Valerie Helbert calls with Ari & Mia (Sunday Contra)

Ari & Mia Friedman play original and traditional music in the north and southeastern fiddle traditions of North America, sing in harmony, and play cello, fiddle and banjo, Owen Marshall joins on guitar, Valerie Helbert calls the figures.

Ari & Mia, Boston's Americana sister act, reference the traditions of Southern and Northeastern fiddle music and the early American songbook to create a realm where their own compositions cross paths with older traditions.Their stylish and sophisticated music honors the sounds of Appalachian cottages, rural dance floors, and urban concert halls.

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> Combine this with their innovative approach to song and tune-writing and the result is a fresh and contemporary sound.

> Ari & Mia "blend a traditional rootsy grounding with a clear background of classical training. Their own works are soothing and fresh, tasteful and accomplished. This duo is taking the classical study of a conservatory program and bringing it alive in folk touring circles,? says SingOut! Magazine. Both sisters studied at Boston's New England Conservatory in its cutting edge Contemporary Improvisation department. For the past four years, the sisters have been touring the country to critical acclaim. In May of 2013, they released a new record, Land on Shore, and their previous album, Unruly Heart, ranked high on the national folk radio charts for 2011. Mia?s song ?Across the Water,? won the 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the folk category.

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