2021 Championships were History in the Making
Banjo, Mountain Dulcimer, Fiddle and Flat Pick Guitar Championions Make History in Winfield
The championships at this year’s Walnut Valley Festival included several multi-year repeat winners – in the Bluegrass Banjo (5-time), Flat Pick Guitar (4-time), Old-Time Fiddle (3-time), and Mountain Dulcimer (3-time) contests. By the end of the day on Sunday, it was clear that attendees were in the presence of greatness and witnessed history being made throughout the 49th annual event. Gary Davis became the first five-time winner of any instrument contest at Winfield, with his first-place finish in the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship. Jason Shaw was the first four-time winner of the National Flat Pick Guitar Championship.
International Autoharp Championship
First
Ken Shoemaker
- International Autoharp Championship – First- 2021
In his third time competing at Winfield, Ken Shoemaker, Overland Park, KS, took home the d’ Aigle Autoharp Cascade SP G-D Diatonic Autoharp and the championship trophy in the International Autoharp Championship. “It’s something that I dreamed of doing for a long time. I’m happy to finally achieve that goal,” Shoemaker said. He made it to the finals in his previous attempts but didn’t place. “Two years ago, I was up against people who had won the championship several times over the last 30 years. The competition is quite stiff. It sobered me up and inspired me to work really hard,” he said. His first autoharp was one that his wife bought for him at a garage sale 30 years ago. “I’ve been an acoustic music buff for a long time, so I modified it to play the kinds of chords that I wanted, and eventually got serious about learning how to play it so I could compete,” Shoemaker explained. He also plays the guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and the hammer dulcimer. He competed in the hammer dulcimer contest this year as well. “I love the challenge of learning new instruments,” he said. “Music is very much a part of my being.” He recommends aspiring autoharpists decide what style they truly want to play because your style will determine what kind of finger picks you use, if any, and what kind of music you like and what you think your audience will like. “Use that as the beginning guide and then start developing a repertoire around that style of music.”
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Contest Tunes
Ken Shoemaker's championship interview:
First Round:
Second Round:
Awards Presentation Encore
Second
Steve Luper
- International Autoharp Championship – Second – 2021
- International Autoharp Championship – Second – 2019
- International Autoharp Championship Third -2018
- International Autoharp Championship Third – 2016
This year’s second-place winner is a regular at Winfield – having competed 13 times, making the finals 12 of them. Steve Luper from Andover, KS, competed as Gandalf the White this year, and took home the Whippoorwill Acoustics Luthier’s Choice Custom Autoharp – a 15-bar Curly Walnut autoharp with Birdseye Maple trim, courtesy of Whippoorwill Acoustics of Columbia City, IN. Luper said his grandkids are really into the JRR Tolkien series, Lord of the Rings, right now and that’s why he decided to bring some whimsy to the contest by playing under the pseudonym this year. He and his wife have been coming to the festival since 1979, missing only a few years here and there. “In 1979, we camped in a pup tent in the Pecan Grove and had all the room we needed; things have changed and grown a lot!” He says that some of his early memories are of the New Grass Revival, Norman Blake, Dan Crary, Doc and Merle Watson, and of course Bryon Bowers and others. He said that his children grew up attending and camping at the festival, and now they have grandchildren who are doing the same and creating their own memories. “I appreciate all the work Walnut Valley and their staff do to put on a top-notch event, in addition to their friendliness and support.”
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Contest Tunes
First Round:
Second Round:
Awards Presentation Encore
Third
Michael Poole
- International Autoharp Championship Third – 2021
- International Autoharp Championship Third – 2017
Michael Poole, Chapel Hill, NC, rounded out the winners and took home the Oscar Schmidt OS11021AE Americana 21-Chord Autoharp, provided by Oscar Schmidt / U.S. Music Corp., a div of JAM Industries of Buffalo Grove, IL. The five-time contestant says he attends a lot of festivals in North Carolina, having won the Happy Valley autoharp championship five times, and won the 2018 Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering, which he calls the Wimbledon of the autoharp contest world. He explained that since autoharp communities tend to be on the coasts, the Winfield contest isn’t as convenient to the group; however, he answered the call four or five years ago to get more contestants to Winfield since numbers had started to dwindle. “Winfield is still very important to our community – it’s not that it’s less than, it’s just different. Because Mountain Laurel is in Pennsylvania you have a much larger attendance, so it makes it a little more prominent in that sense.” Poole says he’s started working on his mountain dulcimer and will be ready to compete at Winfield if he wins the autoharp.
