Kammerdeiner sisters rock out

Published 12:02 am Thursday, October 27, 2011

ERIC SHELTON | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT Vidalia High School students Sarah, left, and Maegan Kammerdeiner play lead guitar and drums in the Highland Praise Band, of Highland Baptist Church.

NATCHEZ — The Kammerdeiners might not be Twisted Sisters, but they are still two siblings who rock.

The Vidalia High School sisters, 11th-grader Sarah and 10th-grader Maegan are gifted in academics and involved in extracurricular activities, but one shared interest in particular puts them in the limelight — rock n’ roll.

Sarah said she has been playing guitar for five or six years. She currently shreds a Paul Reed Smith guitar. Maegan recently started playing drums — a set of Ludwigs.

The sisters practice at home on Roundtree Road in Vidalia Tuesday afternoon.

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The Kammerdeiners performed Saturday at the Bluffs n’ Bayous Music Fest in Vidalia as part of the Highland Praise Band. The band is from Highland Baptist Church in Natchez, where the Kammerdeiners are members.

“We practiced for Saturday for a long time,” Maegan said.

The sisters said the performance went well, except one small snag.

The sisters said the song, “I’m a Believer,” by The Monkees, was turned into a Christian song. Maegan said she briefly lost time during the song.

“I messed up,” Maegan said. “The lead singer looked back at me, like, ‘What are you doing?’”

Maegan said she is new to drumming because the previous drummer left the band, and they needed a new percussionist.

“So I kind of picked it up,” Maegan said. “I didn’t have any lessons, but for the most part it’s pretty easy.”

Sarah said she and her sister jam together all the time at home when they aren’t playing with Highland. The sisters said they shy away from country music, but they do play plenty of contemporary Christian tunes. They also apply their own interpretation to popular radio tracks.

“If we hear a song, I look up the chords online and Maegan lays down some drum beats,” Sarah said.

Maegan said they are inspired by the long-running Christian rock band Third Day.

“We’re both real big fans of them,” Sarah said. “Good guitarist, good drummer.”

The rockers said they also like The Fray and Lady Antebellum.

“And Jimi Hendrix was a role model for me, guitar-wise,” Sarah said.

Maegan said the Highland Praise Band hasn’t appeared much outside of church and the music fest, but they have gone “on tour” of sorts.

Maegan said the praise band has traveled to other churches with the drama team, and the two ministries compliment each other.

“It’s not about us going and performing,” Maegan said. “It’s just worshiping, praising and singing for God.”

The sisters said their parents, Sheri and John Kammerdeiner, are supportive of their musical endeavors.

“They like listening to us,” Maegan said. “But they aren’t musical at all.”

Maegan said she would like to be a doctor, maybe an oncologist. Sarah said she would like to keep rocking, but she’s not yet sure where her guitar will lead her.