ANDOVER – The local country music duo, Nickels and Dimes, are headed to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., to compete at the North American Country Music Association International’s seventh annual country music week.

The association will host some of the best country, gospel and bluegrass music in the USA, Canada and New Zealand. Country Music Week runs from March 1 to March 7 at the Country Tonite Theatre.

Jim Littlefield and Margaret Arsenault of Andover began playing with her family, The Arsenault Family Band, about six years ago. They started playing at the Countryfolk Music Theater in East Dixfield, operated by their friend, Larry Bisbee.

In 2002 they decided to try their luck as a duo and produced their first CD single called “Old Uncle Henry’s” followed in a couple months by another CD of nine original songs of Good Ole Country Music from Maine. Some of their music and a poem included on the CD were written by Bisbee.

They competed at the Down East Country Music Association competition in August 2003 and were presented a second place at the awards ceremony in November. They also were invited to compete in the North American Country Music Association International in Tennessee in the duo, Traditional Division. Arsenault says they plan to sing two of their original songs, Dispatch Doll and Western Thump, both of which are on their CD.

For more information on the Country Music Association or Nickels and Dimes and their music, call them at 392-2621 or visit www.countryfolkmusic.com. Any assistance for funding their trip would be appreciated as Littlefield has just undergone cancer surgery. His doctor has given him the thumbs up for the March 1 trip.