Many revisions were made for 2008.
Please read carefully and completely.
GENERAL COMPETITION INFORMATION
BAND LEADERS and INDIVIDUAL CONTESTANTS should pay strict attention to rules & time limits. Bands must be back stage for their scheduled performance or may forfeit their right to compete. Check at the registration tent to pick up schedule for competition. We reserve the right to end registration prior to the May 10th deadline if our performance time slots are filled.
Band Registration Fee of $25.00 must be submitted with the Senior band registration form. Jr. Bands are exempt.
TWIN FIDDLE competition will begin on stage Saturday evening, May 24th at approx. 6:15 p.m.
BLUEGRASS BAND preliminary competition will be held on Saturday afternoon at 1:00p.m. Location is to be announced. Finalists will be chosen to compete on Saturday night in the final competition.
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES for competition will be held Saturday morning, May 24th, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. and competition starting at 9:30. Upon arrival, check at the registration tent for complete schedule of events and location of your competition. Individual Contestants do not have to pre-register for competition this year or pay a registration fee. Regular admission prices will apply to all individual categories including Jr. contestants and Certified Old Time Fiddlers.
HERITAGE TUNE exhibition will be on the main stage Saturday morning, at approx. 11:00 a.m.
OLD TIME BAND preliminary competition will begin Saturday afternoon, May 24th at 1:00 p.m. Location to be announced. Finalists will be chosen to compete on Saturday night in the final competition.
CERTIFIED OLD TIME FIDDLE competition will be held Saturday morning, Main Stage, at approximately 11:30 a.m.
JUNIOR BLUEGRASS BANDS & JUNIOR OLD TIME BANDS will compete Saturday afternoon at approx. 1:00 p.m.
When we receive your band registration we will send you a registration confirmation. Bring that confirmation to the festival gate to receive your passes. Band leaders are responsible for making sure that all members of their band enter with a confirmation. Tickets/ passes will not be mailed, but picked up upon arrival.
IMPORTANT CAMPING NOTE
Space is limited in Musician camping area so again this year SITES WILL NOT BE PRESOLD. Payment will be taken upon arrival only. Sites will be available on a first come first serve basis. Regular camping fees apply. Thank you for not sending advance payment for musician area camping.
DEFINITION OF RULES FOR COMPETITION
OLE TIME FIDDLER'S & BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2008
Authentic Old Time Music Only - No Electric Instruments
PLEASE PAY STRICT ATTENTION TO RULES AND TIME LIMITS!
Judges usually favor traditional performance over technical performance.
- HERITAGE TUNE
The tune itself must date back about 100 years. This is non-competitive; however, a special Rosette is given to the musician who most effectively tells the history of the tune and plays the best presentation.
- TWIN FIDDLER'S CATEGORY
This category is open to all fiddlers regardless of age or style and does not conflict with band or other individual categories of competition. Twin fiddlers can have one rhythm accompaniment.
- FIDDLER OF THE FESTIVAL
This award spotlights the focal instrument of the festival and is the highest honor a fiddler can attain. The fiddler of the festival will be chosen from the Champions of each division. The play-off will be held Saturday night at approximately 9:00 p.m. Each contestant will play three tunes: (1) Fast tune, reel, jig, or hornpipe, (2) Slow tune, waltz or schottische, (3) One tune of his/her choice. Each tune is not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes. There are no other restrictions in this category. However, the champion of each division and category must be present for the play-off or forfeit his/her placing, and the second place winner is eligible to advance to the play-off in that category. The judges will determine the Fiddler of the Festival, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up.
- JUNIOR BAND AGE REQUIREMENTS
To provide some flexibility in the age requirements for Junior Band categories, the average age limit of the band members cannot exceed 17 years of age. Example: fiddler, age 20; banjo, age 10; guitar, age 13; and bass, age 15. The sum of the ages is 58, divide by 4 (number of members), making the average age for the band 14 1/2 years.
- JUNIOR OLD TIME BAND
Bands must consist of a fiddle, banjo, and at least one other stringed instrument, but may not exceed 6 members. Refer to Rule No. 4 for age requirements. Only one vocal number will be permitted, but not required. Tunes performed must be old time tunes played in old time style not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes per tune.
- JUNIOR BLUEGRASS BAND
Bands must consist of a fiddle or mandolin, banjo and guitar, but may not exceed 6 members. Refer to Rule No. 4 for age requirements. Only one vocal number will be permitted, but not required. No electrical instruments or drums will be permitted. Traditional tunes encouraged and time not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes per tune.
