Mentor Nate Leath poses with Aila and Eli Wilman and The Wildmans at Galax 2018
Another Old Fiddlers Convention has come and gone in Galax, VA – the 83rd annual to be exact – and it was a special week for a pair of teen siblings from Floyd, VA.
Aila and Eli Wildman have participated in the convention since they were small children, entering the mandolin and old time fiddle youth competitions before they hit their teens. Loyal followers of the Moose saw them do a little better each year as they grew bigger, and more experienced, until they both aged out of the youth categories and began competing with the adults. This year, just as Eli prepares to head for Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music, he won the mandolin contest, while younger sister Aila took first in old time fiddle, and also won the Best All Around Performer trophy.
Their band, The Wildmans, also placed in the Old Time Band. Eli turns 18 this week, and Aila is 15.
Well done Wildmans! Persistence pays off.
A complete list of 2018 winners follows:
Old Time Fiddle
1. Aila Wildman – Floyd, VA
2. Mattias Thedens – Oslo, Norway
3. Ruth Shumway – West Jefferson, NC
4. Jake Krack – Marlinton, WV
5. Matt Kirwan – Rocky Mount, VA
6. Betty Vornbrock – Hillsville, VA
7. Billy Hurt – Boones Mill, VA
8. Rod Jones – Sydney, Australia
9. Jane Rothfield – Havertown, PA
10. Erynn Marshall – Galax, VA
Dobro
1. N. R. Taylor – Wytheville, VA
2. Eddie Marrs – Princeton, WV
3. Doug Smith – Medway, OH
4. Robert Ellis – Mockesville, NC
5. Donnie Scott – Mt. Airy, NC
6. Hobert Beavers – Pounding Mill, VA
7. Maggie Anderson – Woodlawn, VA
8. Marvin Farmer – Hillsville, VA
9. Allen Surface – Riner, VA
10. Charlie Miliron – Rocky Mount, VA
Mandolin
1. Eli Wildman – Floyd, VA
2. Michael Cleveland – Charlestown, IN
3. Taylor Baker – Winchester, VA
4. Ryan Blevins – Marion, VA
5. Greg Jones – Mt. Airy, NC
6. Todd Hiatt – State Road, NC
7. Luke Morris – Galax, VA
8. Wayne Dye – Cleveland, VA
9. Luke Little – Summerville, NC
10. Ralph McGee – King, NC
Bluegrass Fiddle
1. Aaron Lewis – Detroit, MI
2. Rex McGee – King, NC
3. Corrina Logston – White Creek, TN
4. Joe Troop – Winston-Salem, NC
5. Glen Alexander – Pfafftown, NC
6. Daniel Greeson – Jamestown, NC
7. Madison Elmore – Hays, NC
8. Stephen Fraleigh – Raleigh, NC
9. John Hofman – Thomasville, NC
10. Ryan Eversole – Greensboro, NC
Dulcimer
1. Shohei Tsutsumi – Elkin, NC
2. Damon Muller – Richmond, VA
3. Lois Hornbostle – Bryson City, NC
4. Dot Christenson – Lexington, KY
5. Marsha Harris – Morehead City, NC
6. Holly Hishelwood – Winston-Salem, NC
7. Don Neuhauser – Charlestown, IN
8. Ehukai Teves – Bryson City, NC
9. Dianne Parker – Galax, VA
10. Briar McDowell – Hendersonville, NC
Bluegrass Banjo
1. Ethan Handy – Christiansburg, VA
2. Jeremiah Stephens – White Creek, TN
3. Andy Lowe – Raleigh, NC
4. Stevie Barr – Galax, VA
5. Steve Lewis – Todd, NC
6. Ronnie Harrison – Woodlawn, VA
7. Lee Dunbar – Eagle Rock, VA
8. Danny Bowers – Winston-Salem, NC
9. Randy Barrett – Falls Church, VA
10. Steve Chrisley – Wytheville, VA
Clawhammer Banjo
1. Jared Boyd – Fries, VA
2. Trish Fore – Galax, VA
3. Jim Lloyd – Rural Retreat, VA
4. Marsha Todd – Mt. Airy, NC
5. Mac Trynham – Willis, VA
6. Seth Boyd – Martinsville, VA
7. Kevin Fore – Galax, VA
8. Tina Steffey – Jonesboro, TN
9. Victor Furtado – Floyd, VA
10. Adam Beshears – Elkin, NC
Autoharp
1. Penny Kilby – Mouth of Wilson, VA
2. Lois Shumaker – Olin, NC
3. Ronnie Burroughs – Keysville, VA
4. Bobbi Roberts – Galax, VA
5. Vicki Boyd – Laurel Fork, VA
6. Jo Ann Redd – Galax, VA
7. Virgil Adams – Galax, VA
8. Forest Hollingsworth – Christiansburg, VA
9. Glenna Anderson – Christiansburg, VA
10. Gerald Anderson – Troutdale, VA
Guitar
1. Chad Harrison – Woodlawn, VA
2. Daniel Thrailkill – Mt. Ulla, NC
3. Presley Barker – Trap Hill, NC
