The sun was beating a hot pulse down on the white, rain-weathered benches facing the band stand in Tebbetts as the Cunningham Sisters angled their bows to begin the second verse of the Tennessee Waltz on their fiddles while two American flags waved listlessly in the humid breeze.
They began the movement together, casting glances at each other to ensure their timing was right. Even though the girls have been playing together for five years mistakes can still happen.
The Cunningham Sisters (Olivia, 18; Carlie, 15; Sophia, 12, and; Marta, 10) all picked up their first fiddle, a cardboard creation that didn't produce any sound, around three and four years old. Since then, they have gradually moved up to larger sized violins and more challenging songs.
Before the sisters perform they practice together to polish each piece, spending about 45 minutes the day before or the day of to make sure the songs sound right. When they aren't preparing for a performance, the sisters practice individually at home, squeezing it in to their busy schedules each day.
"Our day doesn't feel complete without doing something musical," Carlie said, who has also recently added mandolin to her repertoire of instruments, which also includes piano.
During practice sessions tensions can sometimes run high, but the sisters have found a way to not let their disagreements get in the way of playing.
"We all have different personalities and getting them all in one room can be pretty chaotic," Carlie said. "We're all at the point where we realize if we're not practicing, we won't sound good."
So they soldier on.
"It gives us the satisfaction of getting it done," Sophia said.
The girls, who are homeschooled, spend the school year in a classroom inside their home as their mother and father take on the role of educator to get them through the different subjects. The girls agree that this method for their learning allows them to accelerate through their education, which gives them more time to play and perform at different events.
Their performance at the Tebbetts Picnic Friday is just one of several in which the girls decide to play. They also frequent nursing homes in Columbia and attend jam sessions in Hallsville every so often.
"Using the talent they've been given is a blessing to help other people enjoy life," their mother, Cammie Cunningham said.
The sisters remain socially active by joining various groups including 4-H and a girls' Bible study. Olivia, Carlie and Sophia have also been a part of a choir and orchestral group in the past and Carlie, Sophia and Marta participated in track this past spring. During the summer, the sisters help around the house and farm, canning different home-grown foods and cycling through a shared chores list.
"Homeschooling hasn't held me back or kept me from doing what I want to do," Carlie said.
Now that they are getting older, the sisters are preparing for the next stages of their lives - Olivia is preparing for college, already with several dual credit courses under her belt. Unlike her sisters, Olivia is going into health-sciences. Carlie, Sophia and Marta are still traversing their educations at home, conducting science experiments in their kitchen under their father's, Gary, watchful eye. Once she graduates, Carlie plans to earn her fitness license to work at a gym while attending school for hospitality management and event planning. The younger Sophia and Marta express interest in similar fields, but still have time before deciding what they want to do.
Sophia likes the idea of becoming a photographer, or a pilot, or a chef, or owning a bed and breakfast and Marta wants to be a horse dentist once she's old enough.
Playing together is occurring less because of busy schedules, but the sisters don't plan on putting music behind them anytime soon.
"We'll do it until it's impossible to practice together," Carlie said.