DIAMOMDS IN THE ROUGH

BLACKWELL PRACTICAL MUSIC METHOD STUDENT BAND 
Pictured are performances at Festivals, Fairs, Fiddle Conventions and Contests, Radio and TV, Special Olympics, Fund Raisers for various National medical charities, and Senior Citizen Centers and Homes.

The students also have been on Channel 3 and Channel 10 TV out of Springfield, Mo. and played an hour long live radio show on KTIR radio in Marshfield (1995?).  The BPM lesson program has been the subject of radio and TV interviews in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Arkansas over a period of years from 1987-1999.

The Diamonds in the Rough has played at the Ozark Empire Fair every year from 1987-1999.



Above, highlights from the Ozark Empire Fair at Springfield, Mo. 1994-1999

The students performed at as a band at Wagon Wheel Bluegrass Park, Drury,Mo, from 1987 until it closed in 1997, at The World Series of Fiddling, in Langley, Ok, until it closed in 1995, and at the Fiddlers Conventions in Harrison, Ar, and Compton Ridge, Mo. They have also played for the Special Olympics, Fund Raisers for various National medical charities (St Judes, Diabetes Foundation, etc) and for City Councils and other city functions and Senior Citizen Centers and Homes. Below are some some highlights from some of these performances.
 

Special Olympics Benefit 1998 
A young man with DownsSyndrome in the BPMM
program 1997-8 performed in the shows that season. 
Wagon Wheel the First Year 1989
Wagon Wheel the Last Show 1997
before the park was closed.

Hartville City Hall 1995
Ava Live Theatre 1996
Trick Fiddling 1999
Mo Fox Trotter Celebration
Ava 1999
Souder Store--2000
Outside of Almartha, Mo

Fiddle Contests and Achievements

Students received a number of 1st thru 3rd  place wins at various fiddle contests in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Below are some pictures from the World Series of Fiddling at  Langley, Oklahoma. However, it was decided that contests was counterproductive to the BPM program when students of the same band were competing and even though the students did so well in the contests they were not entered as a part of the BPM band program past the early 1990's. Individuals, however have reportedly continued to win contests through 1999 at least.
 



World Series of Fiddling  1990's
 
BPM Student invited to            
Perform with Bill Monroe          
In Nashville. 1988
 BPM student performing
with Jana Jay 199_