Austin, Texas-based country singer-songwriter John Arthur Martinez will perform in Whitefish at Haskill Creek Farms in late July as part of a North Valley Music School (NVMS) fundraising event.
The show, which is sponsored by Don K Subaru, is intended to drum up support for North Valley Music School’s ongoing “Be Instrumental” capital campaign to raise money for a new Whitefish music school and campus. The school has raised $4.2 million to date, and is trying to raise the final $2.3 million this year, according to a press release announcing the community concert. In the past, NVMS leadership has described how the organization has outgrown its Spokane Avenue location, and the future facility at Smith Fields is intended to provide more space overall for the school, and to improve the quality of performance and instruction spaces available. Discussions and planning for a new home for NVMS have been ongoing for more than a decade.
Billed as a “family-friendly music event,” attendees will also be able to purchase items from the Haskill Creek Farm Store, wine from Water’s Edge Winery, food from Rebel Roots, and ice cream from Farm to Table, and the funds raised will go to support the “Be Instrumental,” campaign. In a press release about the concert, NVMS also credits Singer & Simpson Productions with helping to make the event possible.
Performing with Martinez will be Kurt Baumer on the fiddle and Luiz Coutinho de Souza on percussion. Martinez plays in a number of different musical styles, including Americana, Texas Hill Country Swing, and country, and has released 15 albums of original music, with the most recent being the 2023 release of “Three White Spanish Horses.” In addition to original music, Martinez has also produced multiple covers, including a bilingual cover of the country classic “Amarillo By Morning,” and a cover of The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” In 2003, Martinez was the runner-up on the music competition show “Nashville Star,” finishing behind Buddy Jewell and ahead of Miranda Lambert. In 2020, his song “For the Love of Western Swing,” was named Western Swing song of the year by The Academy of Western Artists.
Martinez will perform at Haskill Creek Farms on Saturday, July 29. The free event will go from 5 p.m. through 8 p.m.