Contest Tunes
First Round:
Second Round:
Plaque Winners: Ashley Dibbs aka Michael Stanwood, Lafayette, CO and Neil Zaborowski, Maguoketa, IA
International Finger Style Guitar Championship
First
Jesse Smith
- International Finger Style Guitar Championship – First – 2021
- International Finger Style Guitar Championship – Second – 2019
At age 72, Jesse Smith, Wadsworth, OH, emerged from the largest field of competitors in any of the contests this year to win the International Finger Style Guitar Championship. There were 21 musicians from 14 states and Japan. For his win, he selected the Bourgeois Finger Style Custom Guitar, presented by Bourgeois Guitars, Inc. of Lewiston, ME. Even though Smith finished second when he competed in 2019, he said he was kind of surprised with the win. “I don’t know if I’d had a vote if I would have voted for me or not, but there’s some great pickers. I did play up to my ability, with nerves and all that kind of stuff. I always get nervous. . Smith said he would enter the contests in past years but didn’t place until 2017 when his wife came with him. “That’s the first time I made the top five…I think she’s my good luck charm,” he said. “Every year she’s been with me, this is the fourth year, I’ve made the top five; I think it’s because of her. Really.” To celebrate the win, Smith said he planned to give his wife a great big hug, take her out to dinner and celebrate with the family back in Ohio on a Zoom call.
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Contest Tunes
Jesse Smith's championship interview:
Round One:
Round Two
Award Presentation Encore
Second
Adam Cantor
- International Finger Style Guitar Championship – Second – 2021
Adam Cantor, Houston, TX, debuted at the Walnut Valley Festival by taking second place. He selected the Huss & Dalton Winfield Competition Model FS Guitar, presented by Huss & Dalton Guitar Co., Inc., Staunton, VA. Originally from Indiana, he said he has competed in the Indiana State Finger Style Guitar competition seven times, and won it this year – which gave him an automatic entry and weekend pass to Winfield. “It’s really incredible. I wasn’t really expecting it. I knew that this competition has a lot of really famous people who have been on this podium, so it’s really humbling and really awesome to join in that legacy,” Cantor said. “I’ll have to come back now that I’m enjoying it and having such a great time. But his main gig is as a pediatric ophthalmologist. He said he just finished his training and started on faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “It’s really great to be able to do that and then keep up the guitar playing as best I can. And, now, to have this result is really amazing.”
Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Awards Presentation Encore
Third
Tomofumi (Tomo) Shimoda
- International Finger Style Guitar Championship – Third – 2021
Tomofumi (Tomo) Shimoda, Tokyo, Japan, took home the third place trophy and the Taylor 812ce Grand Concert Guitar, presented by Taylor Guitars, Inc., of El Cajon, CA. It was the second time he made the finals in three Walnut Valley Festival championship appearances. “I’ve participated in the contest every time I’ve been here.
He said he really enjoys Kansas – he likes how quiet it is and the wide open spaces. “I mean, this is really beautiful. Totally different than back home. And I especially like the train,” he said. “It’s a fantastic place.” Shimoda said that he plays ukulele and some other string instruments such as the mandolin and sitar. “The sitar is difficult. It has more than 30 strings. It’s really complicated, but it’s really fun,” he said. You can find Tomo at IG: guitar_heart_tomo, Twitter: guitarhearttomo, and YouTube: Tomo Shimoda.
Instagram: guitar_heart_tomo
Twitter: guitarhearttomo
YouTube: Tomo Shimoda
Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Awards Presentation Encore
Plaque Winners: Bill Russell, Washington, MI and Keith Taylor, West Valley City, UT
National Mountain Dulcimer Championship
First
Jeff Hames
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship First – 2021
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship – Second – 2019
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship – First – 2013
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship – Second – 2012
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship – First – 2006
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship – Third – 2005
This year’s championship featured eight contestants from seven states. Jeff Hames, Madison, MS, became the first three-time champion of the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship at Winfield. Hames won in 2006 and 2013 and placed second in 2019. This year he said he played the exact same songs but flipped the set – playing what had played in the 2019 finals during the first round this year. “It seemed to work,” he said. He said he was a little nervous when he realized that this could be number three. . “The contest was great. Everybody stepped up and it was phenomenal. They’re all great. Really the top five – any of us could have walked away with it. “My grandfather used to build mountain dulcimers. He had two of them out on the table. One he was working on and when he had finished, I made the mistake of trying it. And here I am,” he said. As his prize, Hames selected the 4FHKK Custom Dulcimer, presented by The Dulcimer Shoppe / McSpadden Dulcimers of Mountain View, AR.
