Violinist Sara Caswell is part of the Caswell Sisters, performing July 18 at the Jazz in July Concert in Columbus.
The symphonic sounds of two sisters will soon come to life on the Columbus stage. This year’s Jazz in July performance will feature the Caswell Sisters, vocalist Rachel Caswell and violinist Sara Caswell, presenting their lifelong talents in a free concert presented by WFIU Public Radio.
Born and raised in Bloomington, the Caswell Sisters grew up in a very musical family. Their father, Austin, served for many years as chair of the Musicology Department at Indiana University, while their mother, Judith, taught in the music theory department there.
As children, they studied under IU Jazz Program Director David Baker, a friend of their father’s. During their high school years, both Rachel and Sara were active in their high school band program where they studied under the late Janis Stockhouse, a well-known band director and music educator. Rachel said Stockhouse placed them both in the jazz band although they played non-traditional jazz instruments with the piano and violin.
“We had all the right people in all the right moments in our lives influence us,” Rachel said. “Our parents, David Baker, Janis Stockhouse, and then we both studied jazz at IU as well as classical, we both have dual degrees, classical and jazz degrees.”
Sara’s career path took her to New York, a place where she always wanted to live. She attended and graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with a master in music degree in jazz arts. Since then, she has worked with several well-known artists and has been nominated for a Grammy.
“That was a complete surprise and honor… it’s always difficult for me to articulate what that means, to be recognized by your peers in that way,” Sara said. “I still get goosebumps thinking about it.”
Rachel also lived away from home for a couple of years while attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, but she said she had a difficult time establishing a foothold. She later found herself returning back to her Bloomington home, and has since released a few albums. In 2013, the sisters recorded an album together, alongside famous jazz pianist Fred Hersch, titled “Alive in the Singing Air.”
As is the case with many sibling relationships, Rachel said there were times of competition between her and Sara growing up as well as close moments together. However, she said they have always wanted the best for each other, celebrating the other’s accomplishments when they arise. She said their individual careers have not only created fulfilling musical experiences, but also ones that they can share as siblings.
“It’s been a really rewarding chance to get to develop and further our relationship as sisters,” Rachel said.
When asked to describe their sounds, the sisters answered for each other. Sara said Rachel has an amazing, unique and powerful way of utilizing her voice and improvising, while Rachel said Sara is a powerhouse collection of lyricism and technical prowess and instrument control. Sara said their experiences together, both musically and personally, weave themselves into their music.
“Having grown up with the sound that we each generate which is quite unique, that sound tends to influence what we want to hear out of our own music,” Rachel said. “We tend to make each other better when we’re playing together and we also gravitate towards each other’s sound. So she’s the sound in my head and I’m the sound in her head and it works together really well.”
Their upcoming concert at the Bartholomew County Public Library Plaza will feature some fan favorites from their repertoire as well as some new material. Joining them will be good friends of theirs Gabe Evens on piano, Jeremy Allen on bass and Cassius Goens III on drums.
Both Rachel and Sara said they look forward to their upcoming performance, with Rachel saying any opportunity she gets to play with her sister again is always welcome. And while New York is Sara’s home musically speaking, she said there is nothing that can replace her home state where she grew up.
“I love Indiana, I love Bloomington and the Bloomington area, I include Columbus as part of that because it’s not too far away,” Sara said. “It always feels like I’m coming home, even though I haven’t lived in Indiana for about 20 years or so. There’s just such a wonderful familiarity and such a warmth that comes along with the Midwestern culture, so I’m always excited when I fly into Indy and know I’m going down to the 812 area.”
