Washington State Fiddle Championships August 3 & 4, 2024

July 20 - 10am-6:00

14000 NE 49th St, Vancouver, WA 98682

Contact Denice Carter to donate articles for Sale.

Bring articles at 8am - 9:30am

Text To 303 859 4268

Fidlmom1@gmail.com

Chris Daring is the 1996 National Adult Fiddle Champion. She has been honored as a Master Artist in fiddling by both the Colorado Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In 1997, Chris and her family provided music for a private dinner attended by eight world leaders and their spouses during the Summer of the Eight Conference in Denver, Colorado. Fiddler Magazine has featured her contributions to the art of fiddling in a dedicated article.

Since the late 1980s, Chris has judged numerous fiddle competitions and has actively performed, presented, and taught the historical and cultural aspects of fiddling throughout Colorado and the western United States.

She is the former administrator and teacher of the strings program for the Denver Waldorf K-12 School and has taught fiddling at both the University of Southern Colorado and the University of Colorado at Denver. Notably, 19 of her students have gone on to become National Fiddle Champions.

Chris's primary teachers were esteemed members of the Fiddlers Hall of Fame, Terry and Dale Morris. Terry, who passed away in 1988, was a featured star at the Grand Ole Opry in 1976. Dale is a former member of the Sons of the Pioneers.

In 1988, Chris recorded an instrumental album with the Nashville Superpickers and has also recorded an all-acoustic album with her family.Chris is the inventor and patent holder of the "Bow Genie," a teaching device designed to help students learn the correct way to hold a violin bow. She has judged the National Fiddle Championships in Weiser, Idaho, in 1992 and 2002. Additionally, she was the Colorado State Senior Champion in 2019, 2020, and 2023.

We are honored to have Chris Daring as a judge for the Washington State Fiddle Championships.

A fiddle contest burnout by the time he reached his late teens, Grant Wheeler (also known as “The Big Wheel”) puts his fiddle away in a case with the full intention of never taking it out again. 27 years later for reasons that remain a mystery to him to this day, the Big Wheel’s fiddle came out in the light of day and it started getting played again. Grant vowed that his experience with fiddling and fiddle contests was going to be different this second time around. Emphasis was going to be placed on fun and fellowship. This turned out to be a winning formula... because let's face it... the Big Wheel is a lot of fun and everybody loves him. Grant believes one of the most important ingredients of a successful contest is having a master of ceremonies who is knowledgeable about fiddling and fiddlers and who can entertain as well as enlighten a fiddle contest audience. Sometimes fiddle contests can be too serious and somber for their own good. This is why Grant gives a big tip of the hat to contest organizer Denice Carter who understands that excitement, humor, and spontaneity are good for the health of a contest. Not only does she encourage hootin’ and hollerin’ from an audience... she demands it! So, if a fiddler does something on stage that excites you, and you feel a “Yee-Haw!” building up way down deep inside...don’t keep it locked up. Suppressing a Yee-Haw, as everybody knows, is un-American and bad for your health. Let it out!

Mia Dawson is so excited to MC for the contest this year! She has been playing fiddle for 7 years since she was 9 (and has been out for Grant's job since the beginning). Mia is thrilled to be here this year. She has been at the Washington state fiddle contest since the year it was started, and it was actually the first contest she ever competed in. She placed 3rd in the JR round for the Oregon state contest and 4th in the Washington state fiddle contest last year. Mia loves to do fiddle as well as many other types of art such as drawing, painting, and digital art. She is also an avid fan of rollerblading. Mia is very excited to be a part of the Washington State fiddle contest and to be an MC this year. She hopes to see you there!

We are thrilled to announce that Jeanine Orme will be joining us as a judge on Saturday, August 3rd, at the Washington State Fiddle Championships!

Jeanine Orme, born in Ogden, Utah, has an impressive background in both classical piano and violin, specializing in old-time fiddling, Texas-style fiddling, bluegrass fiddle, and Western swing. Her accolades include being a past Utah State Fiddle Champion, Oregon State Young Adult Division Champion, and the 2024 Oregon Adult Division Fiddle Champion. Jeanine has also judged at the prestigious Weiser National Oldtime Fiddle Contest and various other regional fiddle contests.Influenced by five-time National Fiddle Champion Herman Johnson, Jeanine has mastered Texas-style fiddling and Western swing.

She has authored five music collections for Mel Bay Publications, Inc., including:The Fiddlin’ WorkshopHerman Johnson-Master FiddlerTexas-Style Fiddlin’ WorkshopThe Fiddlin’ Workshop for ViolaThe Fiddlin’ Workshop for CelloAlongside raising three children, Jeanine has performed as a solo artist and as part of various groups for community, civic, and private events throughout Oregon. She is passionate about teaching and has recently taught at the West Cascades Fiddle Camp and Wintergrass Youth Education program.

Jeanine runs a violin/fiddle teaching studio and works as a Special Education Para Educator. She currently resides in Beaverton, OR.

We are honored to have Jeanine Orme’s expertise and passion for fiddling at our event.

We are delighted to welcome Starr McMullen as a judge on Sunday, August 4th, at the Washington State Fiddle Championships!

Starr McMullen is a three-time National Fiddle Champion with over thirty-five years of playing and performing experience. She has a deep love for Texas-style fiddle tunes and a special affinity for hornpipes, polkas, rags, reels, and breakdowns in the Texas tradition. This distinctive style, introduced to the Northwest by Benny Thomasson, is a hallmark of fiddle contests across the United States.

Beyond her musical achievements, Starr is a retired Professor of Economics and has been the driving force behind the Willamette Valley Fiddle Contest for the past 24 years. With a vast repertoire of over 200 fiddle tunes, she is known for her lively participation in all-night jam sessions and her enthusiasm for great fiddling.

We are excited to have Starr McMullen's exceptional talent and passion at our event.

A long career as a much sought-after accompanist has garnered its share of awards and accomplishments for Anthony. Besides being in constant demand by top fiddlers around the country, Anthony has been the State Champion Accompanist in Hallettsville, TOTFA Champion Accompanist, and National Champion Accompanist in Weiser, Idaho - all multiple times.

He has helped champion fiddlers to win all of the major contest events including the National Championship in Weiser, Idaho, the World Championship in Crockett, Texas, the Grand Masters Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, and, of course, the Texas State Championship in Hallettsville, TX.

In addition to fiddle contests, Anthony has performed on many stages across the U.S. including WSM’s “Grand Ole Opry” several times. Anthony has been a staff guitarist at many contests including The Grand Masters, Colorado State Championships (10 years), and now, The Washington State Fiddle Championships for his second year.

It is always an honor and privilege for fiddlers to have the opportunity to have Anthony back them up in our contest.