The Hakanson Family

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Strait Bluegrass Festival</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Strait Bluegrass Festival"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> back to<B>  </B><A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2003 Festival"><U><B>2003 Festival</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC33" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crossfire Bluegrass"><U>Crossfire Bluegrass</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LoFi Breakdown"><U>Lo-Fi Breakdown</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Looking Glass"><U>Looking Glass</U></A></div> <div> <B>The Hakanson Family</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cherry Hill"><U>Cherry Hill</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Luck of the Draw"><U>Luck of the Draw</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Windy Ridge"><U>Windy Ridge</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="09fc6850.jpg" border=0 width="198" height="133" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B><U>The Hankanson Family</U></B></I></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=398 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="09dc22b0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="299" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Hakanson Family</B></div> <bR> <div> The band formed in July, 2000, and has made a large impact on the northwest bluegrass scene in a very short time. The band consists of dad, mom, two very talented young daughters on violin and vocals, and two adult guest artists who are also family friends. The band features several elements that are unique in northwest bluegrass; talented kids, a whole family onstage, and twin fiddles (sometimes three!). Underlying these unique elements are rock-solid vocals and picking, performed by adults with many years of experience.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B><U>Biographies:</U></B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Rob Hakanson</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >(dad) plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and sings. Rob has been active in the Portland, OR bluegrass scene since 1978. In addition to heading the Hakanson Family, Rob plays mandolin with the Great Northern Planes, a well-known Portland, OR bluegrass band. Playing music with his family has been one of the highlights of Rob's life.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Kathy Hakanson</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >(mom) plays bass and sings. Kathy has been listening to Rob play bluegrass for many years but has only recently been recruited to active musician duty. In addition to her solid bass playing, Kathy is a fine lead singer, a skill honed by years of singing to the kids at bedtime.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Ellie Hakanson</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >age 13, has played fiddle for seven years and also sings very well. She has followed a dual track on violin, learning fiddle from her dad and other adult fiddlers, while also studying classical violin through the Suzuki method. Ellie is a member of Portland's Metropolitan Youth Symphony, playing in the Concert Orchestra, the third of their four levels. In 2001, she played fiddle for pre-show and incidental music for the Mount Hood Artist's Repertory theatre company's production of Huck Finn, which had a mostly adult cast and which ran for about 15 performances.  In addition to her excellent fiddling, Ellie is a fine cellist and clarinet player.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Amy Hakanson</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >age 9, has played fiddle for five years, and like Ellie, is a Suzuki student and a member of Portland's Metropolitan Youth Symphony. Amy learns her fiddle tunes by ear, and usually, we didn't even know she was listening -- she'll just start playing a song that no one has "taught" her. Amy can learn any bluegrass vocal harmony part in about 10 minutes. In 2001, an impartial critic (her dad) proclaimed her as the finest bluegrass harmony singer in the northwest... under age 8.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Jered Widman </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >is a talented musician who frequently plays guitar and sings with the Hakanson Family.  Originally recuited into the band to play rhythm guitar, Jered has developed into an excellent lead guitar player and outstanding singer.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Jeff Wold</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >one of Oregon's best banjo players, is another frequent guest star with the Hakanson Family. Jeff is an old friend of the family and, like the other band members, is a fine singer.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Henry Hakanson</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >little brother of Ellie and Amy, is 5 years old and does not yet play in the band.  However, he has started violin lessons. On turning 3, when asked how old he was, Henry replied, "I'm Henry Hakanson, banjo player."   We have high hopes for Hammerin' Hank.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><U>Career highlights:</U></B></I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Strait bluegrass festival in Port Angeles, WA, 2000, 2001, 2003</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Title track of the Suzi Samuals benefit CD, a live concert featuring some of Oregon's finest bluegrass bands, including the Sawtooth Mountain Boys and Sam Hill.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Wintergrass 2001, 2002, 2003 in Tacoma, WA</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Prospect, OR bluegrass festival, 2001,2002, 2003</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Washington Bluegrass Association festival in Toledo, WA, 2001</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Oregon State bluegrass festival in Winston, OR, 2001</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Oregon Bluegrass Association Gospel show, 2002</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">MooGrass, Tillamook, OR, 2002</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle, WA, 2002</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Mount Hood Bluegrass festival, 2003</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>