News

Past Judges

 

Amy Carwile

 

Amy Carwile comes from a musical family and was born and raised in Idaho but has made Kentucky her home for many years.

 

Playing the fiddle since age eight, Amy's championships include Northwest Regional, Washington State, Colorado Open, Pend O’Reille International, and Rocky Mountain Young Adult Championships.  She has served as a judge at the Alabama, Kentucky, Oregon, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming State Contests, Colorado and Idaho Open, The World Championships of Fiddling, Northwest Regional, the National Old-Time Fiddlers' Contest and The Grand Master Fiddler Championship.

 

In tandem with her private music instruction, Amy travels the U.S. and international locations conducting fiddle workshops and master classes, as well as teaching at summer music camps including the International Fiddle School at Vanderbilt University and the Mark O'Connor Berklee College of Music Summer String Program.  Amy currently performs as a duo with her husband Daniel adding fiddle, piano, and vocals to their fusion of musical styles.  Together they own and operate Carwile String Studio in Lexington, Kentucky.

 

 

Bill Jones

 

Bill Jones was born and raised in Nashville, TN and grew up in a musical family. He started playing violin at age 10 with the Metro Nashville School System strings program. A couple years after playing classical music, he and his father Barry branched into to old-time fiddle music and played with the Nashville Old Time String Band Association which gathered at Stratford High School in the evenings a few times per month. 

 

Later on, Bill heard contest and “Texas style” fiddling and fell in love with the musical style. Soon, he learned some contest breakdowns and waltzes, and his father learned the rhythm chords on guitar – and from then on hardly a Saturday would pass where he and his father were not competing or jamming. Barry paid for the best music lessons that were available and Bill got to study with Crystal Plohman, Jim Wood, Loretta Brank, Luke Bulla, and Daniel Carwile. Some years later, Bill started playing rhythm guitar and tenor guitar which to him rivals his enjoyment of fiddling.

 

Bill earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University. He is married to Heather, who is a nurse, and they have three boys - Weston, Harrison, and Greyson – and they live in East Tennessee.

 

Bill is a former Kentucky State Champion, US Grand National Young Adult Champion, Alabama State Champion and Tennessee Valley Fiddle Champion. Although busy with his family, Bill very much enjoys, competing, judging and playing guitar for other fiddlers whenever he can. 

 

 

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 a two-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.

 

 

Aynsley Porchak

 

Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. She was introduced to contest-style fiddling in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. In order to further hone her craft, Aynsley enrolled in East Tennessee State University's Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies degree program in 2013. She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelor's degree in English, and completed her master's degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020.

 

Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler, having won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, and the 2017 Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Championship, making her the first person to win both competitions. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. She is a certified and qualified national contest judge.

 

In 2018, Aynsley joined the SPBGMA award-winning bluegrass band Carolina Blue, and performed with them for four years before becoming one of the founding members of The Tennessee Bluegrass Band in 2021. She also received the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author.

 

 

Brad Riley

 

Brad’s musical journey began in 1968 when he started playing the guitar with his father and brother. He started playing the fiddle when he was 13 years old and became friends with Texas champion fiddlers E.J. Hopkins and Bill Northcutt, who helped mentor him as a beginner fiddler.  He loves the Texas style of fiddling and spent many hours listening to records and tapes of fiddle music.

 

Brad has served on the Board of directors of the Texas Oldtime Fiddlers Association and was inducted into the Texas State Fiddle Champion Fiddlers Frolics Hall of Fame in 2021. Brad consistently places in the Top 10 in the Fiddlers Frolics and won the Senior division in 2022.  Among his other wins are the Senior Division at the World Championship Fiddle Contest at Crockett, TX (several times), the Senior Division in the Mid-America Fiddler Championship in, Branson Missouri, and the Senior Division right here at the Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship. He has also placed in the Top 10 of the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville, TN.

 

Brad has judged numerous fiddle contests, included the  World Championship Fiddle Contest at Crockett, TX, the Texas State Fiddle Champion Fiddler Frolics in Hallettsville, TX and many more. 

 

Brad retired after 37 years with the Houston Texas Fire Department and now enjoys life in Waller, Texas with his wife and 5 grandchildren. Brad enjoys going to Fiddle contests in Texas and all over the US.  

 

Justin Branum

 

Justin Branum is a freelance fiddler and multi-instrumentalist residing in the Nashville, TN area where he lives with his musician wife, Angelica, twin baby boys Emmett and Everett, and four step kids, Jakob (12), Callie (10), Violet (8), and Hazel (6).

