Hampden student to play at Maine Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Show

HAMPDEN, Maine (WABI) - The 45th annual Maine Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Show takes place this Sunday, May 15.

A junior from Hampden Academy will be among those performing on the stage.

Joy Hollowell tells us why.

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“Well, I’ve been playing since I believe I was 8 or 9. I think it was my mom’s idea.”

Now 17, Owen Field admits even he’s surprised he’s still playing the guitar.

“I just took to it, it was fun,” he says. “There were groups in middle school and obviously in high school and I played for those. It just happened to be my thing.”

His instrument of choice is electric over acoustic.

“I play acoustic, but not as well,” Field says, chuckling.

In February, Field entered the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame’s guitar competition. This was the first year for the contest. High school students from all over the state submitted songs virtually.,

“One of the first reasons I started playing when I was younger was John Denver,” says Field. “So I do like country but I hadn’t been playing it as much. So that was kind of new.”

But it was enough to impress the judges and Field found out last month that he won.

“I was pretty excited,” says Field. “I was a little surprised but I was happy.”

He’ll play with the house band during this weekend’s ceremony and show. There, field will be presented with his prize.

“I ended up winning a guitar,” he says excitedly.

Field also placed first in this year’s Maine All State Jazz Guitar competition. He plays in the Hampden Academy Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo and R & B Project.

“It definitely started out as just for me, but playing at concerts, people enjoying it, that’s of course, that’s great,” he says.

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Don Campbell, Peter Allen and Bobby Reed are being inducted into this year’s Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.

The ceremony and show are this Sunday at the Silver Spur in Mechanic Falls.

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