A Texas fiddle contest at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo celebrates music, tradition, and culture. Contestants compete for scholarships while keeping a historic art form alive. NBC 5’s Noelle Walker has the story.
The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo's Fiddle Showdown is this weekend, and the Tarpley brothers of Fort Worth are ready to compete.
"People always ask, like, what's the difference between the fiddle and a violin," said 14-year-old fiddler Max Tarpley. "I always say, it's the type of music that you play, not the instrument."
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WATCH HEREThe music the brothers play is Texas-style fiddle.
"It's more relaxed," Max said. "It doesn't have to be perfect every single time."
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SIGN UP "It's almost like storytelling," added 18-year-old fiddler Michael Tarpley. "When you're with a different person when they're teaching you a new tune, you have to almost have a conversation with them. You have to listen, internalize what they're saying."
Unlike reading sheet music, Texas-style fiddle music is passed down in person, played by ear, and memorized.
"The genre of music, it's directly tied to tradition," said 16-year-old fiddler Gregory Tarpley. Gregory feels a sense of responsibility. "Because if we didn't continue the tradition of Texas-style fiddling, it might die—and that tradition might die as well."
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In 2016, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo introduced the Fiddle Showdown, a competition for fiddlers between the ages of 14 and 18.
"To perpetuate Texas contest-style fiddling; which if we don't get to these kids, the possibility that we could lose this music is great," said FWSSR Fiddle Showdown Producer Kathy Sawyer.
"When you think of the Stock Show, usually you just think about, like, the cattle and roping and that type of thing," Gregory said. "When I heard about the fiddle contest, I was very surprised! So, it's kind of a nice way to be incorporated into the Stock Show."
"It was one of the only instruments, maybe besides the harmonica, that you could carry and have on the cattle drive," Sawyer explained. "So the fiddle has always been intertwined with Western culture and Western music."
Last year's winner of the FWSSR Fiddle Showdown was 17-year-old Thomas Paskvan of Southlake, who took home a $2,500 college scholarship and a Stock Show belt. Michael Tarpley finished in 4th place last year, just behind his brother Gregory, who took 3rd.
"So it's kinda...bar's kind of high," Max said with a laugh. He's competing for the first time this year against his brothers. "I'm kinda nervous, but kind of excited at the same time."
"I mean, we compete hard, but at the end of the day, we're not really worried about who places where," Michael said.
"I'll just play my best and see what happens," Gregory added.
The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Fiddle Showdown takes place Sunday, January 26, at 3:30 p.m. in the West Arena on the Stock Show grounds.
