Banjo Contests

Subject: Banjo Contests
From: Gern
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 04:49 PM

Participated in my first old-time banjo competition last month, and had some luck. Now, of course, I've got the fever and want to line up some contests for next year as incentive to work a little harder on my technique this winter. Is there a master list of competitions? I'm especially interested in events in the South and Midwest (I live in Indiana, near the KY border,) but want to hear about other events and the experiences ot those who have competed.

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: SINSULL
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 05:07 PM

Gern? Had some luck? Aren't you going to share?

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: Gern
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 05:24 PM

OK, it's a great story. After two years of rudimentary clawhammer practice, I went to the KY State Fiddle Championships to watch the pros and pick up pointers. Heard two former State Champions say they were the only two entrants in the old-time category. Thought "Gee, if that's all the market wil bare, maybe I will hone up for next year's competition." A friend said no, go up there right now, because they have three awards to give--if you don't disqualify yourself, you'll win something." So I did, and I didn't, and I did--third place, with bragging rights across Kentucky. Neat, huh? Yet heavily tainted, and now I have the bug to go about it the right way. Looking back over my various life adventures, I find that my greatest success has come from dumb luck! Beats skill anyday... Now, any advice from others who have been skillful or lucky?

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 05:28 PM

C'mon Gem, don't be shy. Tell us how you did ?

I'm also curious how old-time banjo contests are run. We don't have many in this region - (SW Montana), although we do have fiddle contests.

Do you play three tunes per round ? And how many rounds ? Are you given certain tunes to play, or do you get to choose your own ? What are the popular contest tunes, and what is the behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt ??

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 05:30 PM

OK - so we were posting simultaneously. How about the rest ??

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: Bert
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 05:38 PM

Gern, here at mudcat we're proud of you. It takes more than 'luck' just to get up on that stage.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 05:44 PM

Walnut Valley Festival, click here Winfield, KS Sept 14-17 has a banjo contest.

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 24 Aug 00 - 07:13 PM

There's a yearly old-time festival in Petersburg, Indiana, some time in July. I disremember the date. But you can find it with a search engine, I think. I don't remember whether it is called an old-time festival or a fiddler's contest or banjo picker's contest. It just seems to me it's something like old-time picker's contest or something like that.

I'm from Indianapolis, and I had intended to go down this year and enter the singing portion, more for the experience than out of any overweening pride and expectation of winning. And also on the possibility that "Even a blind pig occasionally finds an acorn." Then it turned out that my family had heavily loaded weekends just before and after the date for this one, and I decided we'd better not. Maybe next year. Maybe I'll see you there next year!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: Gern
Date: 25 Aug 00 - 09:28 AM

Answering questions on how the contest was run--this was a two-round event, with two songs apiece of your own choice. No one told me the rules, or how I might disqualify myself, because time was short. As I signed up, the first contestant began on stage. I had to run to my tent, grab my banjo without tuning it and march up to the stage. I had never played a miked banjo before, and doubt that I handled it well. Punched out a rousing "Are You From Dixie" and Uncle Dave's "She's Got the Money Too." It's hard to tap one foot when the other knee is shaking violently. My second round consisted of "Breaking Up Chirstmas" and the ever-present "Boil Them Cabbage Down." Backstage scuttlebutt focused on uncertainty over defining "old-time" styles and wondering where all the other competitors were. I've heard good things about the event mentioned in Petersbug, IN --many of the same fiddlers were at the KY State Championship. Would like to attend next year. Anyone have a contact here, or other such events? One thing that interested me is how similar this competition was to a sporting event--audience was knowledgeable on music and participants, and most of them had favorites to root for. Good time!

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Aug 00 - 10:00 AM

Gern...We're proud of you!!!! What bragging rights!!! And more than anything else, you'er to be commended for "just doing it." Great job!! I assume we will hear of next year's when it comes up?

Say, did they have any events for distance or altitude? How about accuracy, like hitting an accordion with a banjo at 25 feet? Anything like that?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: GUEST,Pete peterson at work
Date: 25 Aug 00 - 10:05 AM

To quote Tommy Jarrell, "Anybody who enters a banjo contest deserves to lose."
There are as many forms of competition as there are banjo players. At Galax, VA (2nd week of August) you play ONE tune, as many times as you can play in 2 min 30 seconds, and get off the stage, (over 100 entries) and they pin the top ten places at the end of the week. At Clifftop (the weekend before) you play 1 tune; they pick the top 5 finalists, those play 2 tunes each. Generally banjo contests will have one contest for Bluegrass Banjo and one for Old-time Banjo, which usually means clawhammer. In Morris CT and Roxbury CT play one tune, they announce the winner at the end. The Florida Old-time Music Championships -- you play TWO tunes in the first round, they pick five finalists, and those finalists play THREE tunes in second round. It really kinda depends on how long the contests as a whole are to last-- you want to fill up an evening for the spectators and give them their money's worth (not quite a joke)

One of the things I love about the smaller festivals is the opportunity to meet and make music w the other players. One year at FL they held the "string band contest" between the 1st round banjo and finals. . . the five finalists were all practicing and jamming and VGO said "hey, why don't we go up as a band?" so we went up and played two tunes, almost in Dixieland style (each person playing melody, in turn, with the others playing soft backup) the judges disqualified us for not having a fiddle. This should give you an idea of how seriously those contests are taken. . . Clifftop and Galax, OTOH, have serious prize money or serious bragging rights.

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 25 Aug 00 - 04:24 PM

Gem - yes, congrats! It takes gumption to get up on a stage and do what you did!

Pete - thanks for the info about Galax, Clifftop and the rest - I've always been curious how they work. When you say serious prize money, what ballpark figures are you talking ?

Subject: RE: Banjo Contests
From: Sean Belt
Date: 25 Aug 00 - 04:31 PM

Congratulations, Gern! Way to go!

I've been playing clawhammer banjo for a couple of years now, but would still not have the nerve to compete. Jamming, yes. But pitting myself against other players in a contest? Not yet!

- Sean