2019 in Review
Winter:
- Jacie's Fiddle Adventure Books Series 1 & 2 along with Student Planner become a #1 Best Seller in Amazon's String Instrument Books Category
- McKenzie Thueson wins the Montana State Young Adult Division
- McKenzie Thueson wins the Dillon Fiddle Contest
Spring:
- Jessa Preston wins the Distinguished Young Women's Talent Competition and places 1st Runner Up Overall
- Jessa, Meg, Grace and Jacie Take a girls trip with "mom" Audrey to Texas to study with the legendary Joey & Sherry McKenzie with side trips to the Alamo, El Passo "Rosa's Cantina", jam session with Ridge Roberts and the fiddle gang, San Antonio River Walk, "the Silo's" at Magnolia and the final destination at McKenzie's string studio. Thanks to Joey and Sherry for a wonderful trip!
https://fiddlersofidaho.org/division-winners- Idaho State Fiddle Contest: Kayhl Campbell placed 1st and Cassidy Jenkins placed 2nd in the Jr. Jr. Novice, Kennedy Davis Placed 4th in the Jr. Jr. Intermediate, Meg Preston placed 2nd, Eden Curtis placed 3rd and Sadie Hicks placed 4th in the Jr. Intermediate, Sorella High placed 3rd in the Small Fry, Logan Davis placed 1st, Leo High Placed 2nd and Sive Nowak placed 5th in the Jr. Jr., Grace Partridge placed 1st, Jessa Preston placed 2nd and Carson Dungan placed 5th in the Junior Division. Nate Nelson won the Adult Novice Divison and Andy Nelson won the Young Adult division with McKenzie Thueson and Brooklyn Wise placing 2nd and 3rd. Grace Partridge placed 2nd in the Championship division and Brooklyn placed 3rd. Joe was on stage all day with Nate Nelson on bass to accompany these fine fiddlers. https://fiddlersofidaho.org/2019-photos
- The Jacie Sites' Trio hosted a benefit concert at Crosspoint Idaho Falls for pastor Bob's trip to Cambodia and re-released the Peace and Praise album digitally as a free download to support the trip.
Summer:
- We had lots of winners and top finishers at the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho. Grace won the Junior Division and Jessa Placed 4th after winning a tie-breaker. Jessa and Grace won the National Twin Fiddle Competition which was open to fiddlers of all ages. Logan placed 2nd in the Junior-Junior division and Jacie Sites won the Adult division and Joe Sites won the Senior division.
Maddie Virgin and Hannah Schmutz began their journey to release their senior CD projects.
Their cds are displayed to the left. Throughout the remainder of the year we hosted a concert on the Idaho Falls Greenbelt which we are told was the largest attended of the year. The Jacie Sites Trio, the McMurphy band featuring Jacie Sites and White Water Ramble (Joe's son Patrick's jam-grass band from Colorado) closed out the Idaho Falls 4th of July Melaluca Fireworks celebration.
In July we hosted the annual Swan Valley fiddle contest with judges Tim Hodgson from Bar-J wrangler fame and Jim McMillan president of the Montana State Fiddler's Association. Jessa Preston won the BELT BUCKLE and the grand prize.
In September Jacie hosted Pinecrest Golf Courses first ever concert on the 1st tee box at the historic Pinecrest golf course in Idaho Falls. The proceeds benefited Idaho Falls Junior Golf and there was an AMAZING turnout (several hundred people) for the event.
The Jacie Sites trio also performed on the Neil Larson Show the morning before the big fiddle hoedown at Pinecrest Golf Course.
In Late September/ October Jacie and Grace visited Nashville and Grace placed 2nd in the youth Grand Master championships.
In November all of the students participated in performing for the annual Idaho Falls Festival of Trees and performed several fiddle tunes and Christmas music.
In December the Jacie Sites Trio performed on the Hawk Radio for Don Jerret for the Morning Show and in Crosspoint Community Church's presentation of A Classic Christmas at the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium.