Jeff has two CDs, “It’s Dulcimer Time” and “One for a Friend.” As for the festival, he said, “I love it! It’s one of the best places to come and hear music.”
Contest Tunes
Jeff Hames' championship interview
Awards Presentation Encore
Second
David Wilson
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship Second – 2021
David Wilson, Springfield, MO, finished second and took home a 6FTWWB-E Teardrop Baritone, presented by The Dulcimer Shoppe /McSpadden Dulcimers of Mountain View, AR. A record producer, songwriter and performer, Wilson also has a violin repair shop. He’s been to 29 consecutive Walnut Valley Festivals and is a proud Pecan Grove alum – now camping in the West campgrounds. He said he’s competed in a Walnut Valley contest once before – 15 or 20 years ago. “Oh my gosh. It scared me to death. I swore I’d never do it again. I wanted to do this because I just wanted the experience,” he continued. “I love the dulcimer community so much. I’ve never met a stinker in the whole community all across the United States.” Wilson said a good friend persuaded him to come this year. “Driving through the Flint Hills on [U.S. Route] 166 is one of my favorite places on the planet,” he said. Wilson has performed on Winfield’s main stages several times over the years – with Radio Flyer and the Undergrass Boys back in the 1980s.
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Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Awards Presentation Encore
Third
Irma Reedder
- National Mountain Dulcimer Championship Third – 2021
Irma Reeder, Albuquerque, NM, took home the third-place trophy and the 4FSGCC-E ¾ size Scroll Head Cherry Ginger, provided by The Dulcimer Shoppe /McSpadden Dulcimers of Mountain View, AR. She is the director of the New Mexico Dulcimer Festival and has won the Colorado and Texas state contests. “We put that on in New Mexico because they don’t know what dulcimers are. It’s a bluegrass town,” Reeder explained. She said that this year was the last year for her to compete. She teaches harp, mountain dulcimer, guitar and voice. “I dabble in a lot of different things, but I play harp. I played guitar all my life. I’ve sung with my guitar all my life. I have a drum set sitting in my den. There’s always one more thing to try,” she said. Even though she plays several instruments, she doesn’t enter any of the other contests. “I love to watch the contests. I love to watch the flatpicking guitar – it is amazing to me. If we’re here on Sunday, I love to watch the banjo.” She said she loves how varied the music is at Winfield. “Just walking around and realizing that the people that are walking around you are amazing players and that everyone is here just to celebrate how wonderful music is and the impact it’s made on their lives.”
Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Awards Presentation Encore
National Mandolin Championship
First
Thomas Cassell
- National Mandolin Championship – First – 2021
Thomas Cassell, Nashville, TN, beat out seven competitors from seven states to win the title of National Mandolin Champion in his first try at Winfield. He selected as his prize the Collings MF5 Custom Mandolin, by Collings Guitar, Inc. of Austin, TX. “The contest was fun. I mean, I’ve known about this forever, and everything is always different than you imagine it will be when you get there and experience it for yourself,” he said. “It’s a really nice and functional system that that runs this thing. I like the campgrounds, too. He plays guitar and drums, and said he’d like to enter the guitar competition at some point in the future. Cassell noted that Sam Bush and David Grisman were major influences in his development as a musician.
