# General Mandolin Topics > Jams, Workshops, Camps, Places To Meet Others >  Utah State Mando #Championship - 7/16-17

## Ken Sager

Open invitation to all to compete in the Utah State Instrument Contest at the IAMA Founders Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival held at Snowbird, Utah, Saturday & Sunday, July 16-17.

There are two classes, open and novice. The contests are Winfield sanctioned and strictly follow Winfield rules. Open class winners are automatically entered (with paid entry) into Winfield.

Sponsors include Martin Guitar, Deering Banjo, Weber Mandolin, Intermountain Guitar & Banjo, and others. Open class prizes include (surprise, surprise) a Martin Guitar, Deering Banjo, Weber Mandolin, and custom bow for the fiddle champ with lots of prizes for both open and novice classes.

The IAMA Founders Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival is a great weekend, with Rhonda Vincent and John Gorka headlining this year. There is no better place on earth for a concert than Snowbird.

For more info please visit 
http://www.foundersfestival.org

Thanks, and tell your friends.

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## oldwave maker

Hey Ken, I'll be there cheering on offspring and offering up test drives on fresh old waves, they bumped me up to the lodge so I'll be nearby. do they let you have campfires on the floor of the hotel at snowbird? I'll bring mine anyway....

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## Spruce

_"Hey Ken, I'll be there cheering on offspring..."_

Yeah, for those of you unfamiliar with Ezra Bussman, he's a hellova picker on a variety of instruments....

Kinda kills the theory of genetics though...

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## Ken Sager

Looking forward to seeing you there, Bill. I'd ask if Ezra will be competing on guitar and banjo this year, but that might look bad seeing as I'm one of the judges. I don't want to know who's playing.

I think the only fire restriction is that it be contained within an official forest service fire ring, so stop by the campground and pick one up. There might still be time for Spruce to send some of that extra flamey firewood, too!

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## oldwave maker

Bruce- I done tole ya susie had a brief affair with a really intelligent ups driver back then, why he was deliverin piles o yore farwood to boot......Ezra got this far on his own, since all those osborne brothers tunes we made him play in the family band shoulda oughta lowered his music IQ 20-40%.....did mine......

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## Pete Martin

No wonder the Osborne Brothers have never been my favorites   Must have been the Osbournes Reunion CD they did with Ozzie.

Remember, listening to Sam Bush RAISES your IQ.

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## Spruce

_"Remember, listening to Sam Bush RAISES your IQ. "_

I love that line that Dan Crary used to utter from stage right about the time that the band California was breaking up, and Byron was heading back to Oklahoma...

"Yeah, Byron is moving back to Oklahoma, which is gonna raise the average IQ of both states..."

Sorry, Bill...
Couldn't resist....

Keep an eye open up there in Snowbird...
Some nice Engelmann firewood piles abound, I'm sure...

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## Ken Sager

Yes, I'm bumping this back up the recent post list... but with a message this time.

Ok, *anybody* within an 800 mile drive that plays mandolin, fiddle, guitar or banjo, should be coming to the Utah State Instrument Contest next weekend at the Founders Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival held at the beautiful Snowbird ski resort. Camping, lodging, food, beer, and lots of music. How often do you get a chance to compete for a new mandolin? If you don't compete at least come cheer on those who do. 

If Bill will do it, you - yes *you*  - should do it! You know who you are.

See you all there,
Ken

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## Jim Roberts

Dang...we're 958 miles from Park City.

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## Ken Sager

But you drive faster than most, Jim, and Google Maps says you're 1022 to *Snowbird*! If you're coming, and I'm assuming you are, I'd hate to see you show up in Park City trying to find The Founders Festival. That extra 64 miles only means 45 more minutes of driving. You can do that with your eyes closed, I'll bet.

See you there,
Ken

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## Ken Sager

B-bump.

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## Jim Roberts

I drive faster than most??? Ken, you must not have seen my 1988 Volvo GL ((29,000 original miles BTW)! #I always allow extra time when driving my car. #Now when I drive my wifes car, that's a different story! #I take her car when I drive over to Lawrence to check out Mass Street Music so as to have more time to test drive their great selection of mandoins...

Cheers!

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## Ken Sager

Nope, I saw an SUV that looked obviously windswept. Either that's the prevailing Kansas wind, or a lead-foot. Not that I'm being critical, but driving east through Kansas one tends to go through a lot of brake shoes to keep from achieving escape velocity. Driving west requires a great deal more gasoline due not only to the wind, but the usual extra payload acquired at Mass Street. 

So, with a 5:30 AM departure this Friday, you should reach Snowbird in time for the Band Scramble that evening at 7:00 PM. That's a mere 14 hours (including the time zone change) of easy driving (73 mph average) plus a 30 minute stop in Arvada to play a few nice mandolins at the Pickin' Parlor. Say hi to Kit for me while you're playing his Krishots, Collings, Eastmans, Boulders, and the '19 Gibson F2 w/Virzi.

Have a safe drive,  
Ken

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## Ken Sager

(bumpity-bump)

See you at Snowbird!

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## oldwave maker

Well, I sure enjoyed the founders festival, a fun pickerfest in the third best location in the western hemisphere. Got to finally meet and play with Ken Sager, Gary Vessel, and other fine cafe folk. Watched my son qualify for winfield by winning the guitar contest. did a 45 min gig with the contest champs in return for the best brunch spread this hillbilly gourmand ever seen.....why, the tuna sushi was so fresh it wiggled right off my plate! the IAMA has the best bunch of volunteers I've run across at a festival, wish they'd all move to southern NM. Hope to go back next year since Ezra hasnt won the banjo contest yet!

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## Jim Roberts

So, Bill, are you going to make it out to Winfield? #Sure hope so. #Wish it were later in the year so you could bring some of those NM green chilies with you!!!

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## Ken Sager

I really enjoyed getting to pick with you, Bill. It was by far the best Founders Festival ever. Are you going to convince Ezra to go to Winfield? He could absolutely tear up the mandolin and fiddle contests. Tear them all the way up. 

Hope to see you next year!

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## bones

Ken,
when will the contest results be available on-line?


davey "i-coulda-been-a-contender" frank

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