The Baker Family from Birch Tree, MO came out on top in last week’s 2016 KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Band Contest, held each year at Silver Dollar City during their month-long Bluegrass & BBQ festival.
The Bakers are Carrie Baker on guitar along with her daughter Carina (14) on mandolin, and sons Elijah (12) on bass, and Trustin (17) on fiddle/banjo. Silver Dollar City’s contest is an invitational event for pickers 21 and under, though parents may also appear with the bands on stage.
22 bands were included in this year’s competition, with cash prizes distributed for top honors as follows:
1st Place: The Baker Family ($1500) – Birch Tree, MO
2nd Place: Kentucky Drive ($1000) – Mayfield, KY
3rd Place: The Russell Clan ($750) – Guthrie, OK
4th Place: Kansas Bluegrass Association Troublemakers ($500) – Wichita, KS
5th Place: The Foust Family ($250) – Vinita, OK
Congratulations to all the winners, and all of the young bands invited to compete.
Here are a couple of videos of The Baker Family during the competition. First, they deliver this Jimmy Martin classic…
… and this ditty that was a breakout hit for Bobby Darin in 1958.
Additional video performances from the 2016 KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Band Contest can be found online.
