The rich tradition of fiddle contests is alive and well in Cochise County, Arizona. Sierra Vista is a hotbed of young fiddlers and is experiencing a revival of this style of music. Area residents will get a chance to be part of the excitement at the 3rd Annual Sierra Vista Fiddle Contest, scheduled for Saturday, September 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park Bandshell. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to come out and enjoy a day of fun and music.

Bob Calhoun, 81, of Tucson, receives an "Oldest Fiddler" award from Sierra Vista Fiddle Contest founder, David Kaemmer, during last year's contest.

This year's contest will feature an "Orange Blossom Special Blowout" competition, in which fiddlers will follow each other onstage in quick succession, playing their best version of the famous fiddle tune, "Orange Blossom Special," named after a famous train. After the first fiddler in the division plays the song, the guitar and bass accompanists will not stop the rhythm. The next fiddler in line will then have to quickly step up to the microphone and began his or her rendition of the tune, signaling the accompanists to slow down or speed up before starting. Fiddlers will spend the first half of the tune trying to imitate train sounds and playing parts from their favorite songs such as the "Flintstones" theme. The second half of the tune really gets the crowd moving as the fiddlers play the famous "double shuffle" and whirl through a barrage of notes to finish the tune.

Last year's contest drew participants and spectators from many different states, with the youngest entrant at 5 years old and the oldest at age 81. The competitors are divided into age categories as well as special divisions for Twin fiddlers, Trick & Fancy, and Guitar Accompanist. Trophies, ribbons and more than $3,000 in cash prizes will be handed out to fiddlers throughout the day.

Sierra Vista resident and Fiddle Contest founder, David Kaemmer, is a master fiddler and a veteran of many fiddle contests. Says Kaemmer, "Our goal with the Sierra Vista Contest is to make sure the fiddlers have a lot of fun and also get to experience something out of the ordinary. The first year we tried a People's Choice Playoff and last year we had a lot of success with the Tune Scramble. So this year we decided to go for the Orange Blossom Special Blowout which promises to be one of the highlights of the day."

Besides teaching fiddle and violin to 40 students and hosting a fiddle camp in the summer, Kaemmer is also the music director for the Cochise County Youth Orchestra (CCYO). When asked what inspired him to start a contest in Sierra Vista in the first place, he replied, "There are a lot of fiddlers and fiddle fans throughout Arizona who are excited about all the young fiddlers and the enthusiasm for the music that's happening right here in Sierra Vista. The contest is not only a great family event, but also an opportunity to showcase fiddle music to our city."

The Cochise County Youth Orchestra, a non-profit organization, will receive the proceeds from the contest, their biggest fundraiser of the year. Last year's contest brought in over $2800. The orchestra, which continues to grow in size, will once again present an energetic lunchtime performance of fiddle tunes during the contest.

For more information visit HYPERLINK "http://www.dkmusicstudio.com/fiddlecontest" www.dkmusicstudio.com/fiddlecontest where complete rules, schedule and pre-registrations forms can be found.