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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 4^th 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! 

Currently Starlit is studying music at the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Hyden, KY under the direction of Dean Osborne.  Her current fiddle teacher is Bobby Osborne of the Osborne Brothers.  She has contributed to the school by playing with the Tiger Creek Ensemble.   Her first show with her newly assembled school ensemble band was at the JD Crowe Festival in Wilmore KY in September.    She, her brother, Jasper and their friend, Seth Mulder (also of ND) have formed a bluegrass touring band named “Flickertail Holler” and will be setting up gigs in ND over the holiday season and into 2011.   Contact Flickertail Holler HERE.

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.