Mark O'Connor

Last night was the Strings for Kids benefit concert, and Mark O'Connor performed. IT WAS AMAZING! I just can't even explain the amazing talent and natural talent that he has. I attended a free workshop that he put on earlier in the day, I really enjoyed it. He mostly talked about his new method, but what I liked most was how he explained that you need to have creativity when playing you need to be well rounded. If you are going to focus on just one style of music and do the same thing over and over again, you will get nowhere. We opened the concert playing a couple of fiddle tunes, then Mark came on stage and played two songs with us, Fiddlers Dream and Chief Sitting In The Rain. The first half of the concert featured Mark playing some of his Violin stuff that he composed, and also him playing some improv. The improv was CRAZY I cannot even imagine having the capability to make up that much right on the spot and still have it sound amazing. Then the second half he brought Joe Sites and Rick Youngblood out on the stage to play some geetar, and Jesse Maw on the Tenor Guitar. Once the geetars got on stage and they started to play some Texas-Style Oldtime Fiddle tunes I immediately started tapping my foot and nodding my head to the beat, I wanted to yell out but had to hold myself back. There is just something about fiddle, once it starts to play some good contest tunes and the geetars are playin, I get warm inside and I get this feeling inside, I have no idea what it is but I just absolutely LOVE the fiddle, I have no idea where I would be without it, it runs through my blood! and I am addicted to it! It was an amazing concert and a once in a lifetime opportunity. Mark, Jesse, and Rick all signed my fiddle case and I am going to start have some of my favorite musicians and people that I look up to sign it. Hannah, Audrey, and Laura King came and stayed with us from Molt, Montana. I love them and was so glad they could come stay with us, they are such wonderful people. I love being able to meet all of these amazing people that all share the same love for music as I do. Next up, Jenny Oaks Baker!

Wow time is flying by so fast. January 8th and 9th we went to the Rocky Mountain fiddle contest in Denver, Colorado. It was my first time in colorado, and it was a hard contest! Matt Hartz, Dennis Ludiker, and Junior Marriot were the judges. I tied for 6th place and my friend Laura got first, in the Junior Division. January 29th we went to the Montana Winter Fair fiddle contest, in Lewistown Montana. I played in the championship division and place 4th. Grace turned 9 so she played in the Junior Junior division, she was the youngest one in there but she took first place! We had a fun time jamming and playing with Jim Mcmillan and other contestants there. Grace and I were even in a local newpaper! Then on February 19th and 20th we went to the Dillon fiddle contest in Dillon, Montana. There I got second place, Grace got 3rd, and Lindsey also got 3rd. Dillon is one of my favorite fiddle contest! I love going and seeing all of my good Fiddle Friends. I also played in the talent show Saturday night, I played Wildwood Flower on my Harmonica and Guitar. Then yesterday(March 4th) we had the opportunity to play our fiddles for the Governor of Idaho, C.L."Butch" Otter. He really enjoyed it, and it was a great experience! Lastly I GOT A NEW GEEETAR! I have been saving my money up for a while now and my dad decided to meet me half way. It is a 1966 Gibson Country Western. It is great for backing up fiddlers and is a great sounding instrument! I am so excited to play it! I also had my high school orchestra concert on Tuesday on March 1st. I was first violin first stand. We played several songs from movies and commercials. My favorite was the "hoedown" from Rodeo, probably just because it is a faster more fiddly tune. I also played in a Quartet with some friends, we played a medley of Lady Gaga songs. We tried out for our school talent show and made it! I also went with my family to the Idaho Falls Symphony red dress concert with Rockapella as their guest. I am so thankful for music and for the joy that it brings into my life! Its in my heritage and this fiddle music is in my blood, I LOVE IT!

Fiddle Fotoshoot

Sherelle and I always have fun dressing up and taking pictures. This time we decided to do a little fiddle/guitar/mandolin photoshoot. It was lots of fun! there are many more but here is just a few.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

On friday night, Sherelle, Lindsey, Grace, Laura, and I went to the Haunted Theatre in Shelley. It was more fun, than scary. After that we went to Arctic Circle and got milkshakes and then headed to sherelle's house where we jammed! I love jamming! you learn so much!

I "own" a Fiddle Contest

This fiddle contest is one that I will never forget! It was so much fun! but there were so many emotions, sad because joe and jacie are moving, happy because I won, nervous to perform, busy i have to be on stage, thankful for music, and so many more! The night before the contest Laura, Jacie, Joe, Jim, and I jammed. Joe and Jacie ordered pizza and rootbeer, we ate and jammed. It was lots of fun and I learned alot! We (all of jacie's students) put on the fiddle contest and had 50+ contestants. Jim Mcmillan came all the way from Bozeman to play guitar. We also put on a fun wee fiddle contest, where you have to play little (wee) fiddles. Everything had to be wee. We had a ukelele(for a guitar) and a cello(for a bass). It was lots of fun! I also judges the novice and the pee wee divisions with Laura Waters, and Kai Johnson. I got Second in the Junior Div, Third in the wee, I got accknowledged for playing the guitar, the most musical fiddler, I also got voted as the best fiddler, and I also won Champion of the Day and with that I got a Blue fiddle(done by joe) and a big traveling trophy cup. The champion of the day was nerve wrecking but fun. They called up the four best fiddlers of the day(so no one knew who was going up there) they called me, Laura, Kai, and Tabitha. They sat us down on the stage and told up to play boil em cabbage in a certain key. I was choosen first, so I had no time to figure out what the fingerings where. I played it in the key of C. Next they told us to play a tune out of book one or two of the fiddle method that we usually wouldn't play in a fiddle contest. I played Devil's Dream. Then we got to play whatever tune we wanted.

Again I am so thankful for fiddle contests! I go to school and stress and worry but then when I am around the fiddle and all of the fiddlers it is so much fun! I wish everyday was a fiddle contest!

District 93 Orchestra Concert

I had my Orchestra concert at Hillcrest High School on October 19, 2010. The director is Lauren Folkner. I was a First violin and we played, In the hall of the mountain king and the Capriol Suite.

2010 Contests

These are the fiddle contest that I went to this year...

• Dillon Fiddle Contest, Dillon, Montana February 13-14, 2010 6th place Junior div.
• Idaho Open Fiddle Contest, Nampa, Idaho June 4-5, 2010 5th place Junior div.
• National Oldtime Fiddle Contest, Weiser, Idaho June 23, 2010 15th place Junior div. 13th place Twin Fiddle
• Idaho State Fiddle Contest, Shoshone, Idaho July 10, 2010 3rd place Junior div. 1st place Guitar flatpicking
• Montana State Fiddle Contest, Red Lodge, Montana July 23-24, 2010 2nd place Junior
• Teton County Fiddle Contest, Jackson Hole, Wyoming August 1, 2010 1st place Junior
• Rocky Mountain Regional Fiddle Contest, Casper, Wyoming August 21, 2010 1st place Junior div. 1st place Guitar, 1st place Mandolin, 3rd place Championship
• Headwaters Fiddle Contest, Three Forks, Montana October 16, 2010 2nd place Junior div.
• I "own" a Fiddle Contest, Iona, Idaho October 23, 2010 2nd place Junior div. 3rd place Wee fiddle, Guitar, Voted Best Fiddler, Most Musical Fiddler, Novelty 6th place, Champion of the day 1st place

wow! thats alot of fiddle contests! and too many to post pictures of! wow its fun to go back and look at how much I have improved! I look forward to next year when it all starts up again. We are going to go to even more fiddle contests!