Cassell currently lives in Nashville and plays with Circus Number Nine. He’s also played with Becky Buller, Missy Raines, and Bryan Sutton a few years ago. Cassell started playing the mandolin when he was 15 or 16. He’s 23 and just finished his master’s degree in Appalachian studies and a bachelor’s in bluegrass at Eastern Tennessee State University. “It’s interesting. There is a wide range of cultural studies and topics. I did a musicology kind of track and wrote a thesis on bluegrass,” he said.
https://thomascassell.com/
Contest Tunes
Thomas Cassell's championship interview:
Round One:
Round Two:
Award Presentation Encore
Second
Holten Doucette
- National Mandolin Championship -2021 – Second Place
- National Flat Pick Guitar Championship – 2021 – Third Place
- National Mandolin Championship – 2017 – Third Place
- National Mandolin Championship – 2016 – Second Place
Holten Doucette, Waller, TX, went home with the second place trophy and the Collings MT A-style Mandolin by Collings Guitar, Inc. of Austin, TX. He was a returning finalist from the 2019 championship and although he had more time to play, he said, the last two years were important years in his development – ages 20-22. “My mind hopefully matured a lot. I feel that musically, I’ve just been able to kind of step up in the maturity,” he explained. Doucette just completed his bachelor’s degree in business management and says he is an aspiring day trader. “I just day trade my own account. What I’m looking for is financial freedom and the ability to sleep at night. Doucette has primarily competed at Walnut Valley Festival – six years running. He also plays guitar and placed in flat pick the following day. He accompanied his younger brother in the Old Time Fiddle Championship later that day. The advice he gave him for his first Walnut Valley contest was to not take things too seriously. Doucette says that he really loves just picking with all the guys backstage. “We get a little jam going under the grandstand with all the cool instruments under there,” he said. “That’s really what I like the most.”
http://www.thedoucettes.net
Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Award Presentation Encore
Third
Elijah More
- National Mandolin Championship – Third – 2021
Elijah Moore, Kernersville, NC, was an automatic entry into the championship after winning the North Carolina State Mandolin Contest. He’s been playing the mandolin for eight years. Moore said that the trip to the Walnut Valley Festival marks his first time in Kansas. He said that he was surprised at how flat it is, especially comparing it to where he’s from. Moore is home schooled, finishing up his junior year of study. He’s still considering what he’ll do after graduation. He said he was impressed by all of the music and picking that happens at Winfield, and was camping in Pecan Grove. Moore received a $750 cash prize for his third place finish at Walnut Valley.
Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Award Presentation Encore
Plaque winners are Ethan Batan, Spencer, IN and Luke Lovejoy, Cloverdale, IN.
Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship
First
Tristan Clarridge
For the first time in the history of the Festival, a brother-sister duo took the top two places in a championship – this year in the Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship. Tristan Clarridge, Mt. Shasta, CA, edged out his sister, Tashina, for first choice of the prize instrument: the Andrzej Swietlinski Guarneri deil Gesu “Ole Bull” model fiddle, represented by Beautiful Music Violin Shop of Lawrence, KS. It was Tristan’s third fiddle championship at Winfield. “My sister Tashina and I have collaborated since we were very, very small. We’ve just played a lot of music together over all the years.We’re just kind of cheering each other on with the music. And then how the awards happen to come out is just bonus.” Tristan said he has been thinking a lot about Byron Berline this year. “It was great to hear him here [in Winfield]. Byron would just go for it in the key of A especially. It was just so glorious. Clarridge said that not only do other musicians influence him, but also all of the sounds that are around us. “Just the sounds of everything you hear out there, living in a rural place, hearing the wind and the trees and the birds and the river and being able to replicate that in your music. You might take direct inspiration and try to replicate it, but even more, it becomes part of the fabric of how we listen.”
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship First – 2021
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship First – 2015
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship First – 2004
Contest Tunes
Tristan Clarridge's championship interview.
Round One
Round Two:
Awards Presentation Encore
Second
Tashina Clarridge
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship Second – 2021
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship Second – 2017
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship First – 2003
Tashina Clarridge, Mt. Shasta, CA, selected the Andrzej Swietlinski Antonio Stradivari 1713 model fiddle represented by Beautiful Music Violin Shop of Lawrence, KS, to accompany her second-place trophy. She said that she plays with her brother in a band called The Bee Eaters, and with others here and there – whatever comes up that is exciting. She won the fiddle competition in 2003, and finished second in 2017. “I have a lovely young friend whose child has , been playing the fiddle that I won here. And she really, really loves it. It’s in perfect condition. She hasn’t put a single scratch on it,” Tashina said. “I have this tremendous memory of the way everybody just pulls together and has a great time hanging out. I think, it is probably one of the most wonderful things I’ve seen here,” she recalled. Tashina is a Grand National Fiddle Champion and has performed at Carnegie Hall as part of MacArthur Fellow/Grammy-winning bassist Edgar Meyer’s Young Artists program.