- SENIOR OLD TIME BAND
Bands must consist of a fiddle, banjo, and at least one other stringed instrument (guitar, mandolin, autoharp, dulcimer, or bass fiddle), but cannot exceed six members. Tunes should be characteristic of the old time tradition and in old time style. Only one vocal number permitted, but not required. Time not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes per tune. *NOTE* Keeping with the Ole Time traditions, our old time bands perform in an intimate setting, unplugged before judges who hear it the way folks did more than 2 centuries ago.
- SENIOR BLUEGRASS BAND
Bluegrass bands must consist of fiddle or mandolin, banjo and guitar, but cannot exceed six members. No electrical instruments or drums will be permitted. Only one vocal number permitted, but not required. Traditional tunes preferred and encouraged. Time not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes per tune.
- The purpose of the festival is to promote, encourage and perpetuate traditional music played in old time and bluegrass style. Bands will be judged on authenticity of style, balance, tuning, and timing. The judging will also be based on the smoothness of starting and stopping tunes. Bands in both divisions should play one relatively fast and one relatively slow number. Judges usually favor traditional performance over technical performance. Attention to tunes suitable to category and style (Old Time or Bluegrass) is important.
- A band can compete in only one division. Individuals can play in only one band. Members of the band must remain the same in preliminary and final competition. Bands must be back stage for their scheduled performance or they may forfeit their right to compete.
- PRELIMINARY COMPETITION
There will be preliminary band competition Saturday to select finalist bands in each of the two Sr. Divisions (Bluegrass & Old Time) for competition in the play-off for championship bands Saturday night. Bluegrass and Old Time bands will play 2 tunes not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes per tune in both preliminary and final competition.
- FINAL COMPETITION
Bands will perform two tunes, each according to above rules. Tunes played in preliminary competition must not be played in final competition by bands or individuals. Performance versatility in tune selection is what the judges will look for.
- INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
An individual can compete in only one category. There must be three contestants in each category to qualify for official placing, prize money and awards, unless otherwise decided by the Judges. Contestants may play alone or have one rhythm accompaniment. Contestants will be allowed one tune not to exceed 2 1/2 minutes total playing time. Locations for competition will be posted.
Certified Old Time Fiddle: (55 years old or older) Open ONLY to traditional old time fiddlers who play by ear and have had no formal violin training. Certified OT fiddlers can have one rhythm accompaniment.
Fiddle: There are no training restrictions so long as the proper styles are played for the Jr. and Sr. divisions in old time and bluegrass fiddle categories. (Trick tunes such as "Black Mtn. Rag", "Orange Blossom Special", and "Listen to the Mockingbird" are not permitted).
Banjo: Scruggs' tuners will not be permitted to aid performance in Bluegrass categories, Jr. & Sr. divisions. There will be no restrictions on use of the thumb picks, two finger, or drop thumb playing style in old time categories, Jr. & Sr. divisions.
Harmonica: Chromatic Harmonicas will not be permitted.
Guitar: Two divisions -- Junior and senior. (Jr. age limit, 17 yrs. & under; Sr., 18 yrs. & up).
Mandolin: Two divisions -- Junior and senior. (Age limits same as guitar).
Additional individual categories: Autoharp, Dulcimer, Bass Fiddle, Dobro, Hammered Dulcimer
- INDIVIDUAL OR BANDS WHO WIN FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS MUST DROP OUT OF COMPETITION FOR ONE YEAR.
After a fiddler has won "Fiddler of the Festival" three times, he/she will have proven to be a master fiddler and will be elevated from competition to a special performing artist on our program during the festival.
- PERFORMER PASSES
will be issued at the gate to all returning bands that register by May 10th. Band Leaders will receive a registration confirmation and are responsible for getting the confirmation to all members of their band. Members will present the confirmation at the entrance in exchange for their personal pass. *NOTE* To encourage family members to attend, we will offer a discounted ticket to the spouse of each band member for $5. The children of band members, under the age of 16, will be admitted for free. Please let your band members know about this excellent offer. Passes will not be mailed. Regular camping fees will apply to all band members.
- INDIVIDUAL CONTESTANTS
will not be required to pre-register this year. Winners of individual competition at the previous festival will receive performer passes at the gate. Other individual competitors (non band members) will pay regular camping fees and admission prices.
- In order to save playing time, we ask band leaders not to introduce band members on stage.
- NEW BANDS CONTACT
Festival Administration
PO Box 364
Sherrills Ford, NC 28673
Fiddlersgroveinc@charter.net
- Sound system adjustments will be made and remain at the same setting throughout each round of eliminations, with the exception of feedback adjustments by the official sound technician only.
- Rules subject to modification at the sole discretion of Festival Management.
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