Poss Music Works, NFP, is excited to announce their 2020 Spring Artists in
Residence, The Burney Sisters, who will be staying and performing in the Effingham
area from Mar. 22-29, 2020. The Burney Sisters are Olivia (14) and Emma (12) from
Columbia, MO.
PMW Executive Director Bill Passalacqua heard them performing at the Wander
Down Music Festival last October in Makanda, IL. “My niece in Columbia had been
telling me about them, but this was my first chance to hear them live, and I was
knocked out. They are great musicians, great performers and just delightful girls. I
booked them for the Moccasin Creek Festival on the spot and started the discussion
that led to their participation in the AIR program.”
They will be playing music for schools in Effingham, Teutopolis, Altamont, Dieterich
and Newton and making some public appearances as well. The Artist in Residence
program is underwritten by Siemer Milling Company and the Embarras River
Tourism Council.
The Burney Sisters started singing around the house when they were barely able to
walk, with some vocal coaching from Mom, they began harmonizing well before they
picked up instruments. Olivia found her first love in the ukulele after finding one at a
garage sale for a dollar. After a few online tutorials, she was well on her way to
being the performer and teacher she has become. Currently, Olivia writes the bulk of
the tunes that the sisters perform, including their single “Constellations” and the
popular “Plastic”, which appeared on their debut 2017 EP.
Not to be outdone by her older sister, Emma picked up the guitar at the age of 9, and
began learning songs of her own. Now, she helps Olivia with all the arrangements
and harmonies and has since expanded her instrumental arsenal to include bass,
banjo, keys, fiddle and cello. Their soul nurturing sibling harmonies and tunes are
reminiscent of The Avett Brothers, First Aid Kit, Indigo Girls, the Staves and the Wild
Reeds. Their music can be heard on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Amazon.
Their EP “Where We Stand” was released in 2018. It featured 2 singles and a video,
including Make Me Happy, which premiered in 2019. They expect to make a full
length recording later this year. They can be found on Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube and Twitter.
Their schedule:
Mar. 23, Monday 2:40 p.m. Dieterich Sr/Jr High School
Mar. 24, Tuesday 1:30 p.m. Newton High School
Mar. 24, Tuesday 5-7 p.m. Newton Public Library
Mar. 25, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Altamont High School
Mar. 25, Wednesday 8:30 p.m. Songwriter Open Mic @ Village Wine
Mar. 26, Thursday 2 p.m. Heritage Woods, Flora, IL
Mar. 26, Thursday 6-8:30 p.m. Youth showcase/concert at Venue 720, Flora, IL
Mar. 27, Friday 8:00 a.m. Effingham High School
Mar. 27, Friday 2:45-3:25 p.m. Teutopolis Junior High
Mar. 28, Sat. 7-9:30 p.m. Youth showcase/concert at Village Wine
