File: rossfamilyband06-oh-bandhistory_M.mp3
Speakers:
JR – Jonathan Ross
JR: This was when Danielle was first learning the fiddle, so she gradually worked her way into this dance show on the fiddle, more than just dancing. And I was already in the show as a side act with piano stuff, and then I came together with Danielle. But at this time the other two siblings still didn't play any instruments. And this went on from '97 to .98 to '99; we played at another hotel as well: the Stanley Bridge Country Resort. The same idea, for motor coach tours. And eventually we got out of that; I'm not sure of the reasons. And nothing much happened in 2000 except people kept getting more into music. Alex probably started the drums around then and Dannielle was constantly improving, as was I. And in [2001 and 2002] we played a number of conferences, local gatherings and ceilidhs, but nothing major until 2003 when we were asked to do our own show at the Confederation Center of the Arts in Charlottetown as part of the Charlottetown Festival. This was a thing for the summer, their summe season: like three times a week. So we produced our own show. Stephanie still didn't play the guitar at that time. She was still only a dancer. But they also sang, they started singing too around this time. We added that element to the show as well. And then 2004 we did the same thing: Confederation Center, we were there again. And 2005, we were asked to go represent Island music in a series of concerts in eastern Quebec and some of northern New Brunswick. And 2006 we were at the Confed Center again just for a couple of shows. And in 2006, we hosted our own ceildih which we initiated ourselves, just once a week in Stanley Bridge in a little local hall where they have a ceilidh every night of the week during the summer: the Women's Institute Hall. And that was quite successful. The place would hold 150 people and we had a capacity crowd most every night, many of whom were tourists to the area.