 

Justin was born in Okinawa, Japan where his father was stationed as a Marine. His father’s side of the family is from Kennett, Missouri and his mother’s side is from the Texarkana, Arkansas area.

 

Justin started on fiddle at age 12 and was mostly self-taught with the exception of a few sporadic lessons until college. During this time he was exposed to old-time fiddle, contest style fiddling, bluegrass, western swing, country, jazz, and classical. He was drawn to the fiddling of Johnny Gimble, Buddy Spicher, Kenny Baker, Bobby Hicks, Tommy Jackson, Dale Potter, and Howdy Forrester who all became major influences on his playing. In college, Justin studied music and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in jazz studies from Webster University in Saint Louis, MO. He also taught as an adjunct instructor at Webster University and Washington University.

 

Justin has spent many years on the fiddle contest circuit and has won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship, Tennessee State Fiddle Championship, Tennessee State Mandolin Championship, Alabama State Fiddle Championship, Kentucky State Flatpicking Guitar Championship, Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree, and the Twin Lakes National Fiddle Championship.

 

In addition to working as a freelance musician in the Nashville area doing recording sessions and occasional tours, Justin runs the instructional video site MasterFiddle.com  along with a private teaching studio for virtual lessons online. You can often hear Justin playing in the Grand Ole Opry staff band or playing with the New Monday band (Val Story, Carl Jackson, and Larry Cordle) at The Station Inn on Monday nights. Artists Justin has performed with include Lee Ann Womack, Jeannie Seely, John Conlee, Steve Earle, Bobby Flores, The Sons Of The Pioneers, Kane Brown, Suzy Bogguss, Mo Pitney, Sara Evans, Charles Esten, and many more. You can also catch Justin in the house band for the Merlin Gene Show on RFD-TV every Saturday.

 

When not playing music, Justin and his family love to enjoy the outdoors and travel to interesting places.

 

 

2021 Judges

 

Bubba Hopkins

 

Bubba Hopkins is a native of Spavinaw, OK and began playing the fiddle at the age of 6 after attending the World Series of Fiddling in Langley, OK. Although he started fiddling at the age of 6, Bubba Hopkins' love for fiddle began at the age of 13 when he attended his first Texas fiddle contest. After that day in Crockett, he understood the passion that Texans have for their music and began devoting his life to learning to play the fiddle as they do.

 

He attended Northeastern State University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Business in 2010.

 

In addition to fiddle music, Bubba is an accomplished jazz and swing musician. While studying saxophone and jazz violin at NSU under the direction of Arthur White, he had the opportunity to play with Randy Brecker, Robin Eubanks, Bob Sheppard, Bob Mintzer, and Andy Narell. He plays and solos on the album, Portrait, featuring Russell Malone.

 

He has won the Texas State Championship 8 times, the Oklahoma State Championship 3 Times, the Colorado State Championship 3 Times, the Mid-America Championship 8 times, and the World Championship in 2012. He is the current Texas Out of State Champion. In addition he also served as a past director on the board of the Texas Oldtime Fiddlers Association (TOTFA).

 

Bubba gives fiddle, guitar, tenor guitar, bass, and music theory lessons in Spavinaw, OK. Call or email him for traditional or Skype lessons, sheet music and transcription services, or to purchase musical instruments. You can find out more about Bubba at www.hopkinsmusic.net.

 

 

Cody Stadelmaier

 

Cody Stadelmaier grew up in Casper, Wyoming and has been competing and judging fiddle competitions for over 30 years. She is from a musical family and her mother Ann Robinson is a fiddler and fiddle contest organizer.

 

After she began playing her Grandpa's fiddle at age 10 and instantly fell in love with the instrument.  She started playing old time tunes in the local fiddle club. From there she started competing in contests and went on to win the Junior Wyoming State title, followed by the Grand Champion title. 

 

In 1992 she moved to Fort Collins, CO to study music at Colorado State University.  It was during that time she was introduced to Texas Style Fiddling.  Under the guidance of Dick and Lisa Barrett, she went on to win many fiddle championships, including the Colorado State Championship,  Rocky Mountain Regional Championship, Wyoming State Championship and was the 2016 US National Adult Fiddle Champion.

 

Cody has performed with several area Bands from Western Swing to Bluegrass.  Currently she stays busy running her music studio, teaching lessons and trying to keep up with her husband Steve and her kids activities. 