Contest Tunes
Third
Hannah Farnum
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship Third – 2021
- Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship Third – 2012
Hannah Farnum, Galena, MO, finished in third place and took home with her “The Haddock” by Maple Leaf Strings, represented by Beautiful Music Violin Shop of Lawrence, KS. Farnum is a full-time musician who sings and plays the fiddle as the Farnum Family band travels all over the country. Her brother accompanied her during the competition. She said she started taking lessons from Ricky Boen, a Texas state fiddle champion who has won several contests. She said that she has played some mandolin, but doesn’t feel that she is very proficient at it. This year’s trophy equaled her best previous place in 2012. She said COVID-19 provided some benefit since they were home more and could practice more. “I also started a live show on Facebook called Fiddlin’ Friday at Five. I’ve learned a lot of new tunes from all of the requests I’ve gotten from my viewers. There are even a couple of my viewers here today,” she said. “We have a fan club.” Even though she’s never camped while at the Festival, she says that she has had the chance to join some campfire jam sessions. “I like the environment pretty well, and the people are nice and chill. I have gone into the campgrounds and jammed with some really good pickers. I just want to thank the Walnut Valley Festival and all of their great staff and great people,” she said.
Contest Tunes
Round One:
Round Two:
Awards Presentation Encore:
Plaque winners are Nathan Pedneault, Forth Worth, TX and John Shaw, Lincoln, NE.
National Guitar Flat Pick Championship
First
Jason Shaw
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship – First – 2019
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship – First – 2013
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship Second – 2012
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship Third – 2011
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship Second – 2010
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship Second – 2008
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship Second – 2006
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship – First – 1997
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship Second – 1996
The Festival’s first four-time Flat Pick Guitar Champion is Jason Shaw, Lincoln, NE. He selected the PK Thompson D-SMA Custom Dreadnought Guitar, by Preston Thompson Guitars of Sisters, OR, as his prize instrument. Even though Shaw has competed in several instrument contests at the Festival since 1990, this is the first year his 16-month-old son has been at one of his competitions. His wife and son were in the audience when he made history. Shaw won the flat pick championship for the first time in 1993, a year after his brother won. “We’ve been every year since 1990, always competing in something. As is the case everywhere, they haven’t had many gigs over the past year, but Shaw said it afforded them a lot of time to practice. “My brother and I own a home theater store, so we’re with each other all the time. It was nice to have a person like that to play music with over the past year,” he said.
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Jason Shaw's championship interview.
First Round:
Second Round:
Awards Presentation Encore
Second
Paul Sgroi
- National Guitar Flat Pick Championship – Second – 2021
Paul Sgroi, Old Hickory, TN, took home second place, selecting the Collings Winfield Model Mahogany/Adirondack Spruce Guitar by Collins Guitar, Inc., of Austin, TX. Paul moved to Tennessee about seven years ago to make his career as a musician. “I never really took it seriously until about eight years ago. He has been a finalist twice before at the Walnut Valley Festival, but this is the first time he’s placed in the top three. His advice to others is to “try to sound unabashedly like yourself, you know, because there’s always somebody who can play like Tony Rice better. There’s always somebody who can play like Doc Watson better. But if you got your own little thing that you do, you’re the only one who can do it. Just do it,” he said. And it’s better to stand out than not.” Sgroi says that as he’s developed his own style, he’s been influenced by musicians like Kenny Smith, Bryan Sutton, David Grier, Rice, Watson, and Tim Stafford. Sgroi said that he really enjoys seeing everyone at Winfield. “There were people playing on the main stage who I hadn’t seen in five or six years. We caught up for a while last night. Then there are all the people who do the contest, the people I only see once a year, but we follow each other on Facebook the rest of the year. That’s really nice. I really like that,” Sgroi said.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulsgroimusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulsgroiguitar
First Round:
Second Round:
Awards Presentation Encore
Third
Holten Doucette
- National Flat Pick Guitar Championship -2021 – Third Place
- National Mandolin Championship – 2021 – Second Place
- National Mandolin Championship – 2017 – Third Place
- National Mandolin Championship – 2016 – Second Place
Holten Doucette, Waller, TX, is the only contestant to place in two of the instrument championships this year. In addition to his third-place finish on the flat pick guitar, he took second in the Mandolin Championship the day before. Doucette said that he still enjoys traveling with his family’s bluegrass gospel band – playing at independent Baptist churches around the country.
