Aug. 25, musicians and music lovers gathered for the 33rd annual Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship held in a shady city park in the college town of Lawrence.
Adults and youth competed for titles in fiddle, mandolin, banjo, finger-style guitar, flat-guitar, and miscellaneous acoustic instruments.
Local luthier Steve Mason described the origin of the championship. Thirty-three years ago, the individual county-level contest winners came together to determine who was the best in the state. When it became clear that the top competitors were always from Douglas County, Lawrence became the dedicated host of state-level championships.
When musicians come together, they enjoy learning and sharing and of course listening to the music. Throughout the park, hay bales and chairs were set up for jam sessions and anyone interested in making their own music.
Competitors and performers had two stages to entertain families and musicians who brought blankets, quilts, and lawn chairs to relax and enjoy the music.
For Scenic Roots sisters Erin and Amber Rogers, performing at the championship was the last stop on a 40-day tour across the United States.
“We play acoustic roots music—a blend of bluegrass, old-time, gossip, Irish—and mix it together to see what comes out,” Erin said. Both sisters have won previous championships, Erin in mountain dulcimer and Amber in fiddle.
Prior to the banjo contest, Pat Nichols from Delta Blues and Beyond charmed the audience by sharing a history of metal guitars. He finished off his presentation by singing the blues.
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