FIDDLES ON WHEELS

Fiddle Tune Challenge is the brain-child of Sherry McKenzie. In an effort to preserve the fiddling tradition she loves, she looked for new ways to recruit people to (the fiddley side of things) fall in love with fiddling. Thinking outside the box, she decided to get her Suzuki certification. Learning the Suzuki Method taught her that there were more similarities than differences and she gained an appreciation and respect for the Suzuki Method. The more she worked with "Suzuki kids" to teach them the art of fiddling, the more she gained a level of understanding of the method. She also gained insight into how most Suzuki kids challenge themselves to learn their pieces. Fiddle Tune Challenge is the culmination of the Suzuki Method and the art of fiddling.

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Originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho and now calling Burleson, Texas and McMinnville, Oregon home, Sherry McKenzie is a multiple state, regional and national fiddle champion. When eleven years old, Sherry experienced fiddle music for the frst time. “I saw a fiddle player on TV,” she recalls, “and it looked really, really fun. I just fell in love with the music. The sound of the violin made me feel good.” That marked the beginning of her musical journey. She has completed Violin Unit 1 at Texas Christian University with Marilyn O’Boyle and ECC refresher with Daina Volodka Staggs and incorporates the pedagogical approach into her fiddle teaching. “I believe there are more similarities than differences between the Suzuki method and fiddling. My passion for linking the two is to teach traditional fiddling and roots music using a structured approach.” Sherry enjoys working with Suzuki students in an Enrichment role to supplement their existing studies and is a sought after instructor at fiddle workshops, institutes and music camps across the country. She is founder of McKenzie’s Fiddle & Suzuki Workshop along with co-director Danette Schuh and is on the ASTA Eclectic Strings Committee. Additionally, she helps promote the art of fiddling through Fiddles On Wheels 501c3 which produces two of the largest fiddle contests in the U.S.