Fiddler Bob Hilke

Hi!  I'm Bob Hilke, and LOVE the Violin.  I started classical violin lessons at age 9.  As  youth, I wanted to learn how to play old time and bluegrass fiddle style music, so I bought some fiddle tune sheet music, but no matter how much I tried to play those tunes I just could not sound like a "fiddler".  At college, the school newspaper had an ad for a bluegrass band fiddler.  Out of curiosity I called to see what the criteria was.  Since no one else had inquired, the band graciously took me under their wings.  Less than a year later I beat the Iowa State Fiddle Champion at a fiddle contest.  I'll post some of my favorite violin and fiddle music on this channel, and I'll include some helpful instruction for young aspiring "fiddlers" to help them learn some tunes as well as how to "crack the code" to learn the distinctive fiddle style.