Musicians Red Deer

---

River City Strings is a Red Deer based piano trio consisting of Ruth Ferster on violin, Miranda Harding on cello and Rebecca Barlow on piano. A most versatile musical group, River City Strings accepts bookings for Weddings, Anniversary Parties, Birthdays, Private and Public specialty functions. They have also been booked for very private romantic dinners. If needed, they are fully set up to play anywhere even where there may be no existing power. Using charged batteries, they can power up with no distracting generator sounds. They also have their own protective canopies for outdoor events. River City Strings has a very wide array of musical pieces ranging from Classical, Jazz, Celtic, Big Band and Broadway. Feel free to contact Ruth Ferster at randtmusic.ca, or, call her direct at 1 (587) 377-3279 for more information, bookings or initial consultations.  

Ruth Ferster Is a dedicated and accomplished violin and piano teacher. Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Ruth moved west in the 1970’s and settled with her family in Fort McMurray, Alberta. In her early twenties she moved to Red Deer and attended and completed a music diploma program at Red Deer College. Music has been Ruth’s life and love since. Her rapport and success with her students is at the highest level. Ruth has had great success with her beginner and intermediate orchestra Benwood Strings, consisting of students from a very wide age range.  Ruth also excels in violin performance greatly enjoying her practice and performance times with her own beloved River City Strings. Ruth also plays viola and violin for the Red Deer Youth Orchestra. She maintains a very close working and friendship relationship with Miranda and Rebecca.   

Miranda Harding was born and raised in southern Alberta, Miranda discovered her love for music in elementary school where she played the flute and bass clarinet. Throughout grade school, aside from being a devote band student she sang soprano in the choir. She traveled to Red Deer to complete her University of Alberta’s Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Nursing and decided to focus her musical talents on the cello. She has since become a member of the Piano Trio, The River City Strings, and performs regularly with Ruth Ferster, violin, and Rebecca Barlow, piano. As a member of the trio she has performed for weddings, churches, fundraisers, social gatherings and at major venues in central Alberta. She has performed with the Benwood Strings Orchestra and is a current member of the Red Deer Community Orchestra. Miranda’s love for the cello is palpable as she maintains a balance between her current engagements with the orchestra, trio, and other chamber music activities while working as a full time Registered Nurse. 

Rebecca Barlow holds a general Diploma of Music from Red Deer College with a major in composition. Rebecca completed her grade 10 piano in 2012 and is working towards her Teachers’ ARTC in the next 5 years. 

She has enjoyed teaching out of her home for the last 15 years and music school studios for the last 6 years. Rebecca has also been accompanying for festivals over the last 15 years. She is well known for her superb piano skills and excels at improvisation. From an early age, Rebecca developed a strong ear for music through her participation in her church’s musical activities. She easily adapts to playing in any style of music and is a handy resource for producing chord charts, lead sheets, scores, transcribing and hearing parts for choir, and any type of music that needs transcription help for composing and arranging songs and pieces.  

Rebecca has served in her Home Church for over 35 years helping with the music teams there and being actively involved as a piano player and keyboard player. She lives in Red Deer with her husband and daughter with her two older twin boys already living on their own.