4. Jack Hinshelwood – Abingdon, VA
5. Brian Muller – Christiansburg, VA
6. Jacob Greer – Jefferson, NC
7. Nick Weitzenfeld – Roanoke, VA
8. Greg Wilson – Fries, VA
9. Ben Somerville – Rockville, MD
10. Rick Hall – Princeton, WV
Folk Song
1. Ivy Phillips – Chapmansboro, TN
2. Eric Marshall – Mt. Airy, NC
3. Tommy Nichols – Mt. Airy, NC
4. Catherine Backus – Ferrum, VA
5. Heather Mabe – Walnut Cove, NC
6. Emily Blankenship-Tucker – Ferrum, VA
7. Brianna Dunbar – Eagle Rock, VA
8. Megan White – Greensboro, NC
9. Bonnie Bond – Fries, VA
10. Keith Souther – Mocksville, NC
Dance
1. Brett Martin – Elk Creek, VA
2. Mark Handy – Ennice, NC
3. Paula Faulk – North Wilkesboro, NC
4. Rodney Sutton – Marshall, NC
5. Angela Hale – Elk Creek, VA
6. Delbert Dunford – Wytheville, VA
7. Justin Jackson – Austinville, VA
8. Brian Ferguson – Salem, VA
9. Regina Sigmon – Callaway, VA
10. Barbara Bowman – Mt. Airy, NC
Bluegrass Band
1. The Beaver Creek Boys – Hillsville, VA
2. Coyote Ugly – Kingsport, TN
3. The Randos – Mt. Ulla, NC
4. Blue Rock’n Grass – Atkins, VA
5. Blue Harvest – Chapmansboro, TN
6. Harrison Ridge – Galax, VA
7. Wound Tight – Wirtz, VA
8. Fractured But Whole – Raleigh, NC
9. Iron Grass – Galax, VA
10. Adam McPeak and Mountain Thunder – Max Meadows, VA
11. The County Fools – Greensboro, NC
12. Cool Breeze – Johnson City, TN
13. The Grassifieds – Walkertown, VA
14. The Loose Strings Band – Galax, VA
15. Destination Bluegrass Band – Mocksville, NC
Old Time Band
1. Music Hollow String Band – Galax, VA
2. Whoopin’ Holler String Band – Marlinton, WV
3. Five Mile Mountain Road – Boones Mill, VA
4. Southern Pride – Galax, VA
5. Big Possum String Band – Washington Court House, OH
6. Twin Creeks String Band – Laurel Fork, VA
7. Gap Civil – Sparta, NC
8. Slate Mountain Ramblers – Mt. Airy, NC
9. The South Carolina Broadcasters – Mt. Airy, NC
10. The New Smokey Valley Boys – Mt. Airy, NC
11. New River Bound – Christiansburg, VA
12. Karlie Keepfer And Smokey Holler – Sparta, NC
13. Hard Cider – Elk Creek, VA
14. The Wildmans – Floyd, VA
15. The New Spring Valley Boys – Fries, VA
Best All Around Performer
Aila Wildman – Floyd, VA
Youth Old Time Fiddle
1. Asa Nelson – Zionville, NC
2. Willie Marschner – Fairfax, VA
3. Ella Thomas – West Columbia, SC
4. Anneli Burnett – Boone, NC
5. Sophia Burnett – Boone, NC
Youth Bluegrass Fiddle
1. Ruth Shumway – West Jefferson, NC
2. Libby Harbour – Wilkesboro, NC
3. Cheyenne Grantham – Boones Mill, VA
4. Kamron Nunn – Westfield, NC
5. Grace Bemus – Salisbury, NC
Youth Mandolin
1. Elijah Moore – Kernersville, NC
2. Sam Davis – Polkton, NC
3. Emma Lowe – Wilkesboro, NC
4. John Heetderks – Earlysville, VA
5. Ryan Drake – Fletcher, NC
Youth Clawhammer Banjo
1. Karlie Keepfer – Sparta, NC
2. Nicholas Wingo – Rural Retreat, VA
3. Sofia Puckett – Galax, VA
4. Kevin Beddingfield – Flag Pond, TN
5. Colin Sprinkle – Marion, VA
Youth Bluegrass Banjo
1. Tyler Comeau – Townsville, Quebec, Canada
2. Jocob Moretz – Boone, NC
3. David Heetderks – Earlysville, VA
4. Kylie Drake – Fletcher, NC
5. Ayden Young – Roanoke, VA
Youth Guitar
1. Ethan Handy – Christiansburg, VA
2. Will Hart – Pisgah Forest, NC
3. Gabe Bemus – Salisbury, NC
4. Brody York – Mt. Airy, NC
5. Briar McDowell – Hendersonville, NC
Youth Folk Song
1. Karlie Keepfer – Sparta, NC
2. Molly Widner – Fancy Gap, VA
3. Soraya Sullivan – Evanston, IL
4. Elsa Howell – Roanoke, VA
5. Lena Allison – Johnson City, TN
Youth Dance
1. Sarah Hale – Elk Creek, VA
2. Jaycie Pemberton – Galax, VA
3. Rachel Martin – Elk Creek, VA
4. Isaac Martin – Elk Creek, VA
5. Ray Sizemore – Galax, VA
Youth Bands
1. The Bluegrass Amateur Band – Traphill, NC
2. Tater Hill Mashers – Boone, NC
3. One Fret Over – Kernersville, NC
4. The Earlysville Bluegrass Boys – Earlysville, VA
5. High Top Mt. Harmony – Fletcher, NC
Congratulations all!
