Rock Hearts coming to the Center Theatre
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Southern New England band Rock Hearts returns to the Center Theatre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Oct. 18. This show is sponsored by the Bluegrass Music Association of Maine, a statewide organization focused on the preservation, promotion, education and outreach of bluegrass music.
Rock Hearts was formed in 2013 and brings together five seasoned musicians who love to sing and pick bluegrass, old country tunes, and also seek out tunes from other genres to “bluegrass-ify.” Mandolin player Bill Thibodeau has a strong connection to Piscataquis County having grown up in Cambridge, and his family has a long history of playing and promoting bluegrass music in Maine. Thibodeau lived in Bangor for many years, playing in bands such as Bluegrass Supply Company, Union River Band and others, as well as providing music lessons.
Named an Official 2021 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Showcase Band, the Rock Hearts are currently enjoying national radio and chart activity. They are a sought after band for major bluegrass festivals. Alex McLeod’s (guitarist) song “Starry Southern Nights” put Rock Hearts on the national radar in 2021. The following year Rock Hearts released their first 615 Hideaway Records label single from their project “Wanderlust”, which continues to receive outstanding fanfare and radio attention. The album has since released multiple hits. Their third project, and second with the 615, is “Unfinished Bridges”. For more information and to hear clips of their music visit their website www.rockheartsbluegrass.com.
Individual band members have received recognition and awards. At a recent IBMA Business Conference, MacLeod had songs selected for the 2024 Songwriter Showcase that is a coveted opportunity for songwriters to perform to an audience of some of the best bluegrass artists and producers in the industry. Thibodeau was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024, and is a 2017 alumnus of the IBMA Bluegrass Leadership Team. Fiddler Austin Scelzo was nominated for International Bluegrass Music Associations “Mentor of the Year” in 2023 for his work in education. In 2024 he was a finalist for “Momentum Industry Involvement” award and is again a finalist in this category for 2025. In 2023 Schelzo received the Connecticut Arts Hero Award that honors and celebrates Connecticut residents who are doing inspiring things in, for or through the arts.
In addition to the concert, you can join Rock Heart’s own Scelzo for an in person workshop designed to explore his “Roadmap to Bluegrass and Country Fiddle Mastery” — a sequential guide to breaking down the skills necessary to thrive in settings that involve improvisation, harmony, chords, back-up and rhythm played on the fiddle. The workshop will be from 1-3 p.m. and is limited to 25 participants. The fee is $30. Sign up and learn more about the workshop at www.AustinScelzo.com/fiddle.
The Rock Hearts will be performing Saturday, Oct.18 at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets and reserved seating are $20-$24. Contact the Center Theatre for advanced tickets and information at www.centertheatre.org or call 207-564-8943.