2025 Judges

Aarun Carter

Music has been an integral part of Aarun’s life even before she could open her eyes or speak. Her love for fiddling began before birth, as her mother competed in a fiddling contest while eight months pregnant with Aarun. Aarun started learning the Suzuki violin at age 2 and has continued to expand her musical skills ever since. At 4 years old, she won the Colorado State Small Fry Division and soon after received the award for the “youngest fiddler” at the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest. Aarun attended Denver School of the Arts High School in Denver, CO, where she majored in Orchestra. During her time at DSA, she was part of one of the top-rated orchestras in the state and had the opportunity to perform with Garrison Keillor at Boettcher Concert Hall for "A Prairie Home Companion." She has studied with several award-winning fiddlers, including Wes Westmoreland, Randy Elmore (Willie Nelson), Katie Glassman, Lisa Barrett, Joey McKenzie, and Jimmie Don Bates. Additionally, Aarun studied commercial music at South Plains College under Joe Carr (Country Gazette) and Cary Banks (Maines Brothers Band). Aarun’s impressive accolades include six Colorado State champion titles and numerous other state champion awards. She is a two-time National Young Adult Champion and also secured 1st place in the "Traditional Old-Time" Division at the Arkansas State Fiddle Contest in Mountain View, AR. She has also served as a judge at prestigious contests, including the International Fiddle Contest, the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest, and the Texas State Fiddle Contest. Currently based in Portland, OR, Aarun performs with multiple bands, operates the graphic design company Innovative Formations, and produces the “Fiddle Legends” Podcast. She is also involved in studio projects, including recording 59 fiddle songs for the instructional Mel Bay book “Anthology of Contest Fiddle Tunes.” Recently, she has collaborated with Discovery Channel's Gold Rush, Todd Hoffman, and has garnered over 6 million views on her music videos. Aarun has performed with prominent artists such as Reba McEntire and Ashley McBryde and has been involved in projects with Cole Hauser (Rip from Yellowstone).

Junior Marriott

Junior Marriott began playing rhythm guitar at the age of seven for his dad, who played the fiddle.  By age nine he was playing bass and at fourteen he began playing the fiddle.  At the age of sixteen he won the Missouri State Fiddle Championship, a title he has won several times, including the 2010 championship. Junior has won various contests and other state championships as well.  Some of these include Kansas State Fiddle Championship, Arkansas State Fiddle Championship, fifth place at the 2000 National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, Idaho, and Grand Lake Fiddle Festival Champion in 2006, 2007, and 2010. A few major fiddle contests Junior has judged include Missouri State Championship, Arkansas State Championship, Grand Lake Championship in Grove, Oklahoma, the Texas State Championship in Hallettsville, Texas and the Grand Master Fiddler Championship.  He enjoys traveling to contests all over the United States. Junior lives in Ava, Missouri and recently opened Marriott Music, a full-line music store, specializing in vintage Gibson guitars.  He teaches fiddle, guitar, and bass lessons.  Junior also buys, sells, trades, and repairs instruments.

Jim VanCleve