The Bella Minstrels
Music Is What Feelings Sound Like
About Us
Hello and Welcome to The Bella Minstrels Official Web page!!
Here are a few things you might not know about the band!
The Bella Minstrels started as a group called Strings and Ivories. It was founded by Rachael Brown (violin and mandolin/right) and Deborah Bates (Piano and Penny Whistle/ middle), in early 2007. The girls began to play at coffee shops and picnics in the Erie area and became somewhat popular with the locals. Word spread and they were hired for an After School Program at the Conneaut Public Library. From there, the girls went on to play at a few Senior Citizen Programs.
The band originally consisting of Deborah and Rachael, specialized in songs from a group called "Secret Garden" as well as some classical pieces. The following year, the girls decided they wanted to expand their genre, so they took on Rachael's younger sister Christina Brown (guitar/left). With Deborah's skills on the Penny Whistle and Rachael's skills on the Mandolin, they began to play Irish, Celtic, and Scottish folk music. The band is not limited to these genres, in fact the girls play everything from tradition Folk Songs, to Rag Time, and Tangos.
The trio decided to rename "Strings and Ivories" because they felt they needed a name that was more versatile. After a long debate they decided on The Bella Minstrels, Bella meaning Beautiful (The girls thought it portrayed a certain femininity) and Minstrels meaning Traveling Players.