Home schooled by their mother Kim, a full-time classically trained piano teacher, Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up making music together; singing, dancing and eventually learning to coax tunes out of the family violin.

At the age of eight, Andrew took a year of lessons from local old-time/country fiddler Norma "Granny" Sweet, who encouraged him to learn by ear, in the tradition of old-time New York State fiddlers in the region. Both boys were soon regularly attending local dances and jam sessions; practicing for hours a day at home and experimenting with writing their first original compositions. Andrew and Noah started taking mandolin and guitar lessons from renowned bluegrass musician, John Rossbach, then based in Syracuse. Nursing homes, farmer's markets and the occasional open mic at a fiddler's gathering were some of the boys' earliest public performances.

After meeting Jay Ungar and Molly Mason in 1999, Andrew was awarded a scholarship to attend Northern Week at the Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camp. Total immersion in a week of music and dance study and being surrounded by a circle of like-minded new friends and world class instructors helped cement his desire to pursue a career in music. Andrew and Noah both began voraciously consuming traditional Celtic, French-Canadian and Scandinavian music from various sources. In January 2000, Andrew, Noah and their mother, Kim, formed The Great Bear Trio and began playing for traditional contra, round and square dances in upstate New York.

For the next several years they dedicated themselves to composing and performing. Andrew became one of the youngest recipients ever to receive a grant from the NYS Council On The Arts, giving him the opportunity to study with revered western New York fiddler Mark Hamilton just before his passing. Andrew and Noah both received scholarships to attend French Canadian Week at the Augusta Heritage summer program in West Virginia.

At the age of twelve, Andrew began travelling across the state performing at schools, parks and community concerts in a duet with John Rossbach. Andrew soon joined the award-winning bluegrass quintet John Rossbach & Chestnut Grove. Rossbach’s influence grounded Andrew in the roots of country, bluegrass, jazz and the blues. Surrounded by seasoned veterans, Andrew quickly distinguished himself by singing harmonies in intricate vocal arrangements and by stirring up audiences with inspired fiddle solos and a natural stage presence.

Meanwhile, The Great Bear Trio had gained an enthusiastic following on the regional contra dance scene. In 2003, the group released a self-titled debut album that highlighted their creative, energetic approach to playing dance music. In 2004, Andrew and Noah stepped out on their own with Driftage (GBR CD002), heavily featuring their original, instrumental material. They performed live on Garrison Keillor's nationally-syndicated program, A Prairie Home Companion as finalists in the Talent From Twelve To Twenty Competition.

Boosted by newfound national exposure, Andrew, Noah and Kim began touring up and down the east coast honing their sound and performance skills. In 2005, the trio released their second album Dancing Again (GBR CD003). This project featured more adventurous instrumentation including the nyckelharpa (Swedish keyed-fiddle), slide-didgeridoo, and an array of percussion instruments; infusing both trance grooves and wild improvisation into their ever-expanding repertoire.

Nearing the end of high school, Andrew and Noah began working seriously on more concert-oriented material and developing a unique sibling vocal blend. The result was 2007's A Certain Tree (GBR CD004) which, although consisting of entirely original music, was something of a return to their old-time Appalachian, early country and bluegrass roots. Highlights from this project included their debut as budding singer-songwriters as well as a two-part, twelve-minute instrumental piece dedicated to the woes of poison ivy and arranged for mandolin quartet.

While in the studio working on A Certain Tree with Ithaca-based engineer Will Russell, Noah developed a long-lasting interest in the recording process. He quickly assembled a professional home recording studio where the boys began multi-tracking intricate harmonies and complex arrangements of new material. Noah's amazing prowess on the fiddle and mandolin inevitably spilled over to many other instruments including his most recent obsession, the tenor guitar. He also maintains a personal woodworking shop and has built several fine pieces of home furniture.

During 2008 Andrew and Noah began augmenting their iPods with an influx of alternative rock, western swing, and world music. Their list of "major musical influences" now boasted an enormous variety of artists including Iron & Wine, Liz Carroll, Mark Knopfler, Norman Blake, Habib Koite, Sufjan Stevens, The Tin Hat Trio, Stuff Smith, Gillian Welch, Dave Matthews, Nickel Creek, Ale Moller and Hank Williams, just to name a few.

The boys both married their high school sweethearts. Andrew’s wife, Sarah, calls for contra and square dances on the regional circuit and is intensely interested in working with local, sustainable agriculture. Noah’s wife, Kailyn, often lends her clear and vibrant singing voice to The Andrew & Noah Band. This group, formed in 2009, also features the fine contributions of Rachel Bell on accordion, Kevin Dorsey on bass and Dana Billings on drums.

A decade after forming, The Great Bear Trio continues to criss-cross North America, delighting dancers with their unique style, high-energy performances and creative arrangements. From time to time Andrew and Noah also appear with their psychedelic alter-ego contra rock band, Giant Robot Dance, and occasionally reunite on stage with Jay Ungar & Molly Mason.