January Voting 2025

There are 6 seats open and 6 nominees for board elections (3 nominees are up for re-election). Only current FFOTM members may vote, one vote per member. Please vote for 6 seats. Votes must be received by Jan 31, 2024. There are 3 ways to vote:

• Fill out the form below
• Email your vote to: admin@ffotm.org
• Mail to: FFOTM, PO Box 23366, Flagstaff, AZ 86002

Board Nominees:
Paisley Boone 
Aislinn Conroy
Rich D’Aloisio
Jeff Duncan
Rachel Paietta
Mike Thompson

Candidate Bios:

Paisley Boone

Growing up in a home filled with music, Paisley Boone has always appreciated and understood music to be one of the great blessings of life. At 10 years of age she had her first taste of creating folk music when she received a fiddle in FFOTM’s Young Jammers program, and has loved the world of folk music ever since. Branching out and picking up multiple other instruments, she and her sister formed a bluegrass band with some friends, Route 66:2, and were blessed with opportunities to play at the Flagstaff Folk Festival and the Pickin’ in the Pines band contest. Learning and playing proved to be just the beginning of her journey with FFOTM, as she and her family have had the opportunity to volunteer at the Pickin’ in the Pines Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival. When Lloyd Holdeman revived the Young Jammers program to again offer volunteer taught lessons, he asked Paisley if she would be interested in teaching fiddle to beginner Jammers. Enthusiastically she said yes, seeing an opportunity not only to expand her skills to include teaching, but also to infuse the next generation of musicians with a love of making music with others. Serving on the FFOTM Board she has been able to invest in the community as well as expand FFOTM’s reach by reviving the FFOTM Community Contra Dance on the first Saturday of each month! She is excited to continue on the Board to bring traditional music into the community.

Aislinn Conroy

As the daughter of a jazz musician, Aislinn Conroy first fell in love with traditional music while crawling around during band rehearsals. From a young age, she has known that music is an important way to find and build community. Originally hailing from Virginia, Aislinn found bluegrass and old-time music at country two-step, flatfoot, and contra dances.

After receiving a guitar in the mail from a friend, Aislinn dove into the trad music scene with rhythm guitar and vocals. Clawhammer banjo quickly followed, as well as gigs with various duo, group, and contra bands. After meeting FFOTM members at Pickin in the Pines 2024, she became a regular at local jams.

Aislinn writes her own music as well as rewrites classics from the bluegrass, old-time, blues, jazz, and Irish canons. She especially enjoys encouraging new musicians to join the trad scene. By joining the FFOTM Board, Aislinn hopes to help bring more young people, especially women, into the traditional music community.

Rich D’Aloisio

Rich is a retired engineer and business owner that has served as a FFOTM Board Member for two years and as the Board President for one year. During that time, he initiated and fostered an internship with NAU, which supports the Young Jammers Program, and provides credits toward the intern’s diplomas. He has been instrumental in providing direction and encouragement to move the 2025 Folk Fest back to the Coconino Center for the Arts and the Pioneer Museum. He has also recruited two energetic Directors for the Folk Festival and assisted in transferring activities to them. Rich hopes to continue as a Member of the FFOTM Board, and thanks you in advance for your support!

Jeff Duncan

Jeff’s love of music began in a household filled with diversity. At the age of 7 (1977), second row center, his life was changed as a young Bonnie Raitt came on stage, Waylon and Wille followed. He knew then that live music would be an integral part of his life. Having grown up in Arkansas going to rural “fish frys”, Bluegrass music became a part of his life without realizing at the time. It was the soundtrack for some of his fondest memories. Although not a musician, Jeff prides himself as a top tier audience member and a proud supporter of musicians, all types.

Jeff arrived in Flagstaff in 1993 pursuing an Art Degree with an emphasis in Ceramics, graduating from NAU in the spring of 1995. Shortly after school, Jeff began working as a brewer at Flagstaff Brewing Company and spending as much time as possible river rafting the Western states.

Through an unlikely turn of events, Jeff has spent the past 23 years working as a Medical Device engineer/innovator creating intellectual property and chasing fun when and wherever possible.

Jeff and his family have attended every Pickin in the Pines Festival and through those the years have been fortunate to attend as volunteers. Jeff has been the campground coordinator for past several years and takes this responsibility with pride. This is, without a doubt, a tradition that means the world to him as well as our community. His children, Olivia and Lily have grown up in the campground and could arguably run that event in the future. The passion has been passed down. This past year his Granddaughter Isla, camped for her first time for the entirety of the weekend, she will be one in April 2025.

As a proud supporter for traditional bluegrass music, the sounds, feel and community are engrained in his life, all the while being open to the news sounds that this complex music creates. He firmly believes that as music evolves, in time, the new sounds become traditional to the coming generations. Flagstaff is his home, FFOTM helps create the soundtrack that has always been there. He looks forward to being a part of what the future may hold for FFOTM and his beloved community.

Rachel Paietta

I’m Rachel Paietta and I’ve been a participant in the Flagstaff acoustic music scene for the past 7 years in the bands The Morning Embers and The Mountain Time Ramblers. I’m passionate about keeping the folk and traditional music scene strong in Flagstaff because it brings such a positive vibrance and connection point for our local community. In particular, I’m interested in helping support the Folk Festival, Pickin’ in the Pines and associated opportunities for adult musical education. In my professional life, I’m a New Product Development engineer at WL Gore & Associates and can bring strong project planning and project management skills to the table. Thank you for your consideration.

Mike Thompson

I grew up in West Virginia, the heart of Appalachia. I’ve always loved many types of music, but traditional was there in my roots. I still like to tune in when I go back there and listen to 2 people strumming and harmonizing to hold hymns live on the radio. When I moved to Flagstaff in 1996 I heard about the contra dance. I used to dance with MFOTM – Morgantown Friends of Old Time Music. From there I found the camp out, folk fest, and watched the birth of the bluegrass festival. Somewhere along the way I learned to strum a guitar so I could participate more. I appreciate all the good times FFOTM has given me and I’m happy to give back. I’m currently serving on the board and will be glad to continue doing so.