LAKE COUNTY – Konocti Fiddle Club members made a good showing at the Redwood Empire Fair Fiddle Contest.
These fiddlers play many styles of music, and most are also members of the Clear Lake Performing Arts orchestras and students of Andi Skelton.
Contestants are required to play three memorized tunes per round, and some classes play two rounds.
Clayton Rudiger and Edison Serena, who are also in the CLPA Youth orchestra, played their three tunes perfectly and each won a second place (Danish judging) in the Junior-Junior class. Edison also won an award playing the mandolin in the "any instrument" class.
Annie Perez, who is playing with the Lake County Symphony this summer and also a CLPA Youth Orchestra member, is now the 2008 Junior Fiddle Champion. Sue Condit, violinist in the symphony, won a fourth in the open class with tough competition.
Andi Skelton, concertmaster of the symphony, joined Condit for the Twin Fiddle class, and they took first place.
Patricia Jekel, who plays flute in the symphony, also plays good old-time fiddle and is now the 2008 adult champion. Her daughter, 5-year-old Nina, won a second place in the pee wee class and also the youngest fiddler award. Her dad, Darren Jekel, won third place in the "any instrument" class with his great old-time banjo tunes.
Symphony violinists, Greg Bushta and Andi Skelton were kept busy playing guitar accompaniment for all the entrants, and each won an accompanist award.
The Konocti Fiddle Club entertained the crowd between classes, with Lars Tisell from the CLPA Youth Orchestra joining in on his fiddle and Irish tenor banjo, and Natalie Jekel on rhythm. The contest is organized by well-known fiddler/violinist and teacher, Laura Smith of Potter Valley, who was a past Clear Lake Performing Arts Scholarship recipient, and member of the Lake County Symphony.
All entrants were rewarded for their hard work with ribbons and a check, but most agreed they just liked to play for fun and to support the music events in Lake and Mendocino counties.
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