Florida Folk Festival Contest Results

Gordon Scott entered the Florida Banjo Contest at the Florida Folk Festival on Memorial Weekend and won 3rd place. The tunes he played were  "Kitchen Gals" and another tune called "Walking in the Parlor".The 3rd place prize was a Gold Tone CC-100 mini banjo and the opportunity to play on the amphitheatre stage in the evening. The first place winner Chuck Levy won a Deering Good Time banjo. There were many fine players and some new young players entering. The competition was intense and friendly. Go to the Florida Banjo Society's website for more details and photos.
The Greasy String Band is pictured above playing for a Tallahassee contra dance. The caller is Richard Hopkins in a Santa hat. On banjo is Gordon, Jane on fiddle, and Drew on guitar. Two of Jane's students are playing a tune with the band.

This year's fiddle contest 2013 was a huge success. More competitors than ever entered. The Florida Fiddlers Association president Aisha Ivey says, "The playing was simply fantastic! This was the best I've seen there, by far.  Special thanks to all the volunteers that helped make it happen and a big extra thanks to Lisa who did so much more work than any of us the entire weekend!"

The 2013 winners of the four divisions of the official Florida Fiddle Contest are:

Junior:
1st - Sara Biesack
2nd - Max VanHoeij
3rd - Aidan Collins

Youth:
1st - Ethan Thomas
2nd - Tekla Mendez
3rd - Kayla Williams

Contemporary:
1st - Christian Ward
2nd - Andrea Stanley
3rd - Seamus Murphy

Twin:
1st - Tekla Mendez / Claudia Edwards
2nd - Kayla Williams / Veronique Shaftel
3rd - Michelle Pohnert / Daniel Pohnert

Rustic:
1st - Nathan Stinnette
2nd - Katrina Dickins
3rd - Carol Taktikian