January was a hectic month for Abby and Sarah Ginsburg.
On Jan. 28, the 10-year-old Toronto twins performed a medley of Sam Smith songs for Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen Show.
“It all happened very suddenly,” said the twins’ mother, Liane Ginsburg.
At the suggestion of their guitar teacher, Elliot Bernstein, Abby and Sarah recorded a video and uploaded it to YouTube. Singing and playing guitar, the girls performed their own arrangement of I’m Yours by Jason Mraz.
“The video was posted in fun and was sent to 30 friends,” said Ginsburg.
Unbeknownst to the family, a close friend of Liane’s sent the video to The Ellen Show.
“Within a week of posting the video, and a day or two of its being submitted, I got a call from a representative of The Ellen Show, telling us, ‘The girls might want to send a little video for Ellen.’ So the girls performed a combination of two Sam Smith songs with a message to Ellen, ‘We hear you like Sam Smith so we hope you like the song,’ and posted the new video on EllenTube,” said Ginsburg.
Less than two weeks later, the family got the phone call saying Ellen wanted them on the show.
“We were in Los Angeles five days later!” said Ginsburg.
Ellen welcomed the girls and, as they are identical twins, she made a little joke offering them name-tags to tell them apart.
After their performance, Ellen gifted the girls with new guitars and invited them back the next day to meet Smith who would be performing.
“We didn’t know they were going to be invited back,” their mother says. “That was a complete surprise to us. Sam gave the girls at least two hugs and signed their new guitars. They were over the moon and so was I,” said Ginsburg.
The twins were “discovered” at a summer camp music program by vocal coach Michelle Newman when they were just four years old. They then began singing lessons.
Abby and Sarah’s confidence grew with each passing year as they performed in musical theatre and school and camp productions. They began piano and guitar lessons.
“I would work with them separately until two years ago. We have now started doing harmonies, and that’s when it became magical. I think they were born with it – an old soul when they sing. A tone comes out of their voice. I don’t think it can even be taught. They were born with something special,” Newman says.
Not only do the girls look the same, but they share the same personality traits, are best friends, and are always singing.
“We had a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will never forget,” Abby said.
Their message for other young talent? “Just do what you love. Do it for yourself and it doesn’t matter what other people think – only what you think. Do it while you can – while you love it,” Sarah said.
