I am so, so, so very excited to have Mark O'Connor as Strings for Kids benefit concert for 2011. Mark Will be performing at the Idaho Falls, Colonial Theater. There will be a free violin/fiddle workshop on Saturday, September 3rd at 10:00 AM at the Colonial.

The concert will feature Mark O'Connor with special guest Jacie Sites (2011 National Twin fiddle champion, 3 time national fanciest fiddler and 3rd place in the Grand Champion Division at the National Old-time Fiddle Contest for 2011) on fiddle. The concert will also feature Joe Sites, Eight time National Fiddle Champion at Weiser, Idaho, Rick Youngblood former Men's National Fiddle Champion and Jesse Maw former National Junior Champion at Weiser Idaho.

The concert will open with Jacie Sites, co-founder of Strings for Kids and some of her private students playing Billy Wilson's Clog, Natalie MacMaster's (Cape Breton Fiddler) - David's Jig, and Fiddlers Dream from Mark O'Connor's new innovative O'Connor Fiddle Method.

The first half of the concert will feature Mark on solo violin and the second half will feature him playing some contest fiddle tunes.

You can check out Mark O'Connor's performance schedule HERE. For more information about Joe and Jacie Sites visit our website at www.sitesviolin.com! Visit www.stringsforkids.org for more information about the Strings for Kids program that provides free violins and lessons for students in Idaho Falls and Rigby, Idaho.

We are giving out 2 sets of 4 free tickets to Mark's concert. If you leave a facebook post (<------click link) about the concert and indicating that you are interested in the 4 free tickets & tag both Jacie Sites and Mark O'Connor in your post...you will be entered to win the tickets.

I am pleased to announce my students as Champions of the Jefferson County Fair. Payton Poulson 1st place, Kristin Peterson 2nd place and the Peterson Family Band 1st place Family Division.

Wow! Great Job guys!

Congrats on making it into the Jefferson Star!

Joe's out in the front of the shop practicing his 30 second radio spot for the PSA for the Mark O'Connor concert. Be sure to get your tickets NOW. Avaliable at the Idaho Falls Arts Council. More info at www.sitesviolin.com. We are trying to decide if we should put Wizard's Walk or Say Old Man on the out-tro.

The kids are working on a rendition of Fiddler's Dream and Chief Sitting in the Rain for their songs to play with Mark. They are going to play Wizard's Walk, Bowing the Strings, Boil the Cabbage, Billy Wilson's Clog and David's Jig (Natalie MacMaster).
There will be a free workshop at the Colonial Theater at 10:00 AM, September 3rd for all string players and other musicians in the area.

Just got back home from the Teton County Fiddle contest today. Jackson Hole and the Teton County Fair are always so fun. I won the Open division and the No holds barred. It was great to see our good friend Tim Hodgson from the Bar-J-Wranglers. He played an amazing version of Black Mountain Rag. 

Our students did great. Shelby won the Junior division and Jared placed 3rd. Grace won the Junior-Juniors with Dajun in 2nd and Nina in 3rd. 

Oh what fun. Added Bonus... we were paid in cash with 10's and 5's making it ever so easy to pay your accompanists!

Today I played fiddle for a wedding in Big Sky, Montana. I played with Joe's son Pat Sites' band White Water Ramble. They are from Fort Collins, Colorado. For the processional we played Chinquapin Hunting, Whiskey Before Breakfast, Cherokee Shuffle and Black Berry Blossom. For the Bride to walk in we played Ashokan Farewell. Ashokan Farewell is a beautiful fiddle waltz written by one of my favorite composers, Jay Ungar. I hope to get to meet him some day. I talked with his wife Molly on the phone one day to get permission to perform a few of his compositions with our orchestra for a fundraising concert for Strings for Kids. She was very friendly and I enjoyed the visit.

Happy Fiddlin'

Jacie

Jacie is the New Texas State "Gone to Texas" Champion!

Jacie Sites - Champion - Idaho State Fiddle Contest
Casey - 2nd place

Jacie Sites, 3rd Place, Grand National Division at Weiser! Plays Sally Johnson, Midnight Waltz and Red Apple Rag!

My best placing in the Grand National Championship Division at Weiser, Idaho for the National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest 2011! Here are the videos! Thanks Mike for posting!

Shelby performing with Hannah at the Montana State Fiddle Contest! Dinah!