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December 10 • 2015 45 arts & life m u s i c A nn Arbor teens Ariel, Zoey and Eli Engelbert make music with a strong sense of family — their own — while performing together, as well as the one that keeps growing as they attract an enthusiastic following. Seven years of devoted work on stage, record- ings and TV has resulted in an international Facebook fan base exceeding 630,000 and vid- eos viewed more than 35 million times. Dad Matthew Engelbert, who had hoped to be a performer but wound up as a business consultant, manages the trio and produces their recordings and TV shows — the entertainment- focused Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too and the behind- the-scenes-capturing Steal the Show. Both programs, aired Saturday mornings on the COZI network, had early financing help through Michigan film incentives. Ariel and Zoey, 17-year-old identical twins who launched as a duo, morphed into the trio Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too when the youngest member, now 14, revealed his own musical tal- ents after a brief stint as his sisters' announcer. While all three enjoy composing, singing and web communicating with fans, they differ on their instrumental preferences — a piano for Ariel, a ukulele for Zoey and a guitar for Eli. Private lessons advanced their skills. Their newest song ("365 Days 'Til Christmas"), written with coach and collabora- tor Jim Peterik (Grammy winner and writer of the songs "Eye of the Tiger," "The Search Is Over" and "Vehicle"), will be presented in a holi- day concert Saturday afternoon, Dec. 12, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor to extend the Not Just for Kids series. "We'll be doing seasonal songs, some original and some that people know well," Zoey says. "It will be part of having fun with what we do." She explains that the new, lighthearted song is about a youngster disappointed with Santa's gifts. He writes a letter reminding Santa of what he wants and then begins counting the days until the next set of reindeer-driven deliveries. The trio, who get their Jewish heritage through their father, approach the holidays with a diverse outlook. Performance encouragement comes from mom, Caroline, an entertain- ment enthusiast who studied theater at Albion College. The teens' professional path started after Engelbert heard his daughters sing "Rainbow Connection" at school and suggested they make a CD just for fun. After the recording was played, he decided it should be marketed and made plans to showcase the girls' talents. Success, which had them traveling to distant venues, led to homeschooling through the Clonlara School, a private educational institu- tion. Grandmother Lynn Engelbert, who earns TV wardrobe credits, helps with instruction. "It's a lot of fun to be with my sister and brother because we get along really well," says Ariel, who defines herself as "the quiet one." Zoey thinks of herself as "the bossiest" and Eli says he's "the tall one who does what they tell him." While the trio experiences work as fun, even when they use music to address serious subjects, they make time to bring their talents to places where others could use some fun. The siblings support military families with special shows and visits. The three have entertained children of wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and were invited to headline the 2011 Celebration of Our Military Kids' Star Power event at the U.S. Navy Memorial, also in Washington. "Members of the U.S. military are our heroes," Eli says. "They protect our liberties." The trio have found that communicating with fans can be very serious with reactions to issues covered in their music. They joined with Peterik in 2012, when he introduced them to his song "Hey Bully!" and asked them to record it. After a Canadian fan emailed that she was going to commit suicide, Ariel and Zoey kept the girl engaged in email exchanges while Dad contacted policing authorities able to reach the desperate teen while she was still online. Alex Johnson, owner and director of the Ann Arbor Music Center, has been important to helping the siblings develop the rock talents seen on the TV shows. The entertainment pro- gram is filmed in Ann Arbor, and the reality series is done in Chicago, where Peterik is based. The four music makers received a 2015 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Song. "The song was 'Just Keep Swimming,'" explains Zoey, who originated the idea for the number recorded on their label, Soup J, a name that picks up on dad's nickname when a University of Michigan student. "The song is about a makeup artist with terminal cancer. We saw her on television and heard her say that in tough times, people should 'just keep swimming.'" The Engelbert siblings attribute their success to loving each other and sharing strong musi- cal interests. While there is not much time or opportunity to establish deep peer friendships, they have developed individual interests for free moments. Ariel likes knitting and crafting. Zoey prefers crocheting and comic books. Eli takes to video games and creating electronic music. "I have followed the lead of the kids — what they love and the ways they're evolving," says Engelbert, who helped them launch by initiating contacts for special appearances and establish- ing a website (arielandzoey.com) to showcase his children's abilities. Before Eli joined his sisters, the twins gained attention by singing the national anthem for a Pistons' game in Michigan and a Mets' game in New York. They sang "Hatikvah" at a program that raised funds to address hunger issues in Israel. Dad wants to make sure the trio understands the importance of branding, licensing, mar- keting and merchandising, involving them in business necessities. Still, the siblings consider themselves "awkward," one of the issues fans bring up through the web. "We're one big online family," Zoey says. "We're all here for each other." * Sisters and brother trio Ariel, Zoey & Eli, Too perform in their hometown. details Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too will entertain at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. $10-$12. (734) 668- 8397, ext. 21; michtheater.org. (Un) Suzanne Chessler Contributing Writer Sibling Rivalry Left to right: Zoey, Eli and Ariel Engelbert The twins at the launch of their TV show in 2010