The Farnum Family
..from Galena, Missouri, is a six-piece family band that plays a lively blend of bluegrass, gospel, Irish, novelty and old-time western music. They love to perform tunes that will have you tapping your foot and singing right along, or perhaps take you on a trip down memory lane. Dad (aka Norm) is the bandleader, with 30+ years of stage experience under his belt. He picks the fi
ve-string banjo and sings lead and harmony vocals. His musical credits include five seasons at Silver Dollar City, three seasons at The Roy Clark Theater and seven years aboard the Lake Queen paddle wheeler. Mom (her friends call her Trish) is the pianist for the group and is also featured on lead and harmony vocals. She grew up playing music in church, for recitals, school concerts and 4-H programs. In 1987 she first performed in Branson, playing the ragtime piano for the Vaudeville Show at the Shepherd of the Hills, later joining Norm on his Lake Queen cruises. They married in early 1988, and played music as a duet until just a few years ago. In July 2003, their two oldest sons, Daniel and Benjamin, began taking music lessons. It wasn't long before they were able to do a song or two with Dad and Mom, and eventually became a full-time part of the band. Their younger sister, Hannah, followed suit in November of that year, and they have all been playing ever since! Daniel, the oldest son, is doing a great job on the upright bass and lead vocals. A fan of Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, and the Sons of the Pioneers, he gets requests to sing Ghost Riders, Battle of New Orleans, The Boss is Hangin' Out a Rainbow and many other songs. Benjamin, the second oldest son, makes his mandolin ring as he plays rhythm, melodic fills and intricate lead. Some of his favorite tunes include St. Ann's Reel, Blackberry Blossom, and Minstrel Boy among many others. He has added the guitar & harmonica to his musical presentation, and occasionally sings some great novelty tunes gleaned from the Sons of the Pioneers! Hannah, the oldest sister, handles a good percentage of the instrumental leads for the family band, playing favorites such as Clarinet Polka, Liberty, Red Wing, Soldier's Joy, Ashokan Farewell. She also sings some sweet gospel songs such as If You Believe and I'm Standing on the Solid Rock. *Hannah has studied under Ricky Boen, who is classically-trained with approximately 30 years of teaching experience. His band, Texas Mud, performs in Branson, and he also plays fiddle with the Sons of the Pioneers. In addition to the five musicians, Nathaniel joined the group in August of 2006, singing an occasional special number. His rendition of You've Got a Friend in Me is a real show-stopper! He is learning to play the baritone ukulele. Five-year old Maggie sometimes makes a surprise stage appearance, and 3-year old Matthew is generally content to listen to the music. Since forming their family band in 2004 they have played venues in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and many times in their home state of Missouri. Besides their many church dates, they enjoy performing fairs, festivals, historic theatres and other family oriented venues. They average about 100 live performances per year... not bad for a part-time family band! They were first invited to play at Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass & BBQ Festival and Southern Gospel Picnic in 2006, and have since been invited back in ‘07, ’08, ’09 and 2010 for similar festival events. By a special recommendation, the entire Farnum Family was awarded a scholarship to attend the O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat in Midlothian, Texas in October of 2009.
“Our goal is to glorify Christ and be a blessing to all who hear us. To our Heavenly Father we give all thanks…
for the talents He has given and, as a family, to convey joy to others as we honor His Son.”
Norm Farnum Family
