2019 Prize Categories
2020 Prize Info TBA
Note: Prizes subject to change.
Performance Prizes
NOTE: First Place contestants from prior years are eligible for cash prizes only. Performance prizes may only be awarded to a band once.
Bluegrass Band First Prize:
Mainstage performance at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, August 15-18, 2019
Location: Granite Hill Camping Resort, 3340 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325 map
Join a spectacular lineup of performers!
Old-Time Band First Prize:
Performance at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival, July 13, 2019
Location: Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157 map
Join stars from across genres and around the world including the Tim O'Brien Band, Che Apalache, Professor Louie, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Ken Kolodner, Port Righ, Pun Plamondon (Ottawa Nation), Walt Michael & Co., and many more!
Celtic Ensemble First Prize:
Performance at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival, July 13, 2019
Location: Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157 map
Join stars from across genres and around the world including the Tim O'Brien Band, Che Apalache, Professor Louie, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Ken Kolodner, Port Righ, Pun Plamondon (Ottawa Nation), Walt Michael & Co., and many more!
Southern Appalachian Clogging First Prize:
Performance at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival, July 13, 2019
Location: Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157 map
Join stars from across genres and around the world including the Tim O'Brien Band, Che Apalache, Professor Louie, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Ken Kolodner, Port Righ, Pun Plamondon (Ottawa Nation), Walt Michael & Co., and many more!
Bluegrass Band First Prize:
Mainstage performance at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, August 15-18, 2019
Location: Granite Hill Camping Resort, 3340 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325 map
Join a spectacular lineup of performers!
Old-Time Band First Prize:
Performance at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival, July 13, 2019
Location: Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157 map
Join stars from across genres and around the world including the Tim O'Brien Band, Che Apalache, Professor Louie, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Ken Kolodner, Port Righ, Pun Plamondon (Ottawa Nation), Walt Michael & Co., and many more!
Celtic Ensemble First Prize:
Performance at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival, July 13, 2019
Location: Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157 map
Join stars from across genres and around the world including the Tim O'Brien Band, Che Apalache, Professor Louie, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Ken Kolodner, Port Righ, Pun Plamondon (Ottawa Nation), Walt Michael & Co., and many more!
Southern Appalachian Clogging First Prize:
Performance at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival, July 13, 2019
Location: Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157 map
Join stars from across genres and around the world including the Tim O'Brien Band, Che Apalache, Professor Louie, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Ken Kolodner, Port Righ, Pun Plamondon (Ottawa Nation), Walt Michael & Co., and many more!
Instrumental Prizes (Judges' Choice)
Instrument prizes, awarded according judges' choice, may or may not be awarded to category prize winners. The judges' decision regarding the recipients of the instrument prizes is final.
Guitar:
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Model: Eastman E100SS-LTD. New model, limited edition! Mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard. Body top of solid Adirondack spruce, with solid sapele back and sides. Retail value $999. Complete specs HERE.
Prize Sponsor: Eastman. Visit their website at www.eastmanguitars.com |
Mandolin:
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Model: MD304. Individually hand-built using traditional materials & "Old World" craftsmanship. Solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides with ebony fingerboard & adjustable ebony bridge. A-style body with an oval hole for liquid tones and excellent projection. Retail value $600. See complete specs HERE.
Prize sponsor: Eastman. Visit their website at www.eastmanguitars.com. |
Banjo:
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Model: MC-150RP. The beautiful blonde Maple Classic is the ideal all-around banjo for the eclectic player. The flangeless MC-150RP is convertible to a powerful openback (like many of our banjos); just pop off the resonator and mounting brackets and you're in business. It's also the most economical banjo we make that has a full complement of professional-grade parts in its arsenal. These include a 3/4" hard maple rim with a matching flathead tone ring, planetary-gear tuning machines, straight-line tailpiece, engraved armrest, snowflake inlay, and natural gloss finish. Compatible with either bluegrass or old-time musical stylings! See complete specs HERE.
Prize sponsor: Gold Tone. Visit their website at goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/ |
Violin Case:
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Model: P2. Musilia engineered their cases to provide unsurpassed protection for the instrument and a new level of comfort for the player. Every detail of this case is build with a very specific idea: combination of lightweight and high resistance. Musilia cases have been created to match the highest expectations of professional players. Valued at $1,100. See complete specs HERE.
