About Us - Ari and Mia Friedman

Ari and Mia are members of a dynamic up-and-coming folk band. Their music is all at once driving, uplifting and moving. Ari graduated from Northwestern University in 2008 where she studied cello performance with Hans Jorgen Jensen, and will graduate from New England Conservatory in 2011 with a Masters in Contemporary Improvisation. A winner of ASTA's 2009 Alternative Styles Award, she is an inventive cellist and, aside from playing in a band with her sister Mia, she performs, tours, and records with Scottish National Fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel. She is also a member of the new Boston-based girl band, Long Time Courting, as well as New England's highly acclaimed fiddle band Childsplay. She teaches at various fiddle camps during the summer and has her own private studio.

Mia is a talented fiddler and singer studying at New England Conservatory's Contemporary Improvisation program. She won first place at the New England Regional Scottish Fiddle Champion in 2006 and performs around New England with various musicians. Both girls live in Boston. Ari and Mia perform mostly original and traditional music and are currently working on a new album featuring original jazz and folk-influenced songs and re-composed shape-note songs. Their main influences are Southern Appalachian, old-time, jazz, folk, celtic and bluegrass traditions.

Their first CD, titled Lady and the Pants, was released in December 2006. This well received, eleven-track, self-released CD is based mainly in the folk/Celtic tradition. You can order copies on CDbaby or iTunes.