Strings Attached
Three musicians hope to make music accessible to the masses
For Paige Driscoll, making music has never been simply about playing the right notes. It’s about the magic that happens when people come together to create something none of them could create alone.
An engineer by trade, Paige grew up in Billings before heading to Bozeman for college. She participated in the symphony during her time there and discovered a love of playing the viola not only for other people, but with other people.
“The viola can be kind of a monotone instrument,” Paige says, “but playing in a group lets you find extra layers to add to the music.”
For a viola player, those layers are especially important. The instrument’s melody often lives in the middle of the music, filling in harmonies and creating richness between the higher and lower voices.
So perhaps it makes sense that Paige found her way back to music through relationships.
Longtime friend Lauren Griffen has been part of Paige’s life since childhood. The two grew up doing ballet together and later played in an orchestra together. Music was a big part of Lauren’s family, as well. Her mom, Kathy Griffin, has long been involved with the Billings Symphony Orchestra, and music outreach has also been her mission, trying to get instruments into the hands of children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play.
Lauren’s older sister, Natalie, is also a musician and played with fiddling groups around Billings. The three women were already getting together for something completely unrelated to music — a book club — when a fairly obvious question eventually surfaced.
Why weren’t they playing together?
The trio was born, playing at first for their book club meetings or for friends. One favorite arrangement highlighted music from the movie “Jurassic Park,” following a showing at a local theater. Eventually, the group thought, “Why don’t we share what we’ve got with not just our friends, but our community too?”
But first, the group needed a name. Consisting of two violins and a viola, all three members of the trio wanted to highlight their Montana roots. Although they each had a creative side, they were all equally pragmatic so they created a Google Doc to list names they liked. Each would initial their favorites until the list was whittled down to the top five or so names. Paige laughs as she recalls, “It basically came down to which name was easiest to pronounce, and which rolled off the tongue the best.” They landed on “Silver and Gold Strings,” a play on the Montana state motto (Oro y Plata).
The group gives the women an opportunity to introduce people to string music in a way that feels approachable — one thing that is particularly important to these musicians.
“Everyone can relate to string music. It’s a way for people of all ages to share an experience of beauty,” Natalie says. Paige adds, “One thing I’ve become really passionate about after starting to play again as an adult is that classical music can feel a little scary and stuffy.” She wants to change that. The group’s repertoire might include Mozart, Haydn or Handel, but it often just as easily includes a recognizable pop song or movie theme.
There’s something especially fun, Paige says, about watching an audience suddenly recognize what they’re hearing. That’s the magic, she says, of live music.
“You’re more of a participant in the performance with live music. There’s so much that comes from witnessing it — seeing the movement, noticing the way the musicians look at each other, and existing in the same space as the performers,” Paige says. “A recording you can play over and over and it’s the same, but every time you witness live music, it is different.”
That’s why Paige delights in seeing listeners of all ages connect with the music, whether it’s a familiar piece or something they are hearing for the first time. It may be the first time a younger child has even seen a viola or violin in person.
Exposing the community to string music has become a kind of mission for Silver and Gold Strings. The trio has played at weddings for friends, a fundraising event for Eagle Mount and WinterFair at the Yellowstone Art Museum. In time, they hope to entertain at one of the upcoming ArtWalks, particularly as the colder months bring opportunities for the kind of cozy, intimate settings that suit a small string ensemble so well.
Playing as a trio is also a very different experience. “There’s a heightened sense of responsibility because you’re the only person playing your part,” Paige says. In an orchestra, musicians still have to practice and know their music, but there’s a bit of a safety net. If you miss something, chances are another musician is playing the same part. In a trio, there’s nowhere to hide. But that vulnerability creates connection. “You end up forming a relationship with the other members of the group,” she says. “It’s like, ‘You missed that bar, and I’ve got you.’ It’s a lot more intimate.”
“It’s so special to be able to play with my sister and one of my best friends,” Lauren adds. “It feels really good to play with two people who I feel comfortable with and really care about what we’re doing.”
Wherever they may find themselves playing, Silver and Gold Strings hope people discover that making music with other people still feels a little bit like coming home.
“We all have full-time jobs outside of Silver and Gold,” Lauren says, “and I love being with two women who prioritize our mission and our performances even with other big commitments in their lives.”
