The Fitzmaurice Band plays the entire spectrum of this traditional music from the high and lonesome sounds of Bill Monroe and old time gospel hymns to contemporary bluegrass. The band is comprised of Maria & Sarah Fitzmaurice, Brandon Snellings, Mike Simms and Aaron Malone. Identical twins Maria & Sarah Fitzmaurice have been singing together since they were very young. Their first singing experiences were with the church choir and later at parties and family functions. Their voices (Maria’s smokey alto and Sarah’s pure, soaring soprano) blend together beautifully is sibling harmony for a “bluesgrass†sound that is uniquely their own. Maria handles the rhythm guitar for the group and Sarah holds it all together on the upright bass.
Brandon began playing mandolin when he was eight years old and by age sixteen, added guitar and banjo to his musical repertoire. His tenor to baritone vocal range adds to his versatility. Brandon is also a member of the family gospel group III for Him and teaches mandolin and banjo at Pickers Supply in Fredericksburg, VA. Brandon proudly endorses Hill Mandolins.At 29, Mike is the oldest member of the group. He began playing guitar and banjo in his early teens. Being the great nephew of Wayne and Bill Yates, Mike grew up with bluegrass music running through his blood. Aside from music, Mike is currently in graduate school studying education. He resides with his wife Julia and their dog Joseph in Nokesville, VA..Aaron hails from Los Angeles, where he was born and raised and where he began his musical studies on the violin at the age of 7. Being classically trained, he started branching out into other genres while still in high school, including blues, rock, jazz and world music. In 1998 he entered the Manhattan School of Music as a classical composition major, but left the school in 1999 to return to Los Angeles to work as a freelance musician/composer/arranger. Through the course of his various musical endeavors, Aaron has been fortunate enough to work and study with such musical greats as LA Phil principal violist Evan Wilson, jazz pianist and composer Billy Childs, Red Hot Chili Peppers rock legends Flea and John Frusciante, and has even played under the baton of Henri Mancini.
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