By Kate Searcy
Carrboro Commons Writer

Move over, Jonas Brothers. There’s a new boy band in town – literally.

Lord Destiny, far left, dances as members of Miah and the Girl Toyz treat the crowd to their vocal and guitar-playing talents. The group of brothers, including Christopher and Jeremiah, far right, hopes to make their band a household name in the music world with continued daily practice..
Staff photo by Kate Searcy

Miah and the Girl Toyz, a high-energy quartet of young musicians from Carrboro, put on a lively show at McDougle Elementary School on April 20.

The group consists of Christopher, 15, who plays bass guitar; Jeremiah, 14, who sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar; Stori, 11, who plays the keyboards and sings backup vocals; and Vincent James, 10, the drummer.

The “Miah” in the band’s name is a shortened form of “Jeremiah,” according to Jacob Jacobs, the group’s manager and adopted father of the boys.

The performance was part of an entertainment series called Entertainment Adventures that is sponsored and coordinated by the town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department. There is a different performance on the third Sunday of each month, said Robin Jones, the coordinator of the event. Jones is also a recreation specialist for the town of Carrboro.

Jones saw the group perform at the Carrboro Music Festival and asked them to join the series.

“We don’t usually have musical acts,” Jones said. “But I heard a few of their songs, and we decided they would be good for our program.”

Jones said in the past the series has had a variety of acts, such as wildlife and nature shows, puppeteers and dance troupes.

Entertainment Adventures is geared towards all ages, Jones said. The town also offers a Lollipop Series for young children, as well as Jam Session and Summerdipity events for all ages.

Jacobs said the boys have been performing together for about three years.

“I taught them all the instruments. They can play by ear,” Jacobs said. “They also write their own songs.”

The group plays a variety of music, from rock and pop to rap and some classic songs, such as “You Really Got Me” by Van Halen. Jacobs listed Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Prince as some of their influences.

While the band’s performance was meant to appeal to a wide range of ages, many in attendance were mothers with small children.

The boys attend Grey Culbreth Middle School, with the exception of Vincent, who attends Frank Porter Graham Elementary School.

The boys’ father said it took time to teach his sons to play such a variety of music. The boys generally practice playing for about three hours a day after school.

The show also included two dancers, Lord Destiny, 6, and Zaciriah, 6. They hopped and twisted from one side of the stage to the other as the boys played, getting the crowd into the songs.

The boys have performed at such Carrboro venues as Cat’s Cradle, Carolina Coffee House, and The Cave, according to Jacobs.

He said the group does not have any performances planned for the near future because they are taking a trip to the Caribbean toward the end of August.

The group is looking for promoters and hopes to eventually get a recording contract.