Casper to host fiddle championships
by Elysia Conner
Fiddlers from around the region will rosin up their bows and vie for trophies and cash prizes at the Rocky Mountain Regional Fiddle Championships & Music Festival.
The event will be held Aug. 15-17 at Casper’s Ramkota Best Western Hotel. Spectators will be treated to some of the best fiddling in the country from contestants and nationally renowned guest musicians.
All ages will compete in their divisions for a regional championship and a chance to go on to National Old-Time Fiddlers' Contest. Those wishing to enter the Grand Champion Fiddle division will compete among all ages.
Learning and celebrating centuries of fiddle playing tradition is at the heart of the event. Fiddling contests long have been how expert players pass on their knowledge to beginners.
The Merchant sisters, Ana, 9 and Rachel, 5, are two fiddlers who reap the benefits of musical exposure. Their father, Kim, began teaching both girls at about age 4.
Ana, who has held the state junior-junior fiddle title, studies the Suzuki violin method for classical training. She loves that, but said that fiddling allows her to let loose with slides and plucking on E string.
"It's just really fun," Ana said about the style, which is less restrictive and formal than classical music.
Rachel, last year's small fry state fiddle champion, looks forward to learning some new tunes and competing again. Neither girl is shy about performing. They gladly offered an impromptu duet during the WFA District #4 players' performance at the Wyoming Medical Center picnic on Aug. 7.
On July 15, an informal jam session will ring in the festival as musicians begin to congregate throughout the evening. The public is invited to the free jam session.
The contest will begin the evening of Aug. 16, following a performance by the WFA District #4 fiddlers. Musicians often find corners of the hotel to practice or jam before they go on stage to compete. They also learn songs, variations and techniques from one another.
This is often the first time contestants and their accompanists meet and play music together before the competition.
Contest judges are required to have held National Fiddle Championships. Toby Magruder, the current National Fiddle Champion from Great Falls Mont., and former champion Katie Glassman from Denver, will be on the judging panel. All judges will entertain the crowd after the contest while the scores are tallied.
Entrants from ages 3 to nearly 90 have competed in the contest in previous years. Contestants from as many as eight states have gathered for a single contest.
This year, organizers expect 60-80 entries from Wyoming and surrounding states. About 300 spectators are likely to attend during the three-day event.
While the festival emphasizes fiddling, contests for vocals and other instruments also will take place. A favorite accompanist, and the accompanist appearing on stage most frequently, will receive awards.
Contestants will play a hoedown, a waltz and another song of their choice. It is required that all music be played in traditional styles.
The rules state that electronic instruments, with the exception of an electric bass, are not permitted. Musicians often represent Texas and other regional styles. Some performers play Irish, Scandinavian and other ethnic styles.
First- and second-place winners in the fiddling divisions will become a permanent part of fiddling history with their photos displayed in the National Old-Time Fiddlers' Hall of Fame.
According to Wyoming Fiddlers' Association District #4, the Rocky Mountain Regional Fiddle Championships provides "wholesome, affordable family entertainment to folks in the region and guarantees a hand clappin', foot stompin' good time for all."
Wyoming Fiddlers Association District #4 sponsors the event. The Wyoming Arts Council also provides support through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming State Legislature.
If you go
Rocky Mountain Regional Fiddle Championships & Music Festival
Casper Ramkota Best Western Hotel.
Aug. 15: Informal jam session as musicians arrive, admission free.
Aug. 16:
9 a.m., Rocky Mountain Regional Fiddle Championships
7:00 p.m., Wyoming Fiddlers' Association District #4 performance
7:30 p.m., Grand Champion Fiddle Division
Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for seniors and children 6-12. Children 5 and under are free.
Aug. 17:
8-9 a.m., Fiddle Workshops, $25.
Beginning to intermediate by Toby Magruder; intermediate to advanced by Katie Glassman.
For more information or to enter the competition, contact Ann Robinson at 277-1499 or e-mail arobinson@bresnan.net Entry fees are free for entrants 12 and under and range from $5-10 for 13 and over. Register by Aug. 9 to avoid a $2 late fee.