Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: News

The Caswell Sisters, pictured second from left and far right, entertained students, faculty, and community members Sunday afternoon in the Tarble Arts Center Atrium. They were accompanied by EIU Faculty Jazz Pianist Paul Johnston, pictured second from right, as well as two students from Indiana. (Bryce Peake | The Daily Eastern News)

To check out our slideshow from the performance, click here!


The Caswell sisters grew up with music.

Their mom was an organist, and their dad was a musicologist.

"We always had music in our home," said Sara Caswell. "We grew up around it and had a lovely time doing it."

Caswell and her sister Rachel Caswell performed Sunday at the Tarble Arts Center for the Eastern community.

Music professor Paul Johnston, along with two other members, accompanied the sisters.

Rachel is a jazz singer, and Sara is a jazz violinist. Sara has performed in New York while living there for the past 4 to 5 years and has performed in places like Carnegie Hall.

Rachel has been placed in the top 10 of 150 contestants in the 2005 Jazzconnect.com annual vocal competition

"We have been playing professionally for about six or seven years," Rachel said. "We go teach lessons and do concerts at several different colleges and do what we can in between."

The sisters performed songs like "Bye Bye Blackbird," "Professor ABC," "I'll Take Romance," "I Get Along Without You Very Well," and "But Beautiful."

"But Beautiful" is a track off Sara's 2005 album of the same name. She released an album in 2000 as well, and Rachel has also released an album titled, "Some Other Time."

"We are thinking of having a joint CD sometime in the future. It is in the works right now," Sara said.

Both sisters grew up in Bloomington and went to college with Johnston, who added accompaniment on piano, at Indiana State University.

"We know Paul from when we were at school together," said Rachel Caswell. "My sister also knows the mother of the woman coordinating this event. Basically, that's why we decided to perform at Eastern, and we are very happy to be here."

Rachel has also been singing jazz since she was a senior in high school but was not seriously into it until she was a senior in college.

The sister's performance also received a good reception from the audience.

"I thought it was great and very exciting," said Brett Miller, a sophomore music education major.



Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or at haholm@eiu.edu.

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