Live Music - The Geslison Family

The Geslison Family

The Geslison Family has been performing together since 2002. Before 2002 dad, Mark, was the only seasoned performer of the family. As the Geslison kids began to grow and progress in their musical skills, Mark decided it was time to play together as a family. Since mom, Jeanette, has always been a dancer, Mark asked her to consider becoming a musician by taking on the role of playing electric bass and Celtic drum (called a “bodhran” in Gaelic). She said “yes.” With Alina on fiddle and Isaac on guitar, the family band was complete. In 2003 Ellie Anna was born. Ellie made her performing debut at age 2 in 2005.

Mark began performing as a teenager when he first discovered Bluegrass and traditional folk music. He had loved the guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and banjo since the age of four, but did not begin to play mandolin and guitar until he was 12. At age 12 Mark was admitted to the hospital to have his tonsils removed. As a coming home gift his father gave him his first mandolin. Mark taught himself how to play the mandolin using Mel Bay Publications mandolin instruction books. He has since won 10 state and regional mandolin championships, 14 state and regional guitar championships, 2 state banjo championships, and 2 ensemble championships.

In 2005 Mark received a Pearl Award and a Best of State Award for his collaborative work with Geoff Groberg titled, Emma’s Hymns. Emma’s Hymns is a recording of a collection of nineteenth-century, “early American” hymns. Mark’s publications and recordings from 2005-07 earned him another Best of State Award in 2007.

Mark has directed the BYU Folk Music Ensemble program since 1992. He is the author of 18 books and 19 recordings. He has three publishers (one of which is Mel Bay Publications, Inc.) and is the owner of two businesses, and is the co-owner of a third business.

Jeanette is a native of Odense, Denmark. She is the only member of her family of seven siblings to live outside of Denmark. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, Jeanette trained in ballet and jazz dance forms. Because her father was a professional actor, she spent a lot of time in the theater and was privileged to act in minor roles in some of her father’s plays. Jeanette is in her eleventh year on the BYU Dance Department faulty. She specializes in Hungarian traditional dance forms. She also teaches Irish step dance and soft-shoe dance forms. She is a well-known community dance instructor where she teaches numerous old-time American (line, circle, and square) dances.

Alina (age 16) is the family’s violinist/fiddler. She graduated from the Utah Suzuki Violin program in 2005. In 2004 she won fifth place in the junior junior division of the National Old Time Fiddler’s Contest held in Weiser, Idaho. She is a two-time state fiddle champion. In 2003 Alina won “Best Grove” at the American String Teachers Association, Alternative Styles award program held at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Alina is a junior at Timpview high school in Provo, Utah. She is a member of the Timpview girls softball team. She enjoys dance, history, music, creative writing, reading, sports, and language (Alina is fluent in Danish). Alina’s favorite thing to do is to travel to Denmark to visit her extended family. She has been to Denmark 13 times. Alina will attend college after high school where she plans to study to become a pediatrician.

Isaac (age 12) is the guitarist for the Geslison family. He won a state guitar championship in 2005. He is in the sixth grade at Provost school in Provo, Utah. His favorite things include football, baseball, music, reading, Indiana Jones movies, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar licks, Danish food, and traveling to Denmark. One of his very most favorite things to do is to attend BYU football and basketball games with his dad.

Ellie Anna (age 4) is the family’s singer—when she is in the mood to sing. She also plays percussion. Ellie loves her cat Goldie, is a huge dark chocolate lover (especially European dark chocolate), and has lots of friends. Some of her other favorite things include Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, panpates (pancakes), muesli for breakfast (raw oats with strawberries and dark chocolate), anything pink, and Halloween!

To view the Geslison Family Folk Band in concert (filmed by KBYU TV productions) log on to:

www.byub.org/geslison

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