Oh play me some organic music

It seems today many people are all about organic – organic foods on our tables, natural fibers in our clothing and authenticity in our relationships. And something really important to me personally is organic music. How do I define that? Well, to me organic music is that which is made up of beautiful and timeless melodies and tight vocal harmonies and which involves instruments both made and played by loving hands.
Don’t get me wrong, I love many styles of music and can get excited about a rock ballad or the highly-produced electronic sounds of Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller, but the music that really speaks to me at a heart level is that which is simple, clean and performed by people who play it because they love it. 
That’s why I was so excited to see the Petersen Family – referenced in last week’s update on the Franz Family – perform live and in person in Branson. Their organic bluegrass sound really appeals to me and, as I had the opportunity to tell them at their meet and greet following the concert, the highest complement I can pay them is that they are part of the soundtrack of our household on at least a weekly, if not daily, basis. 
I first discovered the Petersens sometime during the COVID year and eagerly watched several of their YouTube concerts produced that year. One of the things that immediately amazed me about their music is their versatility and musical range. 
As mentioned earlier, my personal musical tastes are rather eclectic, and even though they are a bluegrass band – playing violin, mandolin, banjo, guitar, dobro and “Mama” Karen on the upright bass – the Petersens’ repertoire includes songs from multiple musical genres. They have covered songs by everybody from Patsy Cline to John Denver to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to Simon & Garfunkel and the Carpenters. Several years ago they even recorded a live acoustic cover of Queen’s six-minute long “Bohemian Rhapsody.” 
What’s more, many of their songs featured on YouTube were truly recorded live and often in unpredictable outdoor settings. Reminiscent of the old radio days, two or three musicians and singers will gather around a single microphone, blending the sounds of voices and instruments organically rather than laying down multiple individual tracks in a studio and then mixing them electronically after the fact. 
Even more important to me personally is the fact that, having had the opportunity to briefly meet several of the family members after the show, I can confidently say they (along with Randy and Emmett Franz who work with them) are every bit as warm and authentic in person as they appear on stage. 
Our family has been going to Branson for more than 20 years and we’ve seen a lot of awe-inspiring shows with high production values, exceptional talent and all the bells and whistles (or should I say “smoke and lasers?”) that city has to offer. However, I think from now on every time we’re in the Ozarks we’ll be spending 90 minutes in that little 200-seat theater enjoying the organic music coming from some authentic folks who have come to feel like family.  
RON BURTZ can be reached at newsregister@hamilton.net.