Sound of Portland Music: The Von Trapps on PDX, Pink Martini and the Pixie Project
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
But what marks these four siblings out is their surname: von Trapp. As in THE von Trapps, made famous by the musical the Sound of Music. These four are the great grandchildren of Maria and Captain von Trapp, and it seems their grandfather – Opa, as they called him, who was portrayed as Kurt in the movie – passed on the musical gene.
They’re in Portland thanks to Pink Martini’s fabulous frontman, Thomas Lauderdale, who suggested they come out for two weeks to record an album with him. Two weeks turned into two years, “and in the process we ended up loving Portland and deciding to stay,” says Melanie, the second eldest of the siblings, who range in age from 20 to 26.
The album, "Dream a Little Dream," came out last year to the delight of Pink Martini and Julie Andrews fans – JazzTimes called it “equal parts musical adventure and pop-culture kitsch” - but the von Trapps have no plans to leave Portland just yet.
In fact, they have plenty more in the pipeline for their new home town, including an upcoming benefit for the Pixie Project, a non-profit animal adoption center and rescue, that also offers pet owner education and support and low cost and free spay and neuter and veterinary services for homeless and low-income pet owners.
And after that there’s an EP and some international performance dates in the works. All this from a foursome who originally were just singing together “for fun.”
Inspiration from Austrian grandfather
According to Sofi, the eldest von Trapp, it all started with their grandfather. “He’d had a stroke and he was in the hospital, so we recorded the songs that he would teach us – Austrian yodeling songs,” she says. “He was the inspiration.” She was eleven years old at the time.
But someone heard the recording, and suggested they record more, and then put together a show. And so their musical career began, and they found themselves following in the footsteps of their famous grandfather and his siblings, who escaped from Austria during World War II and sang their way around Europe and the US.
Meeting Thomas Lauderdale
Their musical travels brought them to Portland to sing with the Oregon Symphony in November 2011, which is when they first met Lauderdale. “They asked us to hop across the street and perform with Thomas [Lauderdale] and Pink Martini for the tree-lighting ceremony that happens every year,” says Amanda, sibling number three. “So we went there and met Thomas and the band, and I don’t think we’d had that much fun performing ever.”
After moving to Portland at Lauderdale’s suggestion, they began looking through old records to find the songs they wanted to put on "Dream a Little Dream." “We would have listening parties, and put the CDs on, or a record on, and go through each album and see what we liked,” says Amanda.
Lauderdale also suggested August – the youngest von Trapp at 19 – pick up an instrument. “I hadn’t played an instrument before, but ukulele sounded easy enough,” says August. Once he started playing, he found himself composing too. His inspiration? Portland, of course. “I really love the weather in Portland,” he says. The song Storm was the result, “a reflection of our experience when we first moved here [from Austin, Texas].”
The Pink Martini frontman also encouraged them to think about possible collaborators for the album. “Thomas was saying ‘just put together a list of all the people that you’d love to collaborate with,’ and the Chieftains were at the top,” says Melanie. And if you dream a little dream like that, it just might come true, as it did in this case, with the Irish band joining the von Trapps on the album’s final song, "Thunder."
"Dream a Little Dream" also features vocals from Charmian Carr - who played Liesl in the Sound of Music - on the tracks "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd."
Nod to their heritage
These tracks are a clear nod to their famous heritage. So did they feel a certain pressure, bearing the name they did, to sing the same things their great grandparents had? “We never went into it with the pressure to carry on the tradition.,” says Sofi. “When someone hears ‘von Trapps’ there’s always an expectation that they already have, and that’s been the challenge these past three years. We know that no one knows what to expect when they come to our shows.”
But Sofi and her siblings are determined to give audiences - who may come for the name - something else to stay for. “We’re trying to create our own legacy with our own music and that’s the goal moving forward.”
In pursuit of that goal, these four Portlanders are back in the studio again next week to record a new EP, to be produced by Blind Pilot’s Israel Nebeker. After that, a European tour beckons. But before anything else, they have Sunday night’s Pixie Project event.
“The way the four of us approach our music and what we’re doing is as an art itself, it’s about using it to help other good things that are happening,” says Melanie. “Pixie Project is definitely one of those, we’re so thrilled to be a part of it. “
The Pixie Project Fundraiser takes place on Sunday, October 19th, from 6-9pm at Cooper’s Hall Winery and Taproom, with food provided by St Jack, Ataula, Clyde Common, Lardo, Chefstable and Salt & Straw. Tickets are available here.
You can connect with the von Trapps on Twitter at @thevontrapps or on Facebook.
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