 

 

Mark Ralph

 

Mark Ralph grew up in the Short Creek community of Grayson County, Kentucky.  He joined the Grayson County Youth Orchestra when he was eleven years old and started an ongoing contest fiddling career soon afterward.

 

Notable wins include:  Kentucky State Fiddling Champion (4 times); Tennessee State Fiddling Champion (3 times); Indiana State Fiddling Champion (3 times); Alabama State Fiddling Champion; Walnut Valley Fiddle Contest in Winfield, Kansas; Lake Superior Open Fiddle Contest in Duluth, Minnesota; Lincoln Heritage National Open Fiddle Contest in Springfield, Illinois and the TVOTFA Fiddle King in Athens, Alabama.  He also has several top ten finishes in the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, Tennessee and in the Grand National Championship in Weiser, Idaho.

 

Mark played professionally as a member of The Bar-J Wranglers, a western group based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during the mid 80s.  He has served as a judge at numerous contests, including:  the Grand National Championship in Weiser, Idaho; the World Championship in Crockett, Texas; the Grand Lake Contest in Grove, Oklahoma and the Kentucky and Tennessee State Championships.  In addition, he helped revive the Alabama State Fiddling Championship and serves as its chief coordinator.

 

Mark is a practicing general dentist residing in Witesville, KY.  Samples of his playing are available on several National Oldtime Fiddlers Championship CDs as well as on his own ‘Gone to Texas’ CD.

 

 

2020 Judges

 

Contest not held due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

2019 Judges

 

Jesse Maw

 

Music has been a major part of Jesse Maw’s life since the early age of 5. He started playing fiddle music initially, becoming proficient in the Texas-style fiddle tradition, where he went on to win multiple National Oldtime Fiddle Championships in Weiser, ID, along with many more competitions, in his early teens. Continuing the momentum from fiddle styles, Jesse developed a love for Swing, Jazz, and improvisation. Since then, Jesse has drawn inspiration from a wide palette of musical styles, ranging from Country, Bluegrass, and Fusion, to Experimental, Microtonal, and Just Intonation.

 

Jesse has performed with Mark O’Connor, Jerry Douglas, Brent Mason, and Gonzalo Bergara, to name a few, and has served as an instructor at workshops and festivals across the U.S., including the Shasta Music Summit, the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival, and Djangofest Northwest.

 

Jesse is currently studying violin making and developing oldtime fiddle projects in Mount Airy, NC alongside his wife, Sheila Markazi.

 

Sharon Bounds

 

Sharon Bounds is from Northport, Alabama and comes from a musical family.  Her father plays the fiddle and both her grandfathers played the fiddle.  Sharon began playing the fiddle at age 11.  She played classical music in middle school and high school.

 

At age 12, Sharon began competing in contests and has won or placed numerous times.  She has been the Alabama State Fiddle Champion and 4-time Mississippi State Fiddle Champion. Sharon competed in The Grand Masters Fiddle Championship and placed in the Top Ten on 7 different occasions.

 

Sharon is married to Bill Bounds and they have two sons, Brandon and Cody and a new daughter in law, Emily.  Sharon teaches music and plays in her Bluegrass Gospel Band Brighter Day.

 

Bobby Taylor

 

Bobby Taylor is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler. He plays several styles of old-time and contest fiddling, but got his early start from the legendary Clark Kessinger, who influenced a world of fiddlers. He has a melting pot of old-time fiddle styles including the styles of his father Lincoln Taylor (1911-1995), Ed Haley, Mike Humphreys, Benny Thomasson, Reece B. Jarvis, Doc Roberts, French Carpenter and scores of others to name a few. He was the 1977 West Virginia State Open Fiddle Champion. In 2003, Bobby received the FOOTBRIDGE AWARD. This award was presented by FOOTMAD (Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance) for his contributions to old-time music. Bobby was presented The 2010 VANDALIA AWARD by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. The Vandalia award is West Virginia's highest folk-life honor. When fiddle enthusiast West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd passed away in July of 2010, Bobby was honored to be chosen to play Senator Byrd's favorite fiddle tunes during the public visitation in the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda, and for the official memorial service. Bobby was also requested by the Byrd family to play for the private funeral services. He was inducted into the Mountain State Art and Craft Fair Hall of Fame in Ripley, WV in July of 2012 for his musical contributions to the State of West Virginia.

