Throwback style

Three years ago Aislin and Nora Kavaldjian performed at an open microphone night at a Beans in the Belfry restaurant. The sisters, who hail from Lovettsville, Va., (near Leesburg) collected $90 in tips for their performance―mostly folk with a 1920esque sound―and the eatery asked them to return. They realized they had a gift.

Now Aislin, 18, and Nora, 16, are the Polka Dots. They have an album out (Knee Deep), and they have refined their style to "jazzy meets bluegrass meets folk." They travel all over Virginia performing their throwback songs at local venues.

They formed their unique style by playing exactly what they like. They credit the Boswell Sisters with playing a large role in their vocal style.

"I respect modern pop, but sometimes it gets boring," Aislin said.

The Polka Dots' music is lighthearted and carefree, and reflects their mission as a band: to have fun. Their original songs are catchy and playful and they have a joyful demeanor. Their quirky sense of humor allows them to do off-the-wall things like wearing fake mustaches to a gig.

While they write some serious, contemplative songs, their favorite songs are their silly songs, like the "Finned Witch." This folk tune tells the story about a man who falls in love with a mermaid, who kills him. His wife then catches and cooks her husband's "fishy bride," out of vengeance.

It's a musical family. At three years old, Aislin told her mom she wanted to learn to play the piano. Twelve years later she started teaching herself the violin. Now she sings and has added the viola, bass, banjo, guitar, accordion, mandolin, piano, and the kazoo.

Music is her "compulsion," she said. If she hears a catchy tune, she will try to figure it out on her own and constantly uses her iPod.

She is a natural performer. A huge grin spreads across her face when she picks up her violin. Music is more than a hobby; it breathes life into her. "There's something about music that makes people less meek," Aislin said, "When you're performing, you amplify your own persona."

Aislin noted that any culture that has sought to suppress the arts has crumbled. "The arts are the creative outlet for the collective conscious of the human race," she said, "It's something people need. I don't think people realize they need it until it's taken away. Music relieves stress. It's euphoric."

Nora finds music to be a connecting point for people from all different backgrounds, as it brings people together for a common purpose.

The girls aren't afraid to be themselves and are comfortable with their free-spirited style. Aislin is the bolder of the two and the leader of the band, but Nora has no qualms speaking her mind. Their unique style spreads beyond their music, but is displayed in their fashion, personalities, and even their household decorations.

Aislin is heading off to James Madison University to study music in a few months and plans on phasing out the Polka Dots by the end of summer. She and Nora are currently creating a group called the Short Hill Sisters, which will feature guest artists, rather than having a concrete five-person band. Nora hopes to start a rock band with some friends next year.

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