WHAT WOULD YOU EAT??? 🍪

At our Johnson Strings theater in 2018, we are now doing a "buy 4 cookies, get 1 FREE" special and LOTS of people are jumping at the chance to get some cookies to enjoy during the show, plus one cookie for before bed, one for breakfast, and one for lunch, etc... 😋
This year, we have three kinds of homemade from scratch, fresh-baked, gourmet cookies made by our certified chef, Karen! 
1. Missouri Mud Cookie - a triple chocolate cookie that tastes like a cross between brownie, cake, and cookie in all of its chocolaty goodness!
2. Melt-in-your-mouth Amish Sugar Cookie - perfect to pair with tea or coffee...
3. Chocolate Chip with Toasted Almonds - a delightful favorite... with a tasty twist!

Soooo... what would it be for you? Come out to our show and try your favorite! We have shows every Monday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30pm at 2849 Gretna Rd in Branson - at the historic Majestic Steaks building theater! Call 417-231-2420 for tickets! www.TheJohnsonStrings.com 

Branson Christmas!

PURE JOY! Be sure to experience The Johnson Strings Christmas show this November and December! Listening to strings at Christmas - what could be more fitting for the season?

Come see this family of 8 award-winning musicians and vocalists cut loose in a fun-filled Christmas show that will steal your heart! Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Piano, Mandolin, Banjo, and Vocals! Enjoy amazing cookies and brownies made from scratch by our in-house chef!
***Call 417-231-2420 for tickets!***
At the historic Majestic Steaks building theater- 2849 Gretna Rd. behind the Tanger Outlet Mall in Branson, MO. Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.thejohnsonstrings.com/purchase-tickets/ 

Sit back and relax during special renditions the Hallelujah Chorus and the Nutcracker. Clap along to banjo and mandolin on Jingle Bells and see trick fiddling on The Orange Blossom Special. Experience a stirring patriotic tribute and then listen to the celestial sounds of What Child is This, done in a way you've never seen before! See four people play one grand piano (that's 40 fingers on only 88 keys), and then listen to Silas sing O Holy Night. That's only the beginning! We'd love to see you at our Branson Show! The Johnson Strings Christmas!

Czardas - a sneak peak behind the scenes of our latest music video!

Shooting video in the rain.....or at least shooting between downpours! What fun. NOT! It was discouraging to get all the paperwork done, logistics worked out, and time spent to drive all the way to MO, only to be met with BAD weather! But, God worked out everything for the best and we came away with a video that has more weather features than we had originally planned on! His ways are always best, even though while you’re going through them, it can be easy to wonder. 

As you can see above, we did all sorts of things to keep the rain off the instruments as much as possible!

Umbrellas were our best friends.

The details: We arrived at the location only to have the skies pour and drizzle. Even though the rain lasted all day, we were able to shoot video now and then when the skies let up. The canopy we brought along at the  last minute was invaluable - we were able run under it when it poured and also do some closeups under it during the rain. I would be almost out from under the canopy on one side while the soloist would be as far away from me as possible while still remaining under the canopy. Crowded! Have you ever tried to get 8 people, 8 instruments (including a piano), a generator, umbrellas, and camera equipment all under 1 ten by ten foot canopy? It was tough to keep stuff dry! Beth (a very nice runner) brought us towels to use in drying off our instruments and even opened up her home in case we needed a place to warm up/dry off - thanks Beth!

Here, you can see the canopy when it was only filled with 4 people and part of the equipment - we weren't even shooting footage under it!

Because of all the rain, we weren't able to capture all the footage we were hoping for, so we were able to schedule a return to the park (on our way home from Texas) to finish the video. The only problem was it poured Monday morning when we were again scheduled to shoot video - thankfully, the rain dried up mid-morning, and were were able to grab a few shots before heading home!

I forgot to mention: the hill here was treacherous for filmmakers trying to get a smooth shot without stepping in holes and slipping a bit on rocks!

Take a listen here and see what you think! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8LsbYpw-2w 

In case you’re interested, here’s the backstory behind this unique burned out castle:
According to local folklore, Ha Ha Tonka is an Osage Indian word for laughing waters, alluding to the springs in the gorge far below the castle. This American mansion was built by Robert M. Snyder, a wealthy Kansas City businessman, on more than 5,000 acres. Construction began in 1905 only to be halted a year later with the untimely death of Snyder in one of the state's first automobile accidents. Snyder's sons finished building their father's dream, eventually leasing the property out for use as a hotel, until tragedy struck in 1942. The entire interior was consumed by fire when sparks from a chimney ignited the roof. Today only ruins remain of one man’s dream.

It must have been gorgeous before, but I love the feel it has now!

Check it out on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8LsbYpw-2w