many other instruments such
as guitar, Dobro, octave guitar, and mandola.
His songwriting has been featured on both
Swanson Family Album releases and has
received both national and international radio
air-time.
Eric's early years in music included learning
piano, playing the upright bass and drums for
his church choir. At the age of thirteen, he
began pursuing mandolin as his instrument of
choice and began immersing himself in the
study of bluegrass music.
Now, in addition to his academic demands as a pre-med student, he continues to lead the worship music at his home church, gives bluegrass presentations for music students at the University of Florida, writes music and performs with the family band.
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