By Terry Schroth
“If you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.” Safe to say that nine times out of ten, that fiddle player probably came from Llano. Llano has a fiddle history as long as the Llano river and twice as deep.
Originating in the “old country,” front porch fiddle playing was a common form of evening entertainment in the Texas Hill Country, a family tradition passed on from father to son that begat many famous fiddlers. So popular was the “old style” technique that fiddlin’ became a must for every country band, and fiddle contests were frequent and highly competitive.
The first Llano Fiddle Contest was held in 1976. Though many enjoyed the healthy competition and they truly looked forward to the traditional toe-tappin’, string snappin’ jovial jam session that followed. They just loved to PLAY. From the depths of their hearts to the ends of their flying finger tips, you could not watch them without seeing this.... this love of fiddle, of harmony, of music... the way it seeps into your skin and whispers to your soul, the way it dances through your bloodstream, tickling your bones and urging your feet to do a little jig.
But with fewer to carry it on, the fiddle flame was flickering out. Fortunately, though, it was one of those fiddle contest/jam sessions into which wandered one lonely guitar player. It changed the course of Llano Fiddle history. John Caballero reinvented the fiddle contest.
The Fiddle Festival kicks off on Friday afternoon with the Air Fiddle Contest -- in which anyone who only dreams of playing fiddle can compete. What the contestants lack in fiddle skills they make up for in showmanship. Held at an outdoor venue, this contest has morphed into funny fiddle fashion costume-concert-contest family picnic that has the audience laughing, clapping, and dancing in the dirt.
If that isn’t enough to whet your whistle, anything goes in the Anything Goes competition which follows, although in this contest at least one person actually has to play a fiddle. It’s a great way to break the ice and loosen everyone up for the Saturday competition at Llano’s vintage Lantex theatre,
where the contestants can compete in one of four categories: Youth, Open, Legends or Accompanist. After the awards are given, the audience is treated to a classical “violin” performance, gently reminding everyone how one instrument can warm the heart in so many different ways. That evening, the Lantex fills yet again with the sounds of a country music concert, this year starring the Quebe Sisters.
Survivors of the weekend rally once more for the Sunday morning send-off at the Cowboy Church service at the Llano Museum, with the closing hymn, a truly soulful fiddled rendition of Amazing Grace,
It is an exciting and exhausting ride, so sit back and enjoy. Let the music seep into your skin, whisper to your soul, tickling your bones, until you jump up with the rest of us and do a little jig.
For more information, visit llanofiddlefest.com.
