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Every year, for 24 years running now, The Pride of the Prairie, Decatur, Illinois, is the host of a special Memorial Day Weekend event: an Old Time piano-playing contest, which is sponsored by the Old-Time Music Preservation Association. |
This year's turnout was one of the largest ever. 32 contestants from the United States and Canada showed up to vie for the best of the best. After a full day of pianistic fireworks, a Junior Champion was chosen by the slimmest of margins and the adults were narrowed down to a field of 10.
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12 year-old Adam Yarian (left), of Bowie, Maryland, walked away with top honors. But in a contest almost too close to call, the judges felt compelled to also award 18 year-old Neil Blaze (right), of Manitowac, Wisconsin, with an honorable mention. |  |
The top 10 of the adult field reads like a Who's Who of grass-roots ragtime players. In order of appearance:
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In a well-played contest for supremacy, 26-year old Brian Holland did it again. Eating his dust were former champions Mimi Blais and Marty Mincer. John Skaggs placed 4th followed by another former champion, Bill Edwards. |
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What makes Decatur special is that it's more than just a piano contest. Besides its after-glow open piano sessions, there's always a sing-along show Saturday night. The featured act of this year's show, led by former 3-time champion Julie McClarey, was her whole family, who all played piano and sang. Donny and Marie, look out! |
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| The Saturday night show also featured solo piano performances by (from the top left) Dick Zimmerman, former champion Paul Gronemeier, and Sue Keller. Also appearing were (from the bottom left to right) Mark Haldorsen, the Ragtime Orchestra, and Marty Sammons. | ||
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| Mark Haldorsen is a 3-time champion and the resident
piano player on the Spirit of Peoria. Marty Sammon was a 3-time
junior champion and is presently the leader of the
Marty
Sammon Midnight Street Jam band that appears throughout the
mid-west. The Ragtime Orchestra consisted, among others, of Allen
Dale-piano, Ted Lemen-clarinet, Phil Schwimmer-guitar, Bill
Edwards-washboard, and John Skaggs-trumpet. Dick Zimmerman was also on the scene to judge the 2nd Annual Original Rag Composition contest. Congratulations to Mimi Blais for her winning piece, Turkey Rag. |
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Here we see Judy Leschewski, the contest organizer, catching her breath as the weekend nears its conclusion... now that it's nearly over she seems to have the same relaxed look on her face as the lady in the painting on the stage behind her. |