 

Bobby has been the coordinator of West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering contests at the State Capitol in Charleston since 1979. He was the contest coordinator of the Appalachian Open Contest from 1984 through 1987, and he has been the contest coordinator of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival contest since 1990. All of these events are sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Bobby is the Library Manager of the West Virginia Archives and History Library Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

 

Bobby has judged the Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia state championships, and is a regular judge at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia. He has judged the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, TN since 2006 to present. He was selected to judge the 2007, 2010 and 2012 Western Open Fiddle Championship in Red Bluff, CA. He was a judge at Jana Jae's Grand Lake National Fiddle Fest in 2006, 2007 and 2009 in Grove, OK. He was selected as a judge at the Grand National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, ID in 2008. Bobby is a certified national fiddle judge. He is a nationally recognized consultant on rules and judging procedures for heritage music competitions. He has taught fiddle workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center, Allegheny Echoes in West Virginia, the 2012 Midwest Banjo Camp in Michigan and at the 2013 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA. He has performed on musical tours in Australia and Ireland, and was a featured performer at the National Folk Festival in Australia in March of 2008. He was a featured performer at the Library of Congress and at the Kennedy Center on August 16, 2012. The Library of Congress show was recorded for their permanent collection.

 

In 1990, Bobby apprenticed and constructed a violin under the guidance of Harold M. Hayslett. Mr. Hayslett was a Violin Society of America "Gold Medal" winner for tone at the 1980 international competition.

 

Bobby currently judges extensively and presents historical showcases on fiddle styles with his old-time band "Kanawha Tradition." It is not uncommon for historic fiddles once owned by great fiddlers such as Clark Kessinger and Ed Haley to show up at these events. Bobby is the custodian of these historical instruments.

 

2018 Judges

 

Megan Lynch-Chowning

 

Megan Lynch, originally from Redding, California, is a seven-time national fiddle champion, touring musician, recording artist, teacher, singer, and flat-footer.

 

She recently finished a four-year touring stint with legendary country music artists Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, and has played with bluegrass stars Dale Ann Bradley, Roland White, Larry Cordle, Jim Hurst, Chris Jones, 3 Fox Drive, Due West, Chris Stuart, and BEML (the duo of Bill Evans and Megan).

 

Megan has fiddled and sung on more than two dozen projects, and has two new albums out, "The Comprehensive Fiddler" and "Something Old, New Borrowed, Blue". She has taught fiddle at prestigious camps such as Augusta Heritage Week, the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, Sore Fingers Bluegrass Week in the UK, and the California Bluegrass Association Camp, among many others.

 

Megan has also judged the National Fiddle Championships three times, as well as many state championships throughout the country. She’s the co-director (with her husband Adam) of the esteemed and IBMA award-nominated Nashville Acoustic Camps. They host a dozen of these bluegrass and old-time music camps every year at their home just north of Nashville, TN.

 

Maddie Denton

 

Maddie Denton is a third-generation fiddle player from Murfreesboro, Tennessee who began playing at the age of five. She is the current Grand Master Fiddle Champion, the first Tennessee-born contestant to ever win, plus the 2009 National Oldtime Junior Fiddle Champion.  Since 2008, Maddie has won fourteen state championship titles spread over the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, and Tennessee, where she is a three-time winner and current state champion.  She is an accomplished tenor guitar player and frequently backs up her fellow competitors.  Maddie also plays mandolin, banjo, and standard guitar.  In addition to her love for contest fiddling, Maddie also enjoys playing bluegrass and is the fiddle player for the 2017 SPBGMA International Bluegrass Band Champion, Mashtag.

 

Aside from music, Maddie is a recent graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology and a minor in music.  While at MTSU, she played NCAA Division I golf for four years and helped the Lady Raiders win back-to-back Conference USA Championships. She now teaches biology at Siegel High School where she is also the assistant girls’ basketball coach.

 

Maddie is a nationally certified judge with experience judging the National Oldtime Fiddle Championship as well as multiple state championships. As a judge, Maddie listens for intonation and groove in up-tempo tunes as well as emotion and execution in waltzes.

 

Kerry Varble

 

Kerry Varble has been playing the fiddle for more than 25 years and was the Ohio State fiddle champion in 2008 and 2016.  In addition to top finishes in contests from Ohio to Texas, she is a three time Indiana State Gambler's Draw champion and two-time Grand Master Fiddler finalist.  She holds a bachelors degree in classical violin and a masters degree in education.  She currently teaches English and creative writing at West Branch High School in Beloit, 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.  She has competed with her young horses at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington and many others events.

