Dave's Bio

David Kaemmer runs a full time private music studio in Southwest AZ. He has been teaching fiddle and violin since the fall of 2000 when he spent a semester teaching the fiddle program at Vanderbilt University . A Suzuki certified violin teacher for Suzuki books 1-3, he has spent over 60 hours observing master teachers. He is currently playing with his new swing group, the Hot Club of Sierra Vista. He has won fiddle contests throughout AZ and NM and is a three time AZ State Champion on Twin Fiddle as well as the AZ State Champion for guitar accompaniment. He also won the 5th Annual Bill Shoup Memorial Award for outstanding accomplishments on fiddle and guitar and devotion to young people as a teacher and mentor for Arizona Fiddlers. He is the music director for the Cochise County Youth Orchestra and founder of the Sierra Vista Fiddle Contest.

David has been playing the violin since 1986 and also plays the guitar. He went to college in Nashville & got a music performance degree in jazz. While in Nashville he learned from Mark O'Connor, Buddy Spicher, Vassar Clements, Bobby Hicks, Crystal Plohman, Regi Wooten, Elisabeth Small, and Martin Norgaard. David has played with Buddy Spicher and the Nashville Swing Band, the Wooten Brothers (funk), the Martin Norgaard Jazz Quartet, the Belmont Bluegrass Band, WES the Power Trio (funk), the Hovey Gospel Choir, the 36th Army Jazz Band, the Sierra Vista Symphony, the Busted Cowboys (western swing), Michael Grande, Celtic Breeze (Irish), & Train Wreck (blues). He was a concerto competition winner at Belmont University and has played in several string quartets. He composed and recorded original music for the documentary film, "Cries From the Border" and played and sang harmony on several recording sessions for various artists.

David currently has two CDs available for purchase, Fiddling for Change and Milk Cow Blues .

David's students are “Best of” City Wide Talent Competition winners, Arizona State Fiddle Champions, Regional Orchestra members, and one Berklee School of Music Scholarship winner.

Education

Experience

  Private Fiddle & Violin Instructor Fall 99- Present, Currently teaching 40 students from ages 4 to adult
  Music Director Jun 05 – Present, Cochise County Youth Orchestra PO Box 391, Sierra Vista, AZ, 85635
  Clinician - Jan 06, Music Academy of Tucson Suzuki Winter Workshop
                   - Mar 06 Willcox Strings Program
  FounderSierra Vista Fiddle Contest
  Contest Judge Feb 07, Ajo Fiddle Contest, Ajo, AZ
  Assistant Conductor Sep 04 – May 05, Cochise County Youth Orchestra, Sierra Vista, AZ, 85650
  Fiddle & Violin Instructor Apr 05 – Dec 05, P.R.I.M.E. Music School, Tucson, AZ, 85714
  First Violin Sep 02 – May 05, Sierra Vista Symphony, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
  U.S. Army Officer Feb 01 – Feb 05, South Korea and Fort Huachuca, AZ
  Adjunct Fiddle Instructor Fall 00, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212
  Instructor/Coach June 97, Coyote Mountain Quartet Camp, Sapulpa, OK

Honors

  Grand Champion (06) Truth or Consequences, NM
  Winner of the 5th Annual Bill Shoup Memorial Award Payson, AZ
   --For outstanding accomplishments on fiddle and guitar and devotion to young people as a teacher and mentor for Arizona Fiddlers
  Guitar Accompanist State Champion, Payson AZ 06
  Grand Champion (04-06), Hot Fiddle Champion (04-05), Twin Fiddle Champion (04-06), Young Adult Champion (04-06), Ajo, AZ
  Twin Fiddle State Champion, Payson, AZ (03-05)
  Grand Champion, Twin Fiddle Champion, Young Adult Champion, Avondale, AZ (02)
  Grand Champion (04) Runner Up Grand Champion (03, 05-06) Hot Fiddle Champion (04), Young Adult Champion (03-06),
  Guitar Accomp Divison 1st place (06), Tune Scramble 1st place (06), Twin Fiddle Champion (05-06) Safford, AZ
  Young Adult Champion (03-04,06-07) Twin Fiddle Champion (04-07) Trick and Fancy (07), Accompaniment (07), Tucson, AZ
  Bluegrass Bands Competition Winner, Wickenburg, AZ (04)
  Solo act, Pinetop Bluegrass Festival (03)
  Concert Competition Winner, Belmont University (00)
  All State Orchestra, Missouri, (94-96)

1st Violin 8th chair: Southeast Arizona Regional Orchestra 2006- Mary Lim
Concertmistress: Cochise County Youth Orchestra 2005-2006- Mary Lim
1st place: Best of Sierra Vista Talent Competition 2005- Mary Lim
1st Violin 5th chair: Southeast Arizona Regional Orchestra 2005- Alice Pitts
Concertmistress: Cochise County Youth Orchestra 2003-2005- Alice Pitts

AZ State Fiddle Championships, Payson, AZ
Trick Fiddle State Champion, 2006 - Lauren Jones
Small Fry State Champion, 2005 - Brooke Boisvert
Fancy Fiddle State Champion, 2005 - Andrew Gallardo
Twin Fiddle State Champion: 2003, 2004, 2005 - Andrew Gallardo
4th place: Jr. Division, 2004 - Alice Pitts

Safford Fiddle Contest, Safford, AZ
-2006-
1st and 3rd place: Jr division Mary Lim and Nicole Lonchar
1st place: Jr Jr division Andrew Gallardo
1st place: Trick and Fancy division Lauren Jones
1st and 2nd place Runner Up Lil Britches Finals Lauren Jones and Rick Errhalt
2nd place: Twin Fiddle Sam and Lauren Jones
2nd thru 6th place- Pee Wee division Sam Jones, Brooke Boisvert, Lauren Jones, Esther Lim, Rick Errhalt
2nd place: Half Pint Division Brooklyn Fulk
2nd and 3rd Lil Britches Finals: Brooke Boisvert and Sam Jones
1st place: Half Pint Division, 2005- Johnny Brewer
2nd place: Pee Wee Division & 4th place: Lil' Britches Finals, 2005- Rick Errhalt
2nd place: Jr. Jr. Division, 2004- Alice Pitts

Sierra Vista Contest, Sierra Vista, AZ
-2006-
1st place: Twin Fiddle division Sam and Lauren Jones
2nd place: Tune Scramble division Johnny Brewer

Tucson Fiddle Contest, Tucson, AZ
-2006-
1st and 2nd place: Pee Wee division John Brewer and Sam Jones
2nd place Jr division: Andrew Gallardo
4th and 5th place: Jr Jr division Brooke Boisvert and Nicole Lonchar
2nd place: Trick and Fancy division Lauren Jones
2nd place: Pee Wee Division, 2005- Rick Errhalt
3rd place: Pee Wee Division, 2005- Johnny Brewer

Avondale Fiddle Contest
Grand Champion: 2003- Andrew Gallardo