Courtesy photo
The Hess family includes (back row, l-r:) Katie, 18 months; Ben; Sally; (front row:) Clayton, 15; Caleb, 9; Camden, 11; Kelli, 6; Clark, 13.

The logo for the band ““Not Easily Broken”” is a rope that shows several distinct strands bonded together. It symbolizes the band’s spirit and attests to its strength as a group.

“Each strand on its own, like each of us, is strong, but if you combine them together, they become even stronger,” explains Ben Hess, member of “Not Easily Broken.”

Hess, together with his wife Sally and their four sons, Clayton, 15, Clark, 13, Camden, 11, and Caleb, 9, make up the group, which bills itself as a bluegrass band.

The Woodinville family has been playing together since January, appearing at local schools, churches, parks and private fundraisers in the area. Their mission is to promote families and they advocate this goal by playing music.

The motivation to start up a band was driven by the kids, according to Hess.

He says, “The oldest three have actually been playing as an ensemble in the community for a few years. Clark really started it all by taking up the fiddle. He heard a folk music group, “Riders in the Sky,” and was particularly excited about the group’s fiddler. Once Clark began playing, his brother Clayton decided to get in on the action and try the banjo. And then Camden took up the guitar.”

Hess continues to explain that after the boys had been playing together for awhile, he and his wife, Sally, and their youngest son, Caleb, joined them.

Hess, who has played guitar since college, added his talents and Sally opted to learn the upright bass. Caleb took up the Dobro, a resonator guitar.

The decision to make bluegrass music their forte evolved from Clark’s initial interests and the fact that this type of music is most often produced by ear. Hess says that his kids seem to have a good ear for music and that they can pick up tunes quickly, but he is quick to add that they’re not musical virtuosos.

He believes their most important quality is that they all love to play and perform for people.

“Sally and I really didn’t do anything other than introduce the children to music when they were younger and provide the opportunity for lessons, mainly piano lessons, early on,” comments Hess. “We just wanted to expose them to music and to the basics of playing an instrument. The rest has been up to them.”

The family’s first performance was in Maltby at an open mike event last winter. They received positive feedback from the audience and soon requests to play gigs started coming their way. Now they perform several times a month and hold weekly practice sessions, where they play, discuss music choices, develop skits and parodies to include in their shows and write some original pieces of their own.

“We play mostly bluegrass, with a bit of folk music and some old Johnny Cash tunes thrown in,” says Hess. “Bluegrass is infectious and many people around here aren’t that used to it yet, so it’s fun to introduce it to them. They usually relate to it quickly and find it lots of fun.”

Hess explains that there are two different genres of bluegrass: the traditional form, which includes gospel, and the more contemporary style, which tends to be fast paced and hard-hitting. “Not Easily Broken” plays both types.

Hess adds that those who have seen the group usually respond enthusiastically to its performances, not only because they enjoy the music, but because they like the fact that the band is comprised of family members.

People come up to them and comment on how great they think it is that a family plays together.

“We hear that we’re an inspiration for people to do things with their families and that’s exactly what we strive to promote,” says Hess. “We want parents to invest in their kids.”

Playing together as a family, however, is not all roses and rainbows. Hess comments that there are challenges with so many personalities and opinions and then there are the technical issues involved in executing the music together. But, he believes persevering through the trials and tribulations have helped to strengthen the family bond.

And the shared experiences and memories created in the process are priceless. For Clayton, being a part of the band has given the teen the opportunity to really get to know the members of his family on different levels. He has also seen positive growth occur within the group in a relatively short period of time.

“We’re learning how to work as a unit, as a team,” explains Clayton. “It’s not easy, but I believe that the challenges only make us stronger and more determined to succeed.”

The teen enjoys performing in front of a crowd because he sees it as a chance to reap the benefits of all the hard work and countless hours of practice. Clark adds that although practices can be hectic and crazy, performances usually go smoothly.

He says, “We just really enjoy playing for others. We like getting people excited about the music and we also like making them laugh with our skits and jokes.”

Not everyone, though, was initially comfortable about playing in front of an audience.

Sally confesses that she never thought she’d be able to perform publicly. She comments, “I’m actually shocked and amazed that I am able to do this because it’s just not something I believed I could do. But, it’s gotten easier each time and it’s so much fun to see the audience respond to our music.”

Hess echoes his wife and adds, “What I think is special is that we’re able to see our kids contribute to a common goal. We strive to make an impact on youth and their families and it’s heartening when we can see the positive effects our music has on others.”

“Not Easily Broken” is scheduled to play at Cottage Lake Park on Aug. 7 as part of the Music in the Parks series of free summer concerts. All shows begin at 7 p.m.