Duggar Friends the Bontragers

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I've been looking thru their blog--they travel tons, but raise or hunt animals for meat, pick fruit and freeze it, use a clothesline and even use decent homeschooling materials--at least I spotted a Teaching Textbooks math book and those are outstanding.

 

Maybe they could show the Duggars how to garden, freeze FRESH fruit and install a huge clothes line to save money???

 

Looks like one of the parents was Mennonite ....

 

bontragersingers.blogspot.com

[Avalondaughter]

But do the kids have any actual talent? The Duggars make me very wary of any child toting a violin!

[SamuraiKatz]

the smiling kid with the dead fox is a little creepy....

[Linnea]

But do the kids have any actual talent? The Duggars make me very wary of any child toting a violin!

Actually they do - unlike some other fundy family bands I could mention . . .

[MaroonMandy]

the smiling kid with the dead fox is a little creepy....

Eh, it's a country kid thing. My family went hunting every year and we have pictures of everyone holding up what they shot and smiling. My parents have a framed (made out of antlers) photo of me holding up the head of my first buck and smiling like I had just won the lottery.

Edited because "me" and "my" are not the same thing, and I know better.

Edited to add that I'm not just holding up his head gladiator-style and yelling or something. His body is on the ground and I'm holding his head up so you can see his rack.

[emmiedahl]

You should definitely be wary of children bearing violins. Even a talented child can create some horrific noises (sometimes on purpose, mine likes to do the shower music from Psycho) and it is quite jarring.

These kids seem reasonably talented to me as far as technical skill goes, although they did not seem to have a lot of emotion in the music. It can be hard to tell on a low quality video on the internet, though.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

you should definitely be wary of children bearing violins. Even a talented child can create some horrific noises

Especially when your seven year old sibling is your teacher and your folks bought the family violins in bulk. QUALITY of the instrument does, in fact, matter. The Duggars also could benefit from having a few more teachers--at the age of the older girls they should be studying under "real" professionals or music professors who specialize in the instrument. I realize that's what Gothard tries to provide in his music camps--exposure to new teachers, a chance to play with others, to be critiqued, etc. They also should by that age be well into music theory.

[TheJewAmongUs]

Actually they do - unlike some other fundy family bands I could mention . . .

The family in the second video is not the same Bontrager family. For one thing in 2010 (when the video was posted) one of their daughters was 3 and one was 19. Also, they're wearing pants in the other videos and maybe in shorts in the first one. And singing a pop song, definitely not fundie.

[Witsec7]

The hunting picture is telling, its a fox, folks don't eat fox, they are hunted for their pelts.

[MrsYoungie]

The family in the second video is not the same Bontrager family. For one thing in 2010 (when the video was posted) one of their daughters was 3 and one was 19. Also, they're wearing pants in the other videos and maybe in shorts in the first one. And singing a pop song, definitely not fundie.

Also, most importantly, the second family of sisters actually sounded good! A cappella singing is not easy, but they were right on key.

[Linnea]

The family in the second video is not the same Bontrager family. For one thing in 2010 (when the video was posted) one of their daughters was 3 and one was 19. Also, they're wearing pants in the other videos and maybe in shorts in the first one. And singing a pop song, definitely not fundie.

Right you are. My bad. I never focused in on any of the Bontrager pictures to compare if it was the same kids.

Strangely enough, I originally watched that video because Youtube brought up for me when I followed a link from FJ to some videos of the Bates family. And there are other videos of those same four girls singing gospel songs.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

The hunting picture is telling, its a fox, folks don't eat fox, they are hunted for their pelts.

Or they kill them for killing the chickens or other small livestock. These folks do live on a farm. Fox are beautiful but they are predators.

[lilwriter85]

I have visited the Bontragers blog a few times before. I find them more likable than the Duggars. I watched the videos of the Bontragers and they have musical talent unlike the Duggars. Out of the Bateses, Bontragers, and Duggars, the Duggars are the worst singers and musicians out of the bunch.

I suspect that the Bontragers are doing things like freezing fresh fruit, hunting for meat and few other things is because they don't have TLC in their lives like the Duggars do. The Bontragers are doing those things for financial reasons and extending budgets.

[AmyP]

Right you are. My bad. I never focused in on any of the Bontrager pictures to compare if it was the same kids.

Strangely enough, I originally watched that video because Youtube brought up for me when I followed a link from FJ to some videos of the Bates family. And there are other videos of those same four girls singing gospel songs.

OH MY GOSH- THE BATES FAMILY!!!!!! MY EARS ARE BLEEDING!!!!! They sound like the chipmonks and they can't carry a tune!! There is no tone quality, and they are flat. They aren't even hitting the notes. That girl with the big hair plays the piano beautifully, but the effect is lost when when she opens her mouth! Do people think they sound good? Do people invite them to sing at events and in churches? What is going on here??!!

[lilwriter85]

OH MY GOSH- THE BATES FAMILY!!!!!! MY EARS ARE BLEEDING!!!!! They sound like the chipmonks and they can't carry a tune!! There is no tone quality, and they are flat. They aren't even hitting the notes. That girl with the big hair plays the piano beautifully, but the effect is lost when when she opens her mouth! Do people think they sound good? Do people invite them to sing at events and in churches? What is going on here??!!

I agree Erin is a great pianist. The Bates aren't good singers, but I find their singing more tolerable than the Duggars' singing.

[Witsec7]

Or they kill them for killing the chickens or other small livestock. These folks do live on a farm. Fox are beautiful but they are predators.

It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to secure a hen house and yard, even if you have a house on wheels like many folks do.

[johnhugh]

I agree Erin is a great pianist. The Bates aren't good singers, but I find their singing more tolerable than the Duggars' singing.

I think she has a talent as a pianist, but she does seem to bang most tunes out at the loudest possible volume. Just listening to a few 'tunes' for the first time of the Bates on YouTube and two of the girls who seem to do most of the solos are flat and very nazel.

What is it with Bonragers, Bates and the Maxwells all churning out CDs and performing live. Of course I have listened a few times to snark, but do people seriously buy this crap? - Well we know Rebecka k !!!!!!1!!!!!! likes a few blasts of the Maxwell's chart topping "Daddy on His Knees" to listen to in the car :lol:

[Happy_Anabaptist]

I really like the Bontragers' music! That one song had some really nice bluegrass fiddling.

Have any of you heard of the Josties? Their style is different than this, but they are a good "fundy singing family" too.

[johnhugh]

I really like the Bontragers' music! That one song had some really nice bluegrass fiddling.

Have any of you heard of the Josties? Their style is different than this, but they are a good "fundy singing family" too.

What about the group of small children trying to mouth the words at the front, like the are preforming monkeys. it is sick, mo wonder the poor guy on bass at the back does not sing, even though he has a mike positioned near his mouth!