Starlit has been studying Suzuki Violin for 12 years, with 4
brilliant teachers; Susan Neumann, Rosemary Person, Timothy Durbin and Mary
Illback. She has been heavily involved in Suzuki Group classes
consistently through the years of study and a member of all performance groups
attached to the Suzuki School of Music in Bismarck, ND. She competed in the
State of North Dakota Music Competition and received the star rating.
While attending junior high she was enrolled for daily playing at the Wachter
Middle School Orchestra, she advanced to the Century High School Orchestra
before moving to Indiana. She has performed with the Floyd County Youth
Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Douglas Elmore for two seasons. One
of her most exciting performance groups was the prestigious Strolling Strings of
Bismarck with Mr. Scott Neumann as director.
Throughout the
years Starlit became a popular violinist in ND. She played at the ND
Capitol, ND Heritage Center, Mandan’s 4th of July Variety Show and
others too numerous to mention; she often found her picture in the Bismarck
Tribune. Before moving out of state the Dakota West Arts Council did a 30
minute documentary on Old Hat and it aired on their community access television
station weekly.
To expand her
repertoire she sought out Bluegrass Jam sessions whenever possible and has many
wonderful memories of the Cross Ranch and International Peace Garden Fiddle
workshops. She was awarded the Bob VanWormer Young Musician Scholarship by
the Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association of ND. (BOTMAND)
She was also asked to be on their governing board as a junior member.
While attending yearly fiddle workshops she enjoyed the tutelage of fiddle
greats, Cyrstal Plohman, Buddy Spicher, both of Nashville and Paul Anastasio, of
Seattle, among others.
After moving to Indiana Starlit has continued playing
Bluegrass music with her family’s string trio, Old Hat. Recently she was
able to attend the Mark O’Connor Teaching Workshop in Cleveland OH, where she
was able to meet Mark O’Connor and obtain an understanding of his new fiddle
method; American Folk Music. The teacher trainer was the amazing Pam (DeWall)
Wiley from Charleston SC. Starlit came home with a teacher certificate
suitable for framing! She hopes to take student in the fall of 2010.
More on that to come.
When she’s not fiddling, she dabbles
in song writing, guitar playing and vocal harmonies. Old Hat currently has one
CD available and one in progress.
