Q .
What moment have you experienced with the band that made a lasting impression ? Sally : We recently competed in the Battle of The Bands competition at the White Elephant in the Stockyards . Green Light Pistol ended up winning the contest and taking home all the grand prizes . One of the prizes was a performance slot on the Main Stage at The Larry Joe Taylor festival this up coming week . That night has defiantly made a lasting impression in my mind .
Q .
When did you start playing music ? Growing up , did you always aspire to be a musician or is it something that came later in life ? Sally : Most babies and kids were given tethers and toys to play with , however , in the Wallace household , we were given fiddles . We all started at a very young age . I started playing mandolin first at the age of five and fiddle by the time I was seven . We loved playing music . My dad would get home from work and we would greet him at the door with our instruments in our hands . Dad would get his guitar out and play two to three hours with us every night . It was important to my parents that we practice and keep playing the music that we loved playing so much . What better way to encourage your kids than to play with them everyday ?
Brook : I first started playing the fiddle when I was 5 . When I was three , I decided that the fiddle was going to be my instrument of choice , but no one was available to teach me at the time . After two years under Sheryll Hartz , my family moved to Fort Worth and I started taking lessons from Valerie Ryals . It was exactly what I needed : Valerie had / has a great way of working with kids and fueled my fire for learning , and I could not play my fiddle enough . At the time , I was doing fiddle contests and loving the camaraderie and competitions . I also took lessons from Jimmie Don Bates , who pushed me the extra mile in my practicing routines and helped me realize that competition isn ’ t everything ; when you get right down to it , it ’ s all about you and the music .
Q .
14 | Acoustic Drive
What was the first band for you to play in ?
What was your experience like ? Brook : The first band I played in was the Cowtown Opry Buckaroos , which is a non-profit organization based in the Fort Worth Stockyards . I was 7 when my family joined . We would meet the 2nd Sunday of every month and kids from all over ( ages 17 and under ) would play their instruments and learn to sing / yodel and improv . It was an incredible experience and I got to learn from , and eventually become close friends with , great musicians such as rhythm and western swing extraordinaire Devon Dawson , yodeling queen Janet McBride , and many , many others .
Q .
Where was GLP ’ s first gig ? Brook : The first time we did a show was actually at a funeral . Caleb likes to joke and say that we did not perform our song “ Blood and Bones ” there , but we showed up , played , and got paid , so my dad says that it ’ s an official gig . After that , things started falling into place and we started practicing regularly .
Q .
What is on your playlist right now that you just can ’ t seem to get enough of ? Brook : I listen to a lot of Tom Petty , Stevie Nicks ( love her ), Sarah Jaffe , Chris Thile , Josh Weathers & the True Endeavors , and Ella .
Q .
Madalyn , how does it feel to be the youngest of the band ? Madalyn : I guess you could say that since I am the youngest , all of the elders of the band feel free to inform me of my mistakes more often . But I ’ m fine with that , because I know I ’ m just starting out and I have much to learn and , I enjoy learning .
Q .
Have you played any other instruments ? Madalyn : Tambourine , fiddle , cajon , djembe , and snare are the instruments I play .
Q .
What moment have you experienced with the band that made a lasting impression ? Madalyn : I don ’ t know , I ’ m sure it will happen at the LJT ( Larry Joe Taylor ) fest next week !!
Q .
Do you have any advice to other young artists out there who are just starting out ? Madalyn : Work hard and fun !
Q .
ADR is about to kick off our 2nd ‘ Listen for Charity ’ campaign . Will you be joining ? Brook : I would love to be a part of the second campaign ! What charities are involved this time ? I love Hope Center for Autism because of the kids AND because of the great people that are involved and dedicated to it : Dempsey Pullen and Cassidy Lay , just to name a couple . I ’ m so proud of Acoustic Drive and everything you have accomplished with it in such a short time . You ’ ve really done a great job and made your mark on the local music scene .
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