MEET THE JUDGES Ah, the spirit of fiddling competition is wafting through the air. Every contest needs judges, so we’d like to introduce you to the four experts that will judge the Bob Wills Fiddle Contest Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Greenville, Texas. We will have three judges for each of the seven divisions. That means each judge will take a much deserved break. Anyway, without further ado, meet the judges. TONYA HOPKINS Tonya Hopkins is part of a female fiddling dynasty. Her sisters, Roberta and Danita, are also fiddle virtuosos. Hopkins, who was born and raised in Idaho, is a two-time Ladies National Champion in Weiser, Idaho, a four-time Texas State Ladies’ Champion, and the first woman to win the open division at the Texas Oldtime Fiddlers’ State Contest and Convention, to name but a few. She’s a veteran teacher of private lessons as well as an instructor at fiddle camps. Hopkins, naturally, also has a long history of judging fiddle contests. She lives with her husband Carl (also a champion fiddler), and two children in Porter, Texas, which is a northern suburb of Houston. JAYDEAN LUDIKER Call her Mother Fiddler. Ludiker, of Spokane, Washington, has been teaching the art of the fiddle to students in groups and in private for more than three decades. She certainly has the lineage, since her father taught Ludiker how to play and her grandfathers played before her dad. She passed the passion along to her children, who have since started bluegrass bands of their own. Her daughter, Kimber, is a member of bluegrass outfit Della Mae. Her son, Dennis, is in Austin’s jazz-bluegrass band MilkDrive. Ludiker has penned six fiddle books. She picked up the fiddle at age 10, won the national junior title at 17 and the women’s national fiddle title the following year. Today Ludiker is a frequent fiddling competition judge as well as a contestant. She consistently places in the Top 5 at the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest & Festival in Weiser, Idaho. JIMMIE DON BATES He was born to play the fiddle. That’s no cliché, that’s the barebones truth. Bates, a native of Austin, Texas, is a two-time National Champion Fiddler (Weiser, Idaho), a seven-time Texas State Champion (Hallettsville, Texas), a five-time World Champion Fiddler (Crockett, Texas), a Joey and Terry Grand Champion, and a nine-time Texas State Old Time Fiddlers Association Champion. Whew! Our fingers are tired just by reading about all those accolades. Bates embraced fiddle and bow when he was 11, tirelessly supported by his mother Valeara and his late father, Jimmie D. Bates. The young Bates studied fiddle with respected fiddlers Garland Gainer and Benny Thomasson. Bates has paid it forward, having taught nearly 100 students the Texas style of playing fiddle. In 1997, Bates was inducted into the Texas State Championship Fiddlers’ Frolics Hall of Fame. CALVIN VOLLRATH Fiddling flows through his veins. So much so that as a kid Calvin would mimic his dad, fiddle virtuoso Art “Lefty” Vollrath, with a pair of butter knives. He’s come a long way since dining utensils. Vollrath, who hails from Alberta, Canada, has been winning championship class fiddle contests since he was 17. Vollrath is a musical prodigy, no question. In addition to proving victorious at countless fiddle championships, he has composed more than 500 tunes, many of which have become standard contest and dance tunes across North America and Europe. He’s recorded 60 albums, published numerous music books of his original compositions, and even has an instructional DVD. Yet perhaps his crowning achievement was when Vollrath was commissioned to compose five fiddle tunes for the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 Opening Ceremonies. His work presented the various styles of fiddling Canada has to offer. By Mario Tarradell
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 04:07:43 +0000
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