Rigby producing champion fiddlers

You may not know it, but some of the best fiddle players in the nation come from Eastern Idaho. They’re taught by Joe and Jacie Sites in Rigby. Jacie and one of her students recently won their divisions at the famous National Oldtime Fiddlers contest in Weiser, Idaho.

” Weiser is the nationals,” Jacie said. “That’s like the pinnacle. That’s the thing you want to do.”

Jacie has won dozens of awards for her fiddle playing over the years, including first place in the Grand Nationals in Nashville.

Jacie’s student, 12 year old Grace won her junior division in Weiser. It took a lot of hard work to get there.

“I practice every day for 30 minutes to an hour,” Grace said.

Grace has been taking lessons from Joe and Jacie Sites since she was 4 years old.

“Joe and Jacie are the best, I love them alot and they really help me learn,” Grace said.

Jacie has high praise for Grace too.

“She listens really well and she does the practice and she loves the music, and when you love it and you find joy in it, you can do it all day,” Jacie said.

Jacie says fiddling is more challenging that just playing a violin.

“When you’re fiddling, you’re a composer,” Jacie said. “You’re composing as you go along. You take the song and we make it our own. We rearrange it, and a lot of it is controlled improvisation on the spot. It’s really fun for the kids because they get to have a little part of themselves in the song.”

In September Jacie will be going back to the Grand Nationals in Nashville. She’ll take Grace and several other award winning students.