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Spurred by its western swing legacy, Tulsa has become a talent factory for a new generation of fiddling phenoms whose gifts will be displayed at this month’s Oklahoma State Picking and Fiddling Championships at the Tulsa State Fair.
Current interest in fiddling has its roots in the western swing legacy of Bob Wills, a frequent performer at Cain’s Ballroom.
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“Has Frank killed his father yet?” It’s our standard question when entering the back door of the Tulsa Spotlight Theatre on a Saturday night.
The response from cast member Larry Stockard means that in minutes we will kick off “The Olio,” the variety show that follows the evening’s melodrama, “The Drunkard.”
The Pendleton Family Fiddlers — teenage sisters Emma Jane and Marina, backed by parents Virginia and me — take our places behind the curtain.
Out front, emcee Priscilla Mayfield reels off our credits for the audience: National TV appearances. Local TV regulars. On stage with Lyle Lovett. Shows with Jana Jae. Entertainers at galas honoring Garth Brooks, Toby Keith and Vince Gill. Fiddle championships in four states. An original recording on iTunes, “Wild Rivers Flow.”
Although we’ve been a family band for eight years, my day-job mind is still boggled by our unforeseen musical ride. How did all this happen to us?
The short answer is: Tulsa. And it’s not just happening to us but to many area youth — “it” being prize money, trophies, high-paying gigs, guesting with professional bands, television spots and about anywhere else red carpets may lead.
The performance opportunities for young fiddlers exceed those for all other instruments combined. Learn one fiddle tune and someone will push you on stage.
When it comes to fiddling, Tulsa has all the components of a talent factory. As a result, the city is becoming known nationally as much for producing fiddle phenoms as for aircraft windshields and Bama pies.
Not so elsewhere. For example, when they laid siege to the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship a few years ago, “the Oklahoma kids just knocked our socks off,” organizer Gayle Sigurdson marveled at the Sooner rout that unfolded.
If you get out of the house much, you’ve surely seen some preposterously young fiddler step up to a microphone he or she can barely reach. Perhaps it was 8-year-old Keaton Cunningham performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a local rodeo. Or Regina Scott, 9, a national and world champion in her age division, performing with the Tulsa Playboys at Cain’s Ballroom. Maybe you caught teenager Jake Duncan and the A-Bar Bunkhouse Band at the Fort Worth Stock Show. Or Evan Alexander opening for the Round Up Boys at the Nowata Opry. Maybe you saw Douglas and Michael Thompson of the band Oklahoma Stomp.
Perhaps you took in the Rockin’ Acoustic Circus’ recent show at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, featuring fiddler Eric Dysart and mandolin slinger Sterling Abernathy.
An annual opportunity to see these and Tulsa’s many other already-risen fiddle stars is almost upon us. All paths cross Oct. 7-9 at the Tulsa State Fair, host of the Oklahoma State Picking and Fiddling Championships.
Novices are warmly welcomed, too, and get plenty of encouragement. Every kid fiddler (age 16 and younger) wins at least $10, on the theory that finishing 15th doesn’t sting when you can still show off your 10-spot to your classmates. It’s all about motivation.
“Come and do it. See what it feels like,” urges Bartlesville ninth-grader Paige Victoria Park, the current junior champion.
