Daughter Jax is the oldest of the three kids at age 32 and is the undisputed leader of the kids. She also plays guitar and leads the worship when This Way Up plays "ordinary" music. Max is 30 and is the true drummer of the group. He is also blessed with perfect pitch and complete musical recall, so he is kind of a cross between Mozart and the muppet "Animal". He writes and arranges all of the Boomwhacker music that This Way Up performs. Four years ago when they started, Carson was the shortest kid and had the squeakiest voice. Now, at age 27, he is the tallest and has gone from being the high harmony to having a baritone voice.
Danielle (age undisclosed) is the Mom who is most in tune with what God has for This Way Up in their crazy and unique ministry. She finds the messages He leaves in the things we do every day and she isn't afraid to speak them out. Finally, Eric is the Dad. He may be 60 but he still sees the fun and wonder of things in the world around us. He's the one who can look at a length of PVC pipe and see it for the beautiful musical instrument it contains. He once said you can find God anywhere if you look for Him, even in the plumbing aisle.
FAQ
Who is in your band?
The whole family! Eric, Danielle, Jax, Max, and Carson. Oh, and Big Moe too.
How long have you guys been playing?
Let's see... we've been singing for 19 years, Jax has been playing guitar for 23 years, Max has been playing drums for 19 years, Carson has been playing Piano for 19 years and we all have been playing unconventional percussion for 16 years.
When did you get started with your ministry?
Since 19 years ago. Until 2006, we used to called ourselves the Backyard Wannabes.
Do you do this for fun?
Well, it is fun but it's not about having fun. It's about worshipping God with all our hearts.
How did you get started with the Boomwhacker stuff?
Okay, About 16 years ago we entered a competition called Fine Arts. There was a new category called unconventional percussion And we asked our mom if we could enter it. She said "Sure, whatever." and we ended up at Home Depot banging on stuff with our mallets. We found four-inch corrugated drainage pipe and we figured out how to tune it by cutting it at different lengths. Then we pulled our boomwhackers out of the closet (which by the way you can by at any retail music store). Dad build a PVC contraption to hold the drainage pipe together. Then we got a metallophone and voila!
So, what do you call this instrument?
Well, he does have a name. The aforementioned, Big Moe!
How long do you practice, or DO you practice?
Yes, we practice! We practice alot! We pretty much practice every day.
Where can I see you play?
Check out the calendar page for all of our upcoming events. You can also check out our videos or our Youtube channel.
Where can I get some Boomwhackers?
You can order a set of Boomwhackers (or maybe 29 sets) at our online store.