BREATHEcast was a part of a recent teleconference held with the members of the popular 'Bringing Up Bates' family and parents Kelly and Gil revealed the family's future plans in the music industry.

As seen on the popular UP TV series, the entire Bates clan has not shied away from the music scene. In a recent episode the whole family was seen singing together at Tennessee's Museum of Appalachia's for the annual bluegrass music festival.

During the teleconference Gil revealed that he actually has no musical talent but said his wife sings beautifully. He maintained that music is a very important influence in their family.

"Early on we decided we wanted our children to learn an instrument, primarily a piano," he said, "We never thought we'd sing as a family, the children love to sing and to our amazement they picked up the piano and now after that the boys picked up the guitar, mandolin and the violin."

The father of 19 stated that music has "really been a big blessing" for their family. He went on to say that back when the family could all fit in a 15-passenger van there was never need for the radio; they would have live music all the time.  

Gil would ask himself, "Can you believe we are going down the road and we have the best music for our family right here?" as his children played their instruments in the music vehicle.

"We never knew it would be such a great blessing that it has been, and it has open doors. It has given the children opportunities/open avenues-to really minister and encourage other people along the way," he said.

Kelly added, "For us music was something that made them [the children] make wise use of there time. We felt like it helped them with their school, with there learning, and we also felt like it opened the door for ministry opportunities like going to nursing homes and churches and other places."

When asked by the teleconference moderator what was the family's favorite music preference, Kelly assured that all of her kids have different musical styles. "All of our children are very different- in personality, in opinion, in taste. Whether it's from music, to clothes, to entertainment, to their personality social skills, they are so different!"

"The boys tend to prefer more of the bluegrass gospel style music, she continued, "Where as my daughter Erin tends to prefer the more classical type of hymns. But they try to work together in spite of their differences."

Erin has recorded classical CDs in the past and Kelly says she will be releasing another in the spring. "She will be recording her third CD which will be Celtic and of course Lawson has recorded a singing CD with two original songs and he has already written several other written songs," she said.

When asked by BREATHEcast whether the talented family would be releasing a full family CD, Kelly jokingly said, "As far as a family CD, well a few of them have the talent to that that but they would have to kick the rest of us out, or hide us somewhere to make that happen."

Bates' son Lawson, recently released his song "Problems" which was inspired by a mission trip he attended with his brother in the Philippines. The trip really opened his eyes and in a past episode of their reality show, Lawson said the main goal of the song is "to get across the message that the little things that bother us are nothing in compared to what a majority of the world faces everyday."

Although a family CD is not yet in the works, Gil did reveal during the teleconference that Lawson is in the process of releasing a music video to go with his song "Problems." "We're looking forward to that coming out," he said.

Would you like to hear a Bates family CD? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.  

For more information about 'Bringing Up Bates', and all of UP's programming, visit onto www.UPtv.com.