 

2017 Judges

 

Dan Kelly

 

Dan Kelly has won many prestigious fiddle contests; was Roy Acuff's last "Smoky Mountain Boy" fiddle player on the Grand Ole Opry; and has developed a successful career as a sideman, touring with Country stars Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner, Faith Hill, Lonestar, SheDaisy, Alan Jackson, and currently with Clint Black. He has performed on the stages of the Kennedy Center; the Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards shows; the Tonight Show; the David Letterman Show; Good Morning America; and Carnegie Hall.

 

A native Pennsylvanian, Dan began playing fiddle at age eight, and by the age of twelve he had won the Canadian National Open Fiddle Championship. During his contest career, he went on to win the state championships of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, as well as the Mid-America Championship twice. In 1983, at the age of seventeen, Dan won the most famous fiddle title in the nation, the Grand Master Fiddler Championship.

 

Dan's favorite career highlight, aside from winning the Grand Master Fiddler Championship and being a member of Roy Acuff's Smoky Mountain Boys, was playing Carnegie Hall with Alan Jackson. When Dan is not touring with Clint Black, he divides his musical time between performing with the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band; doing session work around Nashville; maintaining a private teaching schedule; and teaching a violin class at a local private school.

 

Kerry Varble

Kerry Varble has been playing the fiddle for more than 25 years and was the Ohio State fiddle champion in 2008 and 2016.  In addition to top finishes in contests from Ohio to Texas, she is a three time Indiana State Gambler's Draw champion and two-time Grand Master Fiddler finalist.  She holds a bachelors degree in classical violin and a masters degree in education.  She currently teaches English and creative writing at West Branch High School in Beloit, 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.  In October 2017 she will be competing one of her young horses at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Bobby Taylor

 

Bobby Taylor is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler. He plays several styles of old-time and contest fiddling, but got his early start from the legendary Clark Kessinger, who influenced a world of fiddlers. He has a melting pot of old-time fiddle styles including the styles of his father Lincoln Taylor (1911-1995), Ed Haley, Mike Humphreys, Benny Thomasson, Reece B. Jarvis, Doc Roberts, French Carpenter and scores of others to name a few. He was the 1977 West Virginia State Open Fiddle Champion. In 2003, Bobby received the FOOTBRIDGE AWARD. This award was presented by FOOTMAD (Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance) for his contributions to old-time music. Bobby was presented The 2010 VANDALIA AWARD by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. The Vandalia award is West Virginia's highest folk-life honor. When fiddle enthusiast West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd passed away in July of 2010, Bobby was honored to be chosen to play Senator Byrd's favorite fiddle tunes during the public visitation in the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda, and for the official memorial service. Bobby was also requested by the Byrd family to play for the private funeral services. He was inducted into the Mountain State Art and Craft Fair Hall of Fame in Ripley, WV in July of 2012 for his musical contributions to the State of West Virginia.

 

Bobby has been the coordinator of West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering contests at the State Capitol in Charleston since 1979. He was the contest coordinator of the Appalachian Open Contest from 1984 through 1987, and he has been the contest coordinator of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival contest since 1990. All of these events are sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Bobby is the Library Manager of the West Virginia Archives and History Library Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

 

Bobby has judged the Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia state championships, and is a regular judge at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia. He has judged the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, TN since 2006 to present. He was selected to judge the 2007, 2010 and 2012 Western Open Fiddle Championship in Red Bluff, CA. He was a judge at Jana Jae's Grand Lake National Fiddle Fest in 2006, 2007 and 2009 in Grove, OK. He was selected as a judge at the Grand National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, ID in 2008. Bobby is a certified national fiddle judge. He is a nationally recognized consultant on rules and judging procedures for heritage music competitions. He has taught fiddle workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center, Allegheny Echoes in West Virginia, the 2012 Midwest Banjo Camp in Michigan and at the 2013 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA. He has performed on musical tours in Australia and Ireland, and was a featured performer at the National Folk Festival in Australia in March of 2008. He was a featured performer at the Library of Congress and at the Kennedy Center on August 16, 2012. The Library of Congress show was recorded for their permanent collection.

 

In 1990, Bobby apprenticed and constructed a violin under the guidance of Harold M. Hayslett. Mr. Hayslett was a Violin Society of America "Gold Medal" winner for tone at the 1980 international competition.

 

Bobby currently judges extensively and presents historical showcases on fiddle styles with his old-time band "Kanawha Tradition." It is not uncommon for historic fiddles once owned by great fiddlers such as Clark Kessinger and Ed Haley to show up at these events. Bobby is the custodian of these historical instruments.

