Reflection through Bluegrass

Reflection through Bluegrass

From left to right: Phil Norman,Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin. Three out of the four members of the folk band “Bettman & Halpin.” (photo courtesy of bettmanandhalpin.com)

Bluegrass band, Bettman & Halpin, performed at the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Jan. 31, reminding everyone to let go of their worries and to live with positivity. Although the full band doesn’t always tour together, this performance featured all four members.

Though Bettman & Halpin were fun to watch, many bluegrass bands feature songs with positive messages and for a bluegrass band Bettman & Halpin were pretty standard.

The only distinct difference would be the harmonies between the two vocalists, Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin. The duo created chillingly beautiful harmonies together and sang in time even when there was silence and no cues to go off of.

Bettman and Halpin would have been likeable just on their own, but Phil Norman, cello player, and Carl Sorensen, percussionist, completed the sound by adding a more vibrant color. The way Halpin would look at Sorensen and give him a thumbs up showed that he was impressed as well.

Each member of the band had a chance to solo at some point. Norman’s solo was interesting to listen to because he played at first with his fingers, then with the bow.

Norman’s cello gave the songs a more full sound with his lower notes contrasted by Sorensen’s variety of percussion instruments such as the cajon, snare, triangle, gock block and bells.

The combination of these sounds made a powerful impact.  Though they did not do any talking, Norman and Sorensen’s personalities were present on stage.

Sorensen played with enthusiasm and seemed comfortable on stage and Norman played with confidence while experimenting with different styles.

Watching the performers smile at each other on stage made it that much more pleasant of an experience.

Sorensen’s periodic bell jingling became somewhat of an inside joke throughout the performance, eliciting laughter from both them and the audience.

Before most of their songs, they told the audience of how each one came to be, which made the performance seem more personal.

The songs were particularly engaging because they were about life lessons and healing. The lyrics told a story, but they also made you take a step back and self-reflect, which was the best aspect of their songs.

The instrumental song that they played after the intermission was the most memorable. It sounded like a song from a movie soundtrack, almost like it could be in the steerage party scene from “Titanic.”

Bettman & Halpin played three brand new songs that were all enjoyable. Though the songs were opposites of each other in terms of tempo and subject matter, they each had their own charm.

Bettman & Halpin are still on tour and can be found at their next performance in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Outpost Performance Space.

Share