The Doucettes will go back into the studio in November to record their fourth album. Doucette selected the Martin D-28 Guitar by C.F. Martin & Co., Inc., of Nazareth, PA, as his prize.
First Round:
Second Round:
Awards Presentation Encore
Plaque winners are Graham Curry, St. Louis, MO and Ian Ly, Aptos, CA.
National Hammer Dulcimer Championship
First
Benjamin Barker
- National Hammer Duclimer Championship First – 2021
- National Hammer Duclimer Championship Second – 2018
Benjamin Barker, Wilkesboro, NC, took home the first place trophy and a Master Works 16/15 CBWXR7 Bantam Weight Chromatic Extended Range Hammer Dulcimer CBWXR7 designed and built by Russell Cook in Bennington, OK. Barker finished second the last time he competed in 2018. “I’m playing because it is what I love to do. I am older now and I think with more experience and just growing up that that helped as well,” he said. “During COVID, I was actually able to record the complete Bach Cello Suites, which the prelude to the first suite is one of the pieces I played today.When not playing the hammer dulcimer, Barker says he is working toward finishing two bachelor’s degrees in business – he has ten classes left. He also likes to read and hike. Once he graduates, he says he plans to go into music full time – recording, composing and performing.
That’s when he found the mountain dulcimer, which led him to the hammer dulcimer. “When I saw the instrument for the first time, I was just captivated by it. And it just went from there,” he explained.
Website: https://benjaminbarkermusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenjaminBarkerMusic
Contest Tunes
Benjamin Barker's championship interview:
Round 1
Round 2
Awards Presentation Encore
Second
Ben Haguewood
- National Hammer Dulcimer Championship – Second – 2021
- National Hammer Dulcimer Championship – Second – 2019
- National Hammer Dulcimer Championship Third – 2018
Ben Haguewood, Mineral Point, MO, took home second and a Rick Thum 17/17 Professional Chromatic Hammer Dulcimer by Rick Thum Dulcimers, Eureka, MO. Having turned 18 the week before, this was Haguewood’s third time competing in the contest at Winfield. “The charm is not always true. Sometimes you need a fourth one. That just means I can get to come back,” Haguewood said. Known for deciding just days or hours before Winfield that he will compete, that might seem like too much planning for this contestant. “I used to practice for competitions months and months beforehand and then I’d psych myself out like I’ve done all this time for this competition that I wouldn’t do as well as I should have. So now I just kind of pretend that I’m not going. I set my mind and say to myself, ‘I am not going, no matter what.’ So, then a day or two before I say, ‘Alright, we’re going.’” That doesn’t mean that he isn’t ready, though. Haguewood plays in a band so he practices regularly. In addition to the hammer dulcimer, he plays guitar – focusing his efforts on those two instruments. “I didn’t want to be like a Jack of all trades and master of none – play a little bit on everything and not do well on any of them.” He says that he’s not ready for the guitar championships quite yet. “I heard the guitar championships today and those guys are phenomenal. It would take light years for me to be able to compete with them.” He counts Keith and Kristyn Getty and Alison Krauss as inspirations, but says his biggest inspiration is Dennis Moran. And, he says he would love to play with all of them one day.
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Contest Tunes
Round 1
Round 2
Awards Presentation Encore
Third
Wenying Wu
- National Hammer Dulcimer Championship – Third – 2021
Wenying Wu, Elk Grove, CA, won the Huddleson UL400C Chromatic Hammer Dulcimer by Mike Huddleson Stringed Instruments of Wichita, KS, along with the third place trophy. It was Wu’s first time competing at the Winfield contest. Originally from China, Wu’s artistry on the instrument was part of the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Olympics in Beijing. Wu was admitted to the instrumental music department of China Conservatory of Music middle school in 1987. In 1993, she was accepted into China’s Conservatory of Music directly with honors, majoring in yangqin, and minoring in percussion. Wu also plays the guzheng and piano. She is the author of Chinese books on how to play the yangqin/hammer dulcimer, and currently teaches around 40 students in the Bay area of California.
