Liz Queler
records discs... and throws them, too -- as a national champion in Ultimate Frisbee. Learn more about the Lil' Band's vocalist and mandolin player in this week's #BandMemberMonday!
Q: What is your favorite track on Revvin' Up the Reindeer and why?
A: Brady’s an incredible songwriter -- smart, funny and full of love. On the smart/funny side, the CD is loaded with great tunes and “Revvin' Up the Reindeer” takes the prize. My fave though is “Christmas Peace.” It sounds like a classic.
Listen to "Christmas Peace" with vocal harmonies by Liz.
Q: What are your favorite holiday traditions?
A: Every Christmas, we go to my in-laws', have a big Christmas Eve dinner and spend the night so all the kids - seven cousins - can wake up together. When the kids were smaller, Seth would put on a Santa suit and try really hard not to get recognized. One year Joey said, “Look, Mama! Santa has the same shoes as Dad!”
Q: What do you like to do when you're not playing with the Little Band That Could?
A: A lot of music - performing, composing, teaching; and a lot of yoga. Oh yeah - love spending time with my husband and son, too!
(Check out their website Red Wall Records for lots of fabulous music & performance info!)
"Hallelujah (sing for hope)" by Liz Queler, sung with her husband and son, Seth and Joey Farber. The song was written to increase awareness for Alzheimer's, and each video play donates to the Alzheimer's Association, NY Chapter. Please share.
Q: I understand you are an Ultimate Frisbee player! How did you get involved in the sport and how does it play a role in your life?
A: I started playing in college and played for the first women’s club team to win a national championship. I played for 15 years, made it to seven nationals (winning twice) and two world’s. I loved that I could play competitive sports into my thirties, have a team of fierce women to hang with and know that anywhere I went in the country, I could find a game, a sofa to crash on and some awesome people.
BLU (Boston Ladies Ultimate) winning National Championship in NOLA 1981
Q: Could you tell us a little about your mom, renowned opera conductor Eve Queler? What was it like growing up in a musical family?
A: My mom is pretty fantastic. A trailblazer for women conductors, she’s presented over 100 concerts in Carnegie Hall and guest conducted all over the world. Growing up, I would typically come home to a living room full of opera singers. It seemed perfectly normal to me at the time.
Brava, Liz's mom! You ROCK (in an operatic way!) Watch the 2010 NEA Opera Honors tribute to Eve Queler above.
Q: Now, what is it like raising a musical family? Could you tell us about being in the LBTC with your husband, Seth, and what it is like performing as a family with Seth and your son, Joey?
Liz's son Joey Farber's first album, The Early Years., released in 2006 when he was 7 years old.
A: We started bringing Joey along on gigs when he was a baby. Little by little, he started coming on stage, playing instruments and singing. Now he’s even writing some of the songs. It's pretty special sharing this part of our lives.
Check out Joey singing his original tune, "On the Train."
Here's the whole family, with Joey playing the bass & singing up a storm!
Q: Who are your musical inspirations?
A: Aside from Verdi, I grew up on Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, CSNY, Linda Ronstadt - and a whole bunch of soul, blues, rock, funk and folk.
"Love Has No Pride" by Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby and Graham Nash at the 25th Anniversay Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.
What is your best memory with the Lil' Band?
Opening for Laurie Berkner in Central Park.(Brady, Claudia & Liz in Central Park, 2007!)
We’ve also had some great times on the road. Watching Stevie Wonder sound check at the Austin City Limits festival was definitely fun. And walking the red carpet at the GRAMMYS!
