The Jackson Four

Carolina sisters make beautiful music

How do you turn a trio into a quartet? Just add a sister who plays the viola.

That’s how Courtney and Amy Jackson on the violin, Sarah Jackson on the cello, and Jill Jackson on the viola became the Jackson Sisters String Quartet. They took the suggestion of a stranger 12 years ago and have been making beautiful music together ever since.

“We went downtown to Star Music, and a lady there asked us what we played,” said Courtney, 21, a Carolina senior majoring in violin performance. “When we told her that two played the violin and one played the cello, she said we could have our own string quartet if we had someone to play the viola. So, we all looked at Jill.”

The sisters haven’t looked back since then. They started playing together almost immediately. Amy, 17, a junior at Grace Christian School in West Columbia who mostly likely will follow Courtney, Jill, and Sarah to Carolina, was only 6 when the sisters played their first wedding reception for a cousin.

“We practiced for months,” said Sarah, 23, who graduated in December 2006 with a degree in cello performance and now is auditioning for graduate school. “Amy was just in the first grade.” By the time Amy was in the fourth grade, the sisters were playing for receptions. “Our first big reception was a benefit for Sister Care,” Amy said. “Rachel Hodges [wife of then Gov. Jim Hodges] was there. She got our number, called us, and asked us to perform at the Women of Achievement awards and other events.”

Today, the sisters perform regularly at weddings, receptions, charity benefits, and private parties. “We’ve never advertised,” said Jill, 18, a freshman viola performance major. “We get all of our dates from word of mouth, our business cards, and our Web site.”

The sisters recently recorded their first CD, which is available at http://jacksonsisters.com. Titled Rejoice, the CD features arrangements of 15 familiar hymns. At the end of March, the sisters filmed their first music video with The Hoppers, another family group that sings Southern-style gospel.

Sarah, Courtney, Jill, and Amy all agreed that the quartet has made them closer. You might even say, the sisters who play together, stay together. “We are each other’s best friends,” Courtney said.