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Contest Tunes
Round 1
Round 2
Awards Presentation Encore
Plaque winners are Luke Kaaksma, West Shoken, NY and Mickey Sweeney, Lake St. Louis, MO.
National Bluegrass Banjo Championship
First
Gary "Biscuit" Davis
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship – First – 2021
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship First – 2012
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship First – 1996
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship First – 1988
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship Second – 1986
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship First – 1979
Gary “Biscuit” Davis, Knoxville, TN, was overcome with emotion when he learned that he had won this year’s bluegrass banjo championship, becoming the first-ever five-time champion in Walnut Valley contest history. “I lost my Dad; he passed away February 1 this year. He was ready and everything was good, but I’ve got a little paper with his picture in my pocket. I was playing for nobody but my Dad,” Davis said. As for being the first five-time winner, Davis said he was hoping it would happen. “It is a contest and nerves can overcome any of us when you get up there. My hands were shaking, and I was like, ‘Okay, it’s me and the banjo; nothing else. Nobody’s out there.’” Davis said his last time competing was in 2012, and prior to that it had been 16 years. Each time he’s entered the contest, he’s either finished first or second. Even though he doesn’t come to the festival every year, he said he enjoys it when he gets the chance to attend. “Winfield is one huge family, probably 30,000 strong. There are a lot of folks here camping, having fun. Some are great musicians. Some are just here because they love the music and play it. They play, they listen, and some compete. I love it here.” Davis plays daily in Dolly’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Theater. He has been a band leader and producer for Dolly Parton and has played on and/or produced seven of her albums. He also teaches private banjo and guitar lessons and travels doing several banjo instruction clinics and concerts throughout the year. Davis selected the OME Ikon Professional banjo provided by Ome Banjos of Boulder, CO.
Contest Tunes
Gary Davis's championship interview.
Round 1
Round 2
Awards Presentation Encore
Second
Jason Bales
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship Second – 2021
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship Second – 2005
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship Second – 2004
The Second Place Winner in this year’s contest, Jason Bales from Gatlinburg, TN, said he’s been playing the banjo since age 10. He credits country-great Gerald McCarter as the person who taught him how to play. Bales said that first-place finisher Davis has helped him a lot over the years. They live in the same area and Bales referred to the group of musicians, including Davis and Sonny Smith, as the Tennessee Tornadoes. “2003 was my first time and I didn’t do well. In 2004, I finished third; in 2005, I got second,” Bales said. “I’ve been blessed here because I’ve taken home three banjos. You can come here your whole life and never place.” Bales said he’s really enjoyed meeting up with all of the different musicians this year at Winfield. He said he loves the campgrounds, but he comes for the contests. Bales selected the Deering Calico 5-String banjo provided by Deering Banjo Company of Spring Valley, California.
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Contest Tunes
Round 1
Round 2
Awards Presentation Encore
Third
Gregg Welty
Contest Tunes
- National Bluegrass Banjo Championship – Third – 2021
Gregg Welty from Durham, NC, finished in third place. He said it was extra special to receive the award from his father, Eric Welty, the 2019 Bluegrass Banjo Champion. “It was really nice. I’ve only really been coming out here because my Dad won when he was my age. When I was in college, I decided I wanted to start entering the banjo contest, and he’s like, ‘Well, I can’t let you have the Winfield prize unless I compete, too.’ So we’ve been competing against each other for the last ten years. We’ve tied each other, and I’ve beat him many times, and he’s beaten me many times. It was really nice to finally be standing up on stage with him. Our dream has always been to get a one-two, son-father finish,” Gregg said. Gregg’s full-time occupation is as a doctor at Duke University Hospital – he said he specializes in treating patients with debilitating mental and physical illnesses. His hobby of playing the banjo serves as a needed outlet for him. “It’s what I like to do when I’m trying to unwind,” he said. “It’s not a great time in the world to be a doctor, but this was a nice break from all of that. It’s been a really hard year, and it’s hard to see all the suffering. And it’s hard to see all the music events being shut down.” Welty took home the Deering White Lotus Banjo provided by Deering Banjo Company of Spring Valley, CA.
Round 1
Round 2
Awards Presentation Encore
Plaque winners are Joshua Dolan, Troy, IL ; James Knight, Gruetli Laeger, TN and Mark Heinrich, Carlsbad, NM