Lindy Osborn is a rosy-cheeked 11-year-old who plays the piano, violin, flute and viola.

Her teenaged sister, Katelyn, has mastered the violin, piano and guitar.

A third sibling, Kiersti, is a true wunderkind: Just 9 years old, she already knows the cello, accordion, clarinet, flute - nine instruments altogether.

"Our youngest is 2 years old. He's constantly asking us to put on music. He can sing," said Andy Osborn, 49, guitarist and father of the family. "They all enjoy music very much."

Andy and his wife, Suzanne, are raising nine children at their Coeur d'Alene home - six girls and three boys. Every Osborn, no matter how young, is a musician. Cellists and flutists, pianists and guitarists, the talented family is nothing less than a small-scale orchestra, often performing together - mom and dad, too - at community events or festivals.

"We practice individually alone every day," said 15-year-old Katelyn, the oldest of the Osborn nine. "And then we practice before a concert with everybody else."

Those family rehearsals are usually two hours or longer.

Last week, the Osborns entertained residents at Heritage Place in Coeur d'Alene. In February, they played an Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association event in Spokane, with 300 people listening to their 20-minute set.

A typical Osborn concert might include classical compositions, fast-paced fiddling (always a crowd-pleaser) and a collection of church hymns. Sometimes they'll gather for an informal performance, harmonizing on a local street corner while pedestrians stroll past.

"It's fun watching the audience's reaction. Sometimes people will be walking by and they'll just start dancing," Andy said. "We have had a positive response almost every single time that we have played. People will come up and thank us for coming and sharing our music."

Some of the older children - Katelyn, Lindy, Kiersti and 12-year-old Luke - have formed "The Osborn String Quartet," featuring two violins, a viola and cello. The four youngsters once played for a wedding party alongside the Spokane River.

"(The quartet) gives them more opportunity to play for the public," Andy said.

The kids also play in the Coeur d'Alene Youth Orchestra, which will host a free concert on May 2 at the Kroc Center.

Osborn musicians start young. Little Faith is 4 years old, Elisa is 5, Janae is 7 and David is 8.

Lindy was just 6 or 7 when she learned piano. She remembers her dad playing guitar for the kids, strumming the strings every now and then.

"When he got the guitar out we always wanted to play it," Lindy recalled.

Of the four instruments she regularly plays, violin is her favorite, she said.

Katelyn learned music when she was 9 years old. She was also inspired by a relative, though not her parents.

"My aunt played violin, and she was visiting us, and I really liked it," Katelyn said. "And someone had a violin that they gave to us."

So began her musical journey.

The nine children, all of whom are home-schooled, devote much of their time to practice - often very early in the day, when a less-dedicated youth would probably still be sleeping.

"It's not unusual in our home to hear music going at 5:30 in the morning," Andy said. "And I really enjoy waking up to their music."

But music is not the only activity the Osborns enjoy. In fact, Andy said, playing instruments is just one small part of the family's life. So they don't wear out, the children take days off from practice. They build crafts, and hope to be involved in the local farmer's market this year.

Lindy and Katelyn said they love being outdoors. The family goes camping, biking and hiking.

Occasionally, Andy is asked about his family and their music. Why music, some want to know. Why not sports or drama?

To answer those questions, Andy made up a list of reasons why music is good for his children. Discipline was Number 1 - the discipline to learn something new, to challenge oneself, and to practice several hours every day.

His other reasons included intellectual development; personal enjoyment and fulfillment; the fact music can be played until old age; and doing something productive instead of just watching TV or playing video games.

"I think (performing) kind of draws our family closer together," Andy said. "Gives us something that we all do together. It's a challenge. Everybody nowadays is busy. How can you find the time for 11 people to all come together and practice? It's important enough for us to make it happen."