Prize sponsor: Musilia. Visit their website at musilia.com |
Violin Pickup System:
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Model: "The Band" violin pickup system. The Band is an instant-fit pick-up which velcro’s to itself around the body of the instrument. It requires no alteration of the instrument itself and generates a strong passive (no batteries required) signal which can usually be plugged straight into a mixing desk or combo amp. The multiple pick-up elements of the Violin version of The Band, are tuned specifically for Violin and deliver a lively, tailored passive signal. The Band is used equally in folk/rock and classical situations and is a favourite with sound engineers and players alike, as it offers far greater volume levels before feedback, compared to mics. You can avoid being tied down to mic stands and The Band cuts feedback, bowing noise, body noise and excessive treble by acoustic filter. Valued at $575.
Prize sponsor: Headway. Visit their website at www.headwaymusicaudio.com. |
Cash Prizes and Competition Categories
| Category | 1st Place* |
2nd Place |
3rd Place |
| Bands and Ensembles | |||
| Bluegrass Band | $200 | $100 | $50 |
| Celtic Ensemble | $200 | $100 | $50 |
| Old Time Band | $200 | $100 | $50 |
| Solo Instruments (See Notes below) | |||
| Celtic Instrumentalist | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Banjo- Bluegrass | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Banjo - Old Time | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Fiddle - Bluegrass | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Fiddle - Old Time | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Guitar | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Dobro | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Mandolin | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Other (See Notes below) | |||
| Clogger | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Vocalist | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| Young Performer (ages 12 and under) | $75 | $35 | $20 |
| Special Performer | $100 | $50 | $25 |
NOTES:
- Instrument prizes, awarded according judges' choice, may or may not be awarded to category prize winners. The judges' decision regarding the recipients of the instrument prizes is final.
- First place winners in the 'Solo Instruments' and 'Other' categories will receive two (2) tickets to the 2019 Common Ground on the Hill Roots Music and Arts Festival on July 13, featuring the Tim O'Brien Band, Chris Luquette, Che Apalache, Ken Kolodner, and many more!
- First place winners in the 'Solo Instruments' and 'Other' categories may choose EITHER the $100 cash prize OR free tuition for one (1) week-long Traditions Weeks workshop period at Common Ground on the Hill, a $230 value. Information about available workshops can be found at http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/twhome.html, this year featuring bluegrass superstar Tim O'Brien, IBMA Momentum Award-winner and guitar virtuoso Chris Luquette, rising stars Che Apalache and many more! Workshops take place during the weeks of June 23-28, June 30-July 5 and July 7-12.
Judges
Randy Barrett is a fixture in the Washington, DC, bluegrass scene as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Randy appears regularly as a member of the band Big Howdy with Dede Wyland. He is the proprietor of Greenway Violins and also sits on the board of the Bluegrass Country Foundation. The nonprofit operates Bluegrass Country radio which streams online 24/7 at bluegrasscountry.org. Randy will be teaching bluegrass banjo and fiddle at Common Ground on the Hill's Traditions Week 3 (July 7-12).
Alexander Mitchell, Berklee graduate, is an acoustic multi-instrumentalist who plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar and has a beautiful singing voice! His current CD, Chameleon, is a culmination of a music career that spans over 25 years of countless gigs in diverse styles of music and locales. Alexander started playing fiddle in 1978 after hearing bluegrass music. since then he has been cultivating such diverse styles as Appalachian, bluegrass, Celtic, klezmer, traditional roots dance music, ballroom, hot swing and jazz. Alex lives outside of Frederick, Maryland and teaches locally at Boe's Strings in Frederick, MD. Alex has done a national tour of Woodie Guthrie's American Song with the Missouri Repertory Theatre, appeared in Ted Turner's movie, "Gettysburg", as well as provided music for the sound track and numerous other stage and theatrical productions. Locally he has played the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium for the "Revels", the Birchmere and hundreds of other venues.
Gordon Roberts grew up in the British Folk Rock tradition. After moving to the United States, he went to work for a musical instrument manufacturing company and helped develop the Eastman line of Archtop guitars and mandolins. During this time he became a mainstay of the Greater Washington D.C. music community as a songwriter as well as adding his guitar, mandolin, mandola, ukulele and hammered dulcimer playing to many recordings. Gordon will be teaching ukulele at Common Ground on the Hill's Traditions Week 3 (July 7-12)