 

2016 Judges

 

MEGAN LYNCH-CHOWNING

 

Megan Lynch, originally from Redding, California, is a seven time national fiddle champion (including being the reigning National Adult Champion and Grand Master Traditional Fiddler Champion), touring musician, recording artist, teacher, singer, and flat footer.

 

She recently finished a four year touring stint with legendary country music artists Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, and has played with bluegrass stars Dale Ann Bradley, Roland White, Larry Cordle, Jim Hurst, Chris Jones, 3 Fox Drive, Due West, Chris Stuart, and BEML (the duo of Bill Evans and Megan).

 

Megan has fiddled and sung on more than two dozen projects, and has a new solo album out called Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue. She has taught fiddle and singing at prestigious camps such as Augusta Heritage Week, the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, Sore Fingers Bluegrass Week in the UK, and the California Bluegrass Association Camp, among many others.

 

Megan has judged the National Fiddle Championships three times, as well as many state championships throughout the country. She’s the co-director (with her husband Adam) of the Nashville Acoustic Camps which offer instruction in fiddle, banjo, guitar, and other acoustic instruments. But sometimes she just likes to sit quietly and smell the flowers. 

 

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 several times, including the 2010 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 lives in Ava, Missouri and recently opened Marriott Music, a full-line music store, specializing in vintage Gibson guitars.  He teaches fiddle, guitar, and bass lessons.  Junior also buys, sells, trades, and repairs instruments.

 

MARK RALPH

 

Mark Ralph grew up in the Short Creek community of Grayson County, Kentucky.  He joined the Grayson County Youth Orchestra when he was eleven years old and started an ongoing contest fiddling career soon afterward.

 

Notable wins include:  Kentucky State Fiddling Champion (4 times); Tennessee State Fiddling Champion (3 times); Indiana State Fiddling Champion (3 times); Alabama State Fiddling Champion; Walnut Valley Fiddle Contest in Winfield, Kansas; Lake Superior Open Fiddle Contest in Duluth, Minnesota; Lincoln Heritage National Open Fiddle Contest in Springfield, Illinois and the TVOTFA Fiddle King in Athens, Alabama.  He also has several top ten finishes in the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, Tennessee and in the Grand National Championship in Weiser, Idaho.

 

Mark played professionally as a member of The Bar-J Wranglers, a western group based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during the mid 80s.  He has served as a judge at numerous contests, including:  the Grand National Championship in Weiser, Idaho; the World Championship in Crockett, Texas; the Grand Lake Contest in Grove, Oklahoma and the Kentucky and Tennessee State Championships.  In addition, he helped revive the Alabama State Fiddling Championship and serves as its chief coordinator.

 

Mark is a practicing general dentist residing in Huntsville, Alabama with his two children, Jake and Wade.  Samples of his playing are available on several National Oldtime Fiddlers Championship CDs as well as on his own ‘Gone to Texas’ CD.

 

 

 

2015 Judges

 

Luke Price

 

Luke Price is a talented young multi-instrumentalist known for his great balance of taste, rhythm, and technical ability.  He is known for pushing genres, styles, and fellow musicians into new territory while delicately respecting the great musical traditions that have come before.

 

At the young age of seven, Luke began competing in fiddle contests and quickly made a name for himself winning the National Title at ages 12 and 17, along with a long list of awards from contests all across the country, including The Fiddlers Frolics and the Grand Masters.  In 2014, he became the National Old-Time Fiddling Grand Champion. 

 

At the young age of 15, he began teaching private lessons.  While continuing to carry on the Texas fiddling and contest traditions, Luke began to expand his playing to many other styles, namely; jazz, soul, blues,  funk, bluegrass, and pop.

 

After completing his B.A. in Professional Music at the esteemed Berklee College of Music, he moved to Portland, OR, where he continues to record and perform his original music with his Old Soul Pop band,
Dean!  He has performed and collaborated with a host of other musicians including: Tony Furtado, Scott Law, Jesse Harper, Sam Grisman, Jack Dwyer, Love Canon, Tristan and Tashina Clarridge, and many more.

 

Now, he continues to teach privately, while also teaching as an Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark College.  He is also touring with other “Dean!” and other projects.  Luke is passionate about passing on the Old fiddling traditions, and also creating new music measured with taste, technical control, and joy.

 

 

Bill Jones

Bill Jones was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He started playing classical violin at age 10 with 5th grade strings program in the Nashville public school system and shortly after that joined the fiddle world playing old time, Irish, and bluegrass music. He has been playing as a hobby ever since.   Bill was trained at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the youth group “Fiddle Frenzy” led by Crystal Plohman. Bill was also trained and influenced by Loretta Brank, Luke Bulla, and Daniel Carwile.

 

At age 14 Bill competed in his first fiddle contest in Smithville, TN.  He considered it a victory that he did not fall off the stage considering how nervous and shaky he was. From then on he went to every contest he could talk his father into going to and his father backed him up on guitar for many of them. Later Bill branched out became proficient on both tenor and six string guitar, backing fiddlers up on their rounds or playing in bands.

 

He has participated and competed in old time and bluegrass music events all over the US. He was has won or placed in the top 3 at many contests including Tennessee State, Georgia State, KY State, Indiana State, Alabama State, Grand Lakes National Fiddler Championship (Grove OK), Walnut Valley Fiddle Championship (Winfield, KS), & The Western Open (Red Bluff, CA). In 2009 he was invited to judge the World Championship Fiddle contest in Crockett, TX. Freshly inspired from great fiddling he heard, he attended the U.S National Fiddler Championship in Weiser, ID and won the 2009 Young Adult National Championship.

 

Bill holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Tennessee Technical University. He works as a Business Center Manager for Carlisle Tire in Clinton, TN. He and his wife Heather, have one son, Weston. With work and family Bill doesn’t compete as much as he would like to, but you can often see him at contests or jam sessions playing fiddle or guitar behind other fiddlers.

 

 

 

 

2014 Judges

 

Dan Kelly

Dan Kelly has won many prestigious fiddle contests; was Roy Acuff's last "Smoky Mountain Boy" fiddle player on the Grand Ole Opry; and has developed a successful career as a sideman, touring with Country stars Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner, Faith Hill, Lonestar, SheDaisy, Alan Jackson, and currently with Clint Black. He has performed on the stages of the Kennedy Center; the Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards shows; the Tonight Show; the David Letterman Show; Good Morning America; and Carnegie Hall.

 

A native Pennsylvanian, Dan began playing fiddle at age eight, and by the age of twelve he had won the Canadian National Open Fiddle Championship. During his contest career, he went on to win the state championships of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, as well as the Mid-America Championship twice. In 1983, at the age of seventeen, Dan won the most famous fiddle title in the nation, the Grand Master Fiddler Championship.

 

Dan's favorite career highlight, aside from winning the Grand Master Fiddler Championship and being a member of Roy Acuff's Smoky Mountain Boys, was playing Carnegie Hall with Alan Jackson. When Dan is not touring with Clint Black, he divides his musical time between performing with the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band; doing session work around Nashville; maintaining a private teaching schedule; and teaching a violin class at a local private school.

 

 

Justin Branum

Justin Branum is a freelance fiddle, mandolin, and guitar player in Nashville, TN. Starting on fiddle at age 12, Justin began playing contest fiddling and soon branched out into the styles of western swing, jazz, country, and bluegrass.

 

In 2008, Justin won his age division at the National Old-Time Fiddler's Contest and in 2010 he won the Tennessee State Fiddle Contest, the Gone to Texas Fiddle Contest and the Grand Master Fiddler Contest.

 

Justin holds a Masters in Jazz Performance from Webster University in St. Louis and has been on adjunct faculty as the fiddle and mandolin professor for both Webster and Washington Universities in St. Louis, MO.

 

 

Matt Wyatt

Matt is the current Missouri State Fiddle Champion and has competed and judged at hundreds of contests across the country.  Matt grew up listening to the fiddle and developed a love and respect for music at a young age.  Matt learned directly from some of Missouri's best fiddlers, including his Grandpa “Bud” Wyatt, his great Grandpa Charlie Wyatt, and many others. 

 

Growing up, his father Allen took him to nearly every contest in Missouri and all over the country.  Matt graduated from Belmont, in Nashville, with a degree in Commercial Music.  During his time in Nashville, Matt played on the Grand Old Opry and at the Ryman while touring with Jerry (”Jug”) and Tammy Sullivan.  He played with many other artists as well and now plays with the Saint Louis based band Swing Deville www.SwingDeville.com. 

 

Through his experiences, Matt has developed his skills and his knowledge of the traditions of old-time fiddling makes him a direct link to that driving sound.  Matt owns the Wyatt Violin Shop along with his Father, in Kansas City, Missouri.  Matt spends a lot of time on the bench doing repair work; tonal adjustments are one of his specialties. He travels the country buying and selling instruments and hand picks every instrument and bow for the shop. He is an experienced player and his passion for music is equaled in his interest in old instruments and bows. Matt has spent a considerable amount of time studying the market of antique instruments and bows by attending major auctions regularly, continually building a network of other dealers and experts to consult, and handling many estates or collections.  If you are looking for a particular instrument he can find it for you!

 

2012 and 2013 Judges: Junior Marriott, Mark Ralph, and Bobby Taylor.

 

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 several times, including the 2010 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 lives in Ava, Missouri and recently opened Marriott Music, a full-line music store, specializing in vintage Gibson guitars. He teaches fiddle, guitar, and bass lessons. Junior also buys, sells, trades, and repairs instruments.

 

 

Mark Ralph

Mark Ralph grew up in the Short Creek community of Grayson County, Kentucky. He joined the Grayson County Youth Orchestra when he was eleven years old and started an ongoing contest fiddling career soon afterward. 

 

Notable wins include: Kentucky State Fiddling Champion (4 times); Tennessee State Fiddling Champion (3 times); Indiana State Fiddling Champion (3 times); Alabama State Fiddling Champion; Walnut Valley Fiddle Contest in Winfield, Kansas; Lake Superior Open Fiddle Contest in Duluth, Minnesota; Lincoln Heritage National Open Fiddle Contest in Springfield, Illinois and the TVOTFA Fiddle King in Athens, Alabama. He also has several top ten finishes in the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, Tennessee and in the Grand National Championship in Weiser, Idaho.

 

Mark played professionally as a member of The Bar-J Wranglers, a western group based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during the mid 1980s. He has served as a judge at numerous contests, including: the Grand National Championship in Weiser, Idaho; the World Championship in Crockett, Texas; the Grand Lake Contest in Grove, Oklahoma and the Kentucky and Tennessee State Championships. In addition, he helped
revive the Alabama State Fiddling Championship and serves as its chief coordinator.

 

Mark is a practicing general dentist residing in Huntsville, Alabama with his two children, Jake and Wade. Samples of his playing are available on several National Oldtime Fiddlers Championship CDs as well as on his own ‘Gone to Texas’ CD.

 

 

Bobby Taylor

Bobby Taylor is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler who has played the fiddle for over 40 years, starting at the age of 13. He learned his music from the legendary Clark Kessinger and Mike Humphreys, both of whom lived near where he grew up in Dunbar, WV. Bobby has also studied countless American fiddle styles and conducts workshops showcasing his special blend of various styles. He retired from playing contests in 1977 to start coordinating contests for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Among his wins is the 1977 West Virginia State Open Fiddle Championship in Elkins, WV. This prestigious contest allowed all
champions from other states to enter as well as West Virginians, drawing in fiddlers from all over the eastern United States and as far as Canada.

 

Bobby has been the coordinator of West Virginia’s Vandalia Gathering musicians’ contests at the State Capitol in Charleston, WV, since 1979. He was the coordinator of the Appalachian Open Championships from 1984-1987, a contest that drew many great fiddlers, including some of the Grand Master fiddlers. He is currently the coordinator of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, WV, an old-time music festival started in 1990. He continues to judge fiddle contests extensively throughout the country. He is also a consultant for contest promoters in the Eastern United States and beyond regarding rules and guidelines for musical competitions. He was a judge at the 2008 National Old-time Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival at Weiser, Idaho. Bobby is a former judge here at the Grand Master Fiddler Championship.

 

He enjoys passing his own unique musical style on to younger musicians, and frequently serves as fiddle instructor at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV, and Allegheny Echoes in Marlinton, WV. In 2003, Bobby was recognized for his efforts when the Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance (FOOTMAD) presented him with the FOOTBRIDGE AWARD, a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to old-time music.

 

Personal musical performances have included many major festivals for more than 40 years throughout West Virginia and the Eastern United States. Bobby played in Germany in 1979 as a part of the Friendship Force, at the Florida House and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC., and at the Chicago Folk Festival. In 1996, Bobby was honored to be invited to play at a banquet honoring Senator Robert C. Byrd that was attended by
President Bill Clinton. In November 2005, he played at the Bluegrass and Old-time Music Festival in Harrietville, Australia. Most recently, Bobby was an invited performer at the National Folk Festival in Canberra, Australia.