>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

By Jeff Petersen

Observer Staff Writer

The dismal science of economics and the upbeat art of fiddling go hand in hand for Starr McMullen.

The chair of the economics department at Oregon State University, McMullen is also a champion fiddler. She will serve as judge at the ninth annual Oregon Trail Oldtime Fiddle Contest.

She loves fiddling. And the 51-year-old from Corvallis is hoping to grow the tradition, with high quality standards.

For example, fast does not necessarily mean good, she said. It's only good if the fiddler plays fast and really well, McMullen said.

"Personally I'd rather see a simple tune played well than a difficult tune which is over their heads," she said.

McMullen has a passion for market penetration — getting more kids involved in fiddling.

"My goal is to promote fiddling so that it gets passed on to a few more generations," McMullen said.

She knows a little about putting on fiddle contests. She stages a couple of her own — the Willamette Valley Fiddle Contest at Benton County Fair in Corvallis and the Oregon Old-Time Fiddles Association state championship in Salem.

McMullen also has credentials as a player and a judge.

McMullen judged the June 2002 National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho, and has judged most of the other contests held annually throughout the West.

She is currently the Oregon State Adult and Western Open Adult champion.

McMullen started as a violinist and took up fiddling about 16 years ago after she had attended a workshop sponsored by Portland State University.

"I always wanted to give it a try. I love fiddling, really enjoy music. It's an aural tradition."

Her favorite tunes vary by week but among them are "Wagoner Hornpipe" and "Georgia Camptown."

But in judging shows, objectivity is the rule.

"I don't judge people on what tunes they play; I judge them on how they play those tunes."

Shows can have face-to-face or remote judging. The La Grande show has remote judging, McMullen believes, and she prefers that style in which judges are sequestered in separate rooms and are not in front of contestants.

"That helps increase objectivity," McMullen said. "In front of people, I often will look down so I don't get distracted by any kind of theatrics. I listen to the playing and judge on the basis of that. It's not too hard to pick up on who has the best technical skills."

In the usual fiddle event, contestants are asked to play three kinds of tunes: a rhythmic hoedown; a waltz, played in 3/4 time; and something other than a hoedown or waltz. Among the possibilities are a rag, polka, jig or swing tune.

"Sometimes you get a wonderful waltz player who just can't play a hoedown," McMullen said.

Just like sports referees, fiddle-show judges can get flack. One issue that raises audience members' hackles is when a great showman does not win the event.

"As contest judges we're looking at different things — specifically, how good technically they are, whether they play in rhythm and have danceability. One of the more important things is having the drive that's right for the tune."

Judges also consider intonation — whether the fiddler is playing in tune, the quality of tone they're getting out of the instrument.

If two players tie, how hard the tune is they're playing comes into consideration.

McMullen is hoping more people catch the fiddling bug. That would mean growth in the supply of and demand for fiddle shows.

"It (the La Grande show) is one of the four or five contests in the state of Oregon," she said. "I'm glad La Grande puts it on. I hope we can get more of them."