Tim Landers
On a quiet street in southeastern Grove City, a seemingly normal house contains a hidden surprise: a small museum’s worth of Civil War-era sheet music and music memorabilia. The impressive collection was curated by Grove City residents Steve and Lisa Ball.
An upright bass, piano and guitars immediately greet guests in the sitting room. On closer inspection, guests will notice framed sheet music, including a song called “Lorena,” and photos of Steve and Lisa Ball in full 1800s garb.
Steve and Lisa are accomplished musicians with a particular interest in Civil War-era music. Together, they play shows that combine performance with education, helping the listener understand the music through the lens of the time.
To complete the journey to the past, they dress in period-appropriate clothing – Steve in a Union Army uniform and Lisa in a cheerful day dress – as they tell the story behind a certain song, book or instrument.
“To me, (this music) has incredible history and it’s got a lot of value,” Steve says. “And people who have studied the Civil War for 40 years may have never heard the stories behind this music.”
Steve and Lisa Ball
Becoming Steve
Steve grew up on the east side of Columbus, where he attended Eastmoor High School. After high school, he began a career in automotive maintenance, working on heavy equipment, buses and heavy trucks. He later ran his own business restoring Ford Mustangs, doing high-performance work and drag racing a Mustang in the NHRA Pro Class before he retired in 2011 after 42 years in the field.
Music became a part of Steve’s life at a young age. He purchased his first guitar with money from his paper route and never stopped playing. In between his day job and other hobbies, he performed gigs at local bars and venues.
A family photo of an ancestor who fought for the Union piqued Steve’s initial interest in the time. In the early 1990s, Steve began studying the music of the Civil War in earnest. He became a part of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War and jumped at the chance to play traditional music at a Civil War reenactment event, setting him on a path that would ultimately shape his life.
Becoming Lisa
Steve and Lisa Ball
A Grove City native, Lisa grew up on Louise Avenue and has lived in the area most of her life.
“I still feel a strong sense of community in Grove City,” she says. “The city is growing, but every day I witness kindness in the people I pass, generosity in the volunteer opportunities we have in Grove City and safety (thanks to) our police and firefighters. It’s a great place to call home.”
As a child, Lisa was drawn to the songs her mother and grandmother would play on an old upright piano in their garage. She tried her hand at it and made some progress but found real success when she was gifted a small Magnavox organ with numbered keys. As she learned through the organ's numbered keys and sheet music, she began to understand the piano better and better. Steve later became the catalyst for her playing piano – and learning other instruments – more formally.
Now, outside of playing with Steve, Lisa works as a customer service and logistics supervisor for Tosoh USA. She started working at the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, valuing the long-term stability and positive team dynamic it offers.
Developing a shared passion
When Steve and Lisa met, history and music immediately became cornerstones of their relationship. Early on, they visited the grave of Martha Ellen Blocksom, the woman who inspired the 1856 hit “Lorena.” Unlike Blocksom, who ultimately rejected the lover who wrote so longingly of her, Steve and Lisa found in each other a duet partner for life.
Steve proposed at the site of the Battle of Antietam, and the two were married in 2015. The couple and their guests wore period attire, and Steve and Lisa sang the song that had become so special to them – “Lorena.” Lisa surprised Steve by writing a new final verse, giving the lovelorn song a happier ending befitting of the celebration.
As Steve’s Civil War music business began to take off, Lisa took interest in learning the upright bass to accompany Steve while he practiced.
While she initially only meant to play together in the comfort of their home, Lisa’s skills grew quickly, and before long, she was performing publicly alongside Steve. Now, they are a dynamic duo, performing upwards of 50 shows a year. They perform with several distinct themes, including the Music of Abraham Lincoln, the Music of Stephen Foster and even a participatory sing-along option.
“I never imagined I’d play on a stage in front of anyone,” Lisa says. “I’m grateful Steve invited me to share that space with him. Music brought us together, and playing music with him has genuinely made me a better person.”
Fusing performance and education
Steve is a walking encyclopedia of musical history, pulling dates and facts from thin air and bringing the story behind each song to life, while Lisa helps keep them organized. She keeps meticulous records of each show they play so that they can be sure to bring a fresh setlist when they revisit a gig.
One of those repeat gigs is in Gettysburg. The Balls will play their 13th show at Gettysburg National Battlefield in August.
“It’s so much fun,” Steve says. “The history, the music itself, playing for people, seeing their reaction to it, it’s just so much fun.”
Tim Landers
Preserving and honoring our past
The Balls are preservationists, keeping history alive through musical performances and educational content.
Steve and Lisa are part of the tradition of oral history, keeping not only the songs of the era alive, but also the stories of the people who wrote them and inspired them.
“The American Civil War is probably the single most important event in American history,” Steve says. “It defined what the Constitution stood for, and it brought the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments into existence. With something that powerful, music played such an important part because the main form of entertainment at that time in a Civil War camp was sitting around the campfire, playing the guitar, the banjo and the fiddle, and everyone singing together."
When asked how long they intend to continue playing and educating, Lisa says, “As long as people will come listen.”
Taylor Woodhouse is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
