| Maidens IV will perform in Grand Rapids and Pemberville this weekend |
Learning violin was a natural part of the Justice sisters’ upbringing.
The central Ohio-bred sisters grew up in a family of 11 and were home-schooled. Given their mother played
classical violin learning the instrument was "just one of our subjects like math," Havilah
Justice said in a recent telephone interview.
For four of the sisters music turned into a passion and a profession, giving birth to the Celtic fusion
band Maidens IV.
The quartet – sisters Havilah, Heather, Abigail and Tabitha – is set to perform Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in
the Pemberville Opera House and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Grand Rapids Opera House in the town hall.
Tickets are $12.
In Pemberville, the quartet will be joined by the Elmwood Royal Troubadour Show Choir and in Grand Rapids
by the Otsego Show Choir.
Havilah Justice said they were trained as classical violinists though they heard a lot of different music
around the house. It was their father, who listening to them practicing classical pieces, suggested:
"Why don’t you girls play something fun?"
So he got them tapes of Celtic and folk music. "We just took it up doing it," Justice said.
She and sister Heather, a classically trained vocalist, formed the group as Maidens II in 2003. In 2005
they wanted to enter a band competition, but a duo was not considered a band, so they recruited sister
Abigail, who excelled as a classical violinist including playing with the Mansfield Symphony.
That gave the ensemble "duelling fiddles" with Havilah and Abigail. About a year later the
ensemble became Maidens IV when younger sister Tabitha added her rock and pop sensibilities and prowess
on vocals, guitar, bass and drums to the mix.
While Celtic and folk form the roots of their music, Justice said that they really enjoy writing their
own music.
In listening to other bands they often find they like one element of the sound, but could do without
others. Maidens IV allows then to shape the music to their own tastes.
"We’re putting our own flair in it," she said. "We have a passion for doing it our
way,"
They still have traditional material they arrange in their own style. And every tune, cover or original,
comes with its own distinctive vocal harmonies and choreography.
The sisters aspire to break down the gap between audience and performers. She said when they would go to
concerts when they were younger, it was always the performer on stage and "we’re down in the
seats."
"The performer was never one of your best friends," she said. "When we’re done with our
show we’re best friends with the people. … When we’re playing our joy is so addicting, people feel
like they’re part of our show."
Another way they reach out to the communities in which they perform is having local choirs join them on
stage as they will in their two local shows.
The choirs will learn an Ethiopian and an Irish tune to perform with Maidens IV and then Maidens IV will
accompany them on a piece from the choir’s repertoire.
