Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention announces winners

April 04--DOBSON -- Around 800 people attended the Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention, held at Surry Community College in Dobson last weekend.

Misty Matthews with the Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce said close to 600 people paid for admission, to watch the competition and bands on Friday and Saturday night combined. Musicians are admitted for free and 28 bands competed, with a minimum of three people per band, sometimes more, as well as around 140 individual contestants, adding up to around 800 people.

The Master Artist handed out this year at the Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention went to Verlin Clifton of Mount Airy. Clifton played with mandolin with the Camp Creek Boys. Master Artist awards from previous years were on display on a wall at the fiddlers convention, including Benton Flippen, Mac Snow, Johnny Gentry, and Chester McMillian.

Judges for the individual competition were David and Ivy Sheppard and Nina Pinto. Band judges were Cody Jackson, Michael Motley, and David Sawyer. The judges were referred to as "blind" judges since they sat behind a hanging wall of quilts and were unable to view the musicians competing on stage. They judged on the sound of the music and were not persuaded by appearances. Only numbers and categories were announced as the musicians arrived on stage.

The Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention is a partnership between Surry Community College, Surry Economic Development and Tourism, Surry County Tourism Development Authority, Dobson Tourism Development Authority, and The Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The 2014 winners at the Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention are:

Best All-Around Performer -- Eric Harden of West Jefferson

Master Artist Award -- Verlin Clifton

Folk Song Category -- First place: Joe Newberry of Raleigh; Second place: Robert Stowe of Stoneville; Third place: Aaron Ratcliffe of Greensboro; Fourth place: Alan Teichman of Jamestown; Fifth place: Jared Boyd of Laurel Fork, Va.

Guitar Category -- First place: Eric Hardin of West Jefferson; Second place: Wayne Dye of Cleveland, Va.; Third place: Steve Lewis of Todd; Fourth place: Danny Casstevens of Mocksville; Fifth place: Jacob Greer of West Jefferson

Banjo -- First place: Robbie Anders of Galax; Second place: Brett Morris Martin of Elk Creek, Va.; Third place: Jared Boyd of Laurel Fork, Va.; Fourth place: Marsha Todd of Mount Airy; Fifth place: Amanda Wright of Lenoir

Twin Fiddle -- First place: Kilby Spencer/Jacob Bowen; Second place: David Blackmon/Russell McCumber; Third place: Marsha Todd/ Richard Bowman; Fourth place: Debbie Gitlin/ Betty Vornbrock; Fifth place: Erica Testerman/ Chris Testerman

Variety -- First place: Rodney Hodges of Galax; Second place: Todd Hiatt of State Road; Third place: Wayne Dye of Cleveland, Va.; Fourth place: Nick Weitzenfield of Pilot, Va.; Fifth place: Helena George of Pinnacle

Fiddle -- First place: Tessa Dillon of St Albany, West Va.; Second place: Kilby Spencer of Crumpler; Third place: Robbie Anders of Galax; Fourth place: Erica Testerman of Lansing; Fifth place: Chris Testerman of Lansing

Bass -- First place: Karen Carr of Galax; Second place: Nancy Gentry of State Road; Third place: Barbara Bowman of Mount Airy; Fourth place: Tammy Sawyer of Traphill; Fifth place: Steve Bowen of State Road

Band -- First place: The Slate Mountain Ramblers of Mount Airy; Second place: The Mostly Mountain Boys of Winston-Salem; Third place: Mountain Park Old Time Band of State Road; Fourth place: The Buckstankle Boys of Mount Airy; Fifth place: Zephyr Lightning Bolts of State Road

Dance --First place: Cherie Compton of Ferrum, Va.; Second place: Stacy Boyd of Laurel Fork, Va.; Third place: Joy Conn; Fourth place: Vickie Boyd of Laurel Fork; Fifth place: Ben Harmon of Bassett, Va.

Youth Band -- First place: The Surry Sawyer of Deep Gap; Second place: Hopeful Bandaids of Lenoir

Youth Banjo -- First place: Samuel Tsolis of West Jefferson; Second place: Bethany Bare of Jefferson; Third place: Travis Watts of Mount Airy

Youth Fiddle -- First place: Kitty Amaral of Elk Creek, Va.; Second place: Liam Purcell of Deep Gap; Third place: Noah Prudencio of Galax, Va.;

Youth Guitar -- First place: Presley Barker of Traphill; Second place: Jessica Lang of Wake Forest; Third place: Owen York

Youth Dance -- First place: Macy Henson of Asheboro; Second place: Andrew Sayers of Wytheville, Va.; Third place: Austin Sayers of Wytheville

Youth Variety -- First place: Owen Combs; Second place: Breanna Bare of Jefferson

Youth Folk Song -- First place: Ruth Shumway of Charlotte; Second place: Jessica Lang of Wake Forest; Third place: Christina Blakely of Pfafftown

One of the members of the planning board Tammy Sawyer, said she wanted to thank all the volunteers who assisted with the fiddlers convention, as well as the judges, sponsors, workshop presenters, MCs, Surry Community College, and Tim Varner with the sound crew. Sawyer was joined on the planning board by Nick McMillian and Buck Buckner.

Sponsors included Yadkin Valley Bank, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, CenturyLink, G&B Energy, Weyerhaeuser, Duke Energy, Bayada Home Health, Frontier Natural Gas, Workforce Carolina, BB&T, Basin Creek Realty, Lifestore Insurance, Mountain Valley Hospice, Century 21 Hudspeth Properties, Mazzini's Family Italian Restaurant, CMS Insurance, Garanco General Contractors, Yadtel Group, Sedgewick Homes, Rhythm on Main, State Farm, and Stanley Heating and Air.

Reach Jessica Johnson at 719-1933 and on Twitter @MountAiryJess.

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