The Oot n乌鸦传媒� Oots, an upbeat, fun-loving family band, was born three years ago from the vocal splendour of an eight-year-old girl.

Truly a family band, they are made up of four adult brothers 乌鸦传媒� Matthew, Ezra, Gabe and Ari Cipes 乌鸦传媒� and 11-year-old Ruth, Ezra乌鸦传媒檚 daughter. The family has a farm in Kelowna.

Ezra explains that the family乌鸦传媒檚 first professional gig with Ruth took place in 2015. Matthew, the oldest, had played in bands and was the inspiration for the others to pick up instruments and play together. Ezra and Gabe had since been working as recording artists and touring and session musicians.

The brothers invited Ruth to join them near the end of the set.

乌鸦传媒淲e did our set and the last three songs, she got up with us. She completely stole the show; it was like nothing before that mattered,乌鸦传媒� Ezra smiles. 乌鸦传媒淭hat was the start of the band. It was undeniable.乌鸦传媒�

The Oots n乌鸦传媒� Oots delighted both young and old at this year乌鸦传媒檚 Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival. Although it was the band乌鸦传媒檚 first time playing at the festival, they乌鸦传媒檝e attended several times. Ruth has been going to music festivals since she was a baby.

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Theirs has been a musical family throughout the generations. Ruth乌鸦传媒檚 Grandpa Steve would play boogie woogie piano and get all the children jumping around.

乌鸦传媒淚t was like a magic trick and we wanted to get in on that magic trick,乌鸦传媒� says Ezra.

Ruth began her appreciation for music as a wee one. She had a thing for Elvis, then Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Wanda Jackson and Patsy Cline.

乌鸦传媒淲hen Ruth started singing, she started singing with a real swagger at a very young age,乌鸦传媒� Ezra smiles. 乌鸦传媒淲hen she was really little it would crack everybody up, because it was coming from such a little person. She would sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star like a blues singer.乌鸦传媒�

When she was seven, she started doing open mic, with her dad accompanying her. Not only did she have a rich, deep voice, she would write her own songs. At six or seven she wrote 乌鸦传媒淲here the Purple Geese Fly乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒淪aturday乌鸦传媒檚 a Sadder Day.乌鸦传媒�

Ruth explains the latter song: Her mom Rio (who loves music but doesn乌鸦传媒檛 perform) would go to the farmer乌鸦传媒檚 market on Saturdays, so she and Ezra would have 乌鸦传媒淒ad and Ruthie day.乌鸦传媒� The song title refers to the times they weren乌鸦传媒檛 able to have their special day.

乌鸦传媒淪aturday乌鸦传媒檚 a sadder day when I乌鸦传媒檓 not with you.乌鸦传媒�

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Ezra recounts the Roots and Blues Festival in 2014 when Mavis Staples of the Staple Singers headlined.

The security guards took a couple of kids, including Ruth, inside to visit.

乌鸦传媒淢avis Staples was singing to her. It was almost like she bestowed her blessing on Ruth,乌鸦传媒� says Ezra.

Adds Ruth: 乌鸦传媒淚 hadn乌鸦传媒檛 heard of her before and now I love her music.乌鸦传媒�

All of the Oots n乌鸦传媒� Oots write songs, and sometimes they write together. Ruth says she takes guitar lessons and practises almost every day.

Ezra notes that in their mud room sits an organ and a piano.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檒l start a jam when we乌鸦传媒檙e trying to get our shoes on.乌鸦传媒�

The song 乌鸦传媒淚 Like it Saucy,乌鸦传媒� in the style of David Bowie early-乌鸦传媒�70s glam rock, came to life at the dinner table when Ruth was asking her mom for more sauce. She and her dad created it.

Ruth is an only child but has lots of cousins. She says she enjoys playing music with her dad and uncles.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e always being silly. That乌鸦传媒檚 what we do, that乌鸦传媒檚 what our band is乌鸦传媒� We乌鸦传媒檙e always making jokes, coming up with silly songs.乌鸦传媒�

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Asked if such a close family gets along well, Ezra says most of the time.

乌鸦传媒淥ur dad tells a story about 乌鸦传媒� he was an ambitious young man 乌鸦传媒� he had an idea to broker peace in the Middle East.乌鸦传媒�

His rabbi told him that if you want peace in the world, first you must have peace in your family, Ezra explains.

乌鸦传媒淪o you work at that every day.乌鸦传媒�

The band took time off touring recently so Ruth could attend summer camp. She says kids treat her like anyone else, although at camp she told someone about the band and they asked her to sing a song. She sang, 乌鸦传媒淚 Like it Saucy.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hen the kids were singing it 乌鸦传媒� older kids, younger kids, the counsellors, they were asking me to sing it.乌鸦传媒�

At the festival she was on crutches, after injuring her foot jumping off a bunk bed. She was also dealing with a cold, which meant singing was difficult with her sore throat 乌鸦传媒� so she did less than normal. One good friend told her she is his hero, because he knew everything she was going through.

For the future, Ruth says she乌鸦传媒檇 like to be a musician 乌鸦传媒� a singer, a songwriter, a performer. But she might also like to try working as a producer or a recording engineer.

乌鸦传媒淚 would say she乌鸦传媒檚 on a path in music, however that unfolds,乌鸦传媒� says Ezra. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e just enjoying the journey, it乌鸦传媒檚 so much fun, it乌鸦传媒檚 great. We meet so many amazing people along the way.乌鸦传媒�

marthawickett@saobserver.net
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