What started out as a husband/wife team playing weddings and store openings years ago has blossomed into a lively, entertaining family business of champion fiddlers and world-ranked step dancers.
  On March 20, at the Carolina Civic Center in Lumberton, you’ll get to see the fruits of that union when the Hunt Family Fiddlers perform their eclectic mix of Celtic, bluegrass and inspirational tunes.
  {mosimage}Despite their success, making it big in show business was not the aim of the band, says band matriarch Sandy Hunt. She says the progression from small time to world class was just a byproduct of the family’s love of music.
  “My husband and I, we just loved music,” said Hunt. “We played music at the house and then we would always play for local hospitals and nursing homes and then our name started to spread.” 
  Once the family started to grow, the kids became a part of the band — all seven of them. Their musical progeny range in age from 10 to 19. You can see performance videos as well as read the bios of the whole clan at the Web site, www.huntfamilyfiddlers.com.
  “I am the music teacher,” said Hunt. “When they were all kids growing up I taught them to play music —now that they are older, their dad has taught them to play guitar.”
  The  group decided to implement Riverdance-style step dancing into the act when Hunt received a call from a dance school.
  “I had an Irish dance school call and ask if I would teach their dance students how to fiddle,” said Hunt. “I told them that I would teach them how to fiddle if they taught us how to dance. So we just joined together and brought music and dance together — and what a blessing that has been to our family.”  
  While raising a family can be trying under any conditions, the Hunt Family’s faith plays a role in coping with such an unconventional lifestyle.
  “There is a lot that goes into a family ... but our family is strong in our faith and we hold onto our hope,” said Hunt. “You can go a long way just being kind to each other; kindness can send people very far and that is the message we are always trying to send to the younger kids in our family.
  “Try to say good things, try to do good things and if you are talking about other people, remember the words on your lips,” said Hunt. “Life can be hard — you need to see the value of the days that you do have.”
  The show starts at 8 p.m. and the tickets are $15. Carolina Civic Center is located 315 Chestnut St. in downtown Lumberton. Call the Carolina Civic Center at 738 – 4339 or go to www.carolinaciviccenter.com for more information.

  Contact Stephanie Crider at editor@upandcomingweekly.com