Roberta Rast, World Champion fiddler, hails from Boise, Idaho, where she grew up in a family full of accomplished fiddlers. Roberta joined The Killdares in 2002 and has since elevated the band’s sound to a new dimension with her precision and creativity. Roberta has competed on the prestigious fiddle competition circuit since the age of 5, and has won numerous awards and competitions for her incredible style and technical ability, including: 1st Place at the 2004 World Fiddle Championship (Crocket, TX), Six-time National Fiddle Champion (Weiser, ID), 1st Place at the 2005 Grand Masters Fiddle Championship (Nashville, TN)…and has performed twice on stage of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry! Roberta plays custom-made 5-string fiddles and is an active member of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association (TOTFA).
 
Thirteen Questions with Roberta
 
Musical Influences?
My sisters: Tonya Hopkins and Danita Gardner.
Competition fiddlers:  Benny Thomasson, Terry Morris, Matt Hartz, Ricky Turpin, Wes Westmoreland, JD Bates, and Daniel Carwile.
Country/Western Swing/Bluegrass favorites: George Strait, Asleep at the Wheel, Dixie Chicks, Allison Krauss and Nickel Creek.
 

Favorite Food? Sushi, although I love a great prime rib every once in awhile.
 

Favorite KD song to play live? “A Trip to Miss”
 

Favorite song on Secrets of the Day? “Glasgow” ties with “Closer Than You Know”
 

Favorite Bands Now? The bands mentioned above are still a lot of my favorites but now I’ve crossed further into the rock and Celtic genