Bluegrass duo home for Christmas

Alex Rubin and Catherine (BB) Bowness. Photo / Bevan Conley

She was told to stick with the guitar because learning to play a banjo was hard. That was all it took to convince a stubborn 12-year-old girl from Turakina Beach that the banjo was the only instrument for her.

Catherine (BB) Bowness is home for the holidays and has come a long way since then. Now 26, she and US-born partner Alex Rubin are living the dream, making their way in the world playing and teaching music.

The couple are based in Boston, USA, but have returned to Whanganui to be with BB's parents - Barbara and Terry Bowness - at their Koitiata, Turakina Beach, home for Christmas.

Apart from a show at the Whanganui Musician's Club last week, and a small gig in Palmerston North, they are not here to play. "This visit is more about relaxing and catching up with family," says BB.

She first became interested in the banjo after hearing The Beverley Hillbillies and asked her guitar teacher about switching to the banjo.

"I was totally in awe. I told him I'd love to learn the banjo. He said 'you're such a lovely guitarist, why don't you stick with the guitar, the banjo's pretty hard'.

"That's the perfect thing to say to a 12-year-old because that made me really want to learn it - I'm quite stubborn."

She says the banjo is a unique sounding instrument. "Whenever you hear it in person it's very striking. It's just a fun sound."

"You pick things up pretty quickly when you're a kid. You can be playing a tune in like a week, or two - though not very well.

"You're not going fast and you don't have very good tone. None of the subtleties are there. But you can play something to people around you. It's quite an encouraging instrument in that way.

"A lot of it is in the agility of the right hand. The left hand's not that fancy."

BB had an interesting childhood. Her parents, who ran a fish and chip shop in Bulls for 17 years, built a house truck and joined the Gypsy Fair, travelling the country for much of BB's teen years.

"We got some chickens, we had the dogs, we had a cat, we had a budgie and then we hit the road.

"My mother learned very quickly how to make copper art. So she got into that and became really good at it. She's got a gallery now."

The Red Batch Gallery at Turakina Beach is temporarily closed but Barbara's work can be found at Creations Studio in Whanganui.

"Our base was Turakina Beach, we always came back."

BB was the first banjoist to be accepted to the New Zealand School of Music. After completing a bachelors degree in music and jazz performance in 2012, she moved to Boston.

"Being able to move to the states has been pretty incredible. But it's still hard, Bluegrass isn't the biggest thing in the world."

Nonetheless she is in demand as a teacher and performer throughout New England and has performed with bands across the country as well as in Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Her newest band, Mile Twelve, has quickly gained recognition for their outstanding performances throughout the USA.

As one You Tube commentator wrote: "From an ole 68 year old Bluegrass fan .... Bluegrass and its future is in great hands!"

Since meeting Alex, who plays the guitar, the couple have been making a living entirely from playing music, though they play in seperate bands."We live together and jam together but we don't get the chance to play too many shows together. We do a lot of teaching and travel and play as many different gigs as possible."

Alex never intended being a musician and as a kid hated Bluegrass and folk music in general.

"My dad always loved Bluegrass and I think part of my distaste for it was that he liked it. It's like that when you're 13."

He later warmed to the idea and started playing the guitar at 18, eventually turning his back on a career in science and plumbing for life as a musician.

The couple say they are glad to be in New Zealand. Back in Boston it's minus 16 degrees celcius and thick snow.

They visited New Zealand two years ago, packing in shows wherever they could get a gig.

"That was the first time Alex came to New Zealand. We played 22 gigs all around the country. I really showed him around, that was the goal. It was kind of an excuse to have a romantic vacation," BB said. "This time we're just relaxing."

They plan on returning in another two years and will perhaps do some shows then.

"My band is definitely coming to Australia next October and hopefully Auckland, Wellington and maybe Whanganui. I think that would be cool," says BB.

The couple leave for home on Boxing Day. Their music can be heard on You Tube and on their website www.nobonesaboutitband.com