Loretta Brank MacKeever

Hailing from the great fiddling tradition of the Pacific Northwest, Loretta Brank MacKeever is no stranger to the winner’s circle. A former Washington State Junior Champion, California and Oregon State Champion, and two-time National Junior–Junior Champion, Loretta has also placed among the top five in both Junior and Open National Championships and earned the title of Northwest Regional Champion.

Loretta’s musical roots run deep. Growing up in Washington State, she learned to play at just nine years old under the guidance of her father, Kenneth Brank, and followed in the footsteps of her grandfather Thom and Uncle Leon, both old-time fiddlers.

At age eleven, her playing caught the attention of fiddle legend Benny Thomasson, who took her under his wing — helping her refine the traditional Texas-style sound that became her musical foundation.

Loretta spent a decade leading her own California-based band, Sugarfoot, before making the move to Nashville in 1995. There, she took her talents to the national stage, touring with some of country music’s biggest names — including Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, Sara Evans, Lila McCann, Mindy McCready, and many others.

Now based in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Loretta works in nearby Franklin at A Moment’s Peace Salon and Day Spa as a Licensed Aesthetician. She continues to pick up her fiddle from time to time, donating her musical talents to worthy causes such as The Nashville Rescue Mission.

Junior Marriott

Junior Marriott began playing rhythm guitar at the age of seven for his dad, who played the fiddle. By age nine he was playing bass and at fourteen he began playing the fiddle. At the age of sixteen he won the Missouri State Fiddle Championship, a title he has won multiple times, including the current 2024 Missouri championship.

Junior has won various contests and other state championships as well. Some of these include Kansas State Fiddle Championship, Arkansas State Fiddle Championship, fifth place at the 2000 National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, Idaho, and Grand Lake Fiddle Festival Champion in 2006, 2007, and 2010.

A few major fiddle contests Junior has judged include Missouri State Championship, Arkansas State Championship, Grand Lake Championship in Grove, Oklahoma, the Texas State  Championship in Hallettsville, Texas, and the Grand Master Fiddler Championship. He enjoys traveling to contests all over the United States.

Junior currently lives in Marshfield Missouri, where he teaches fiddle and guitar lessons. Junior also buys, sells, trades, and repairs instruments, and does various gigs playing in western swing bands.

Kerry Varble

Kerry Varble has been playing the fiddle for more than 30 years. She is the 2022 Southeastern Regional Fiddle Champion and recipient of the 2022 Bud Meredith Showmanship award at the Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship in Leitchfield, KY.  She is the 2024 Kentucky State Champion, five-time Ohio State Fiddle champion, and in addition to top finishes in contests from Ohio to Texas, she is a three-time Indiana State Gambler's Draw champion, and four-time Grand Master Fiddler Championship finalist.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in violin and master’s degrees in reading and special education. She currently teaches seventh grade language arts at Alliance Middle School in Alliance, Ohio. Her innovative approach to integrating music and language arts has been reported in local newspapers, as well as featured on the Youngstown NBC television affiliate, WFMJ.

In addition to playing the fiddle, Kerry is an avid equestrian specializing in retraining thoroughbred ex-racehorses for the sport of eventing and competes her horses at nationally recognized events.  In her spare time, she runs half and full marathons around the state of Ohio.