Springfield, MO – The Springfield Sister Cities Association has selected musician Joe Dillstrom to represent Springfield with his American-inspired musical influences in country and western, blues, jazz and roots at sister city Isesaki, Japan’s annual festival.
As SSCA’s ambassador and cultural representative, Dillstrom will perform in late September at the annual Isesaki Festival, which also includes a large parade and a spectacular dance show featuring some 1,000 people dancing together. Dillstrom will have the opportunity to stay with a local family, attend official ceremonies and visit several other cities with the full travel delegation.
The native Springfield singer-songwriter says he is influenced by the timelessness of the classic American genres he performs. He also is a member of The Paper Moons, a retro romantic trio that performs at weddings and other events. A graduate of Missouri State University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics, Dillstrom has taught at Drury University, Ozarks Tech and MSU.
“As a university mathematics educator and as a regional musician I live between two worlds, and what they share in common is informed by their deep-rooted traditions in the Ozarks – community, fellowship, and a celebration of life,” Dillstrom says. “It is the blessing of a lifetime to represent the city that has given so much meaning to my life in our sister city of Isesaki.”
SSCA Executive Director Lisa Bakerink said Dillstrom will be a strong ambassador for Springfield with his talent and commitment to enriching SSCA’s mission of peace through people through his music.
“This is one of the most important and long-standing cultural exchanges of our nearly 40-year relationship with Isesaki,” Bakerink said. “We will be proud to see Joe represent our city, our country and our musical heritage in Isesaki this fall.”
Sister Cities supports a portion of Dillstrom’s trip costs and helps fundraise the remaining expenses. Dillstrom plans several performances this summer to raise money for his part of the trip expense. Visit peacethroughpeople.org/joe for upcoming show announcements; donors also can make tax-deductible contributions to support travel expenses. Learn more about Dillstrom’s music at:
his website, YouTube and Facebook pages.