Passion For Fiddling Pays Off For Siblings
Melissa Jones doesn’t like to practice the fiddle.
But the 11-year-old from Newman Lake sure does like to play it.
She and her brother Tyson, 14, have been known to fiddle right into the wee hours.
“We just play and jam for all night,” Tyson says with a casualness that makes it seem like every kid on the planet must do it.
But for these youngsters, this instrument is more than just a hobby. It is a passion. And such dedication has paid off.
The two young musicians have carted home piles of ribbons and trophies from fiddle competitions around the region.
This weekend, brother and sis will try to bolster their collection at the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest in Spokane.
About 100 fiddlers of all ages are expected to compete at the 29th annual event that draws musicians from eight Northwest states and three Canadian provinces.
Competitors are broken into age groups and each competitor performs a hoedown, a waltz and a tune of choice. So far, the youngest registered contestant is 3. The oldest is 90, said Wanda Schuh, event organizer.
“The thing I like about fiddling is that it brings a lot of people together - the older people and the younger people,” Schuh said.
As unlikely as it may seem, Spokane has become a real fiddlin’ hotbed. This weekend’s event will offer a good glimpse at the talent circulating here in the Northwest.
At the Jones household, Tyson was the first to pick up the fiddle - after a short stint on the viola.
“I think it’s more fun to play than any kind of orchestra music,” Tyson says, explaining he’d like to be in a country band when he grows up.
Melissa’s interest was piqued.
“My brother played and it sounded cool so I started playing,” she says, noting that she picked up the bow at age 7.
Although she admits she doesn’t like to practice, Melissa says she still loves to play the fiddle. “She just likes to play what she likes to play,” explains mom, Carol Jones.
The two take lessons from local fiddle legend Tony Ludiker and practice about two hours a day.
Between school and collecting Hot Wheels, baseball cards and unopened boxes of Wheaties, Tyson practices at 6:30 a.m. and again when he gets home from school.
As if that weren’t enough, he and Melissa also play in a band called The Three Fiddles Plus Two.
The group is made up of themselves, their mom and two Ludiker children, Dennis and Kimber. (Carol Jones and Dennis Ludiker play guitar.) The group even has a gig in front of the mayor next month.
With the impending competition, some might think these kid fiddlers would be getting the jitters.
No way.
“I just pay attention to my fiddling and don’t worry about the audience,” Melissa says without a hint of worry.
“It seems like the more people that are in the audience, the better they play,” said mom. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: JOIN THE FUN The public is invited to attend the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest on Saturday and Sunday at Trent Elementary School, 3303 N. Pines Road in the Spokane Valley. Single-session tickets are $5 for adults; $4 for students and seniors, and children under 5 get in free. Weekend passes are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Saturday will also feature live entertainment. Starry Night will perform traditional Celtic and early American dance music at 3 p.m. The Riders of the Rockin’ B, a local cowboy group from Liberty Lake, will perform old western favorites in the evening after the day’s competition is over. Saturday’s competition begins at 8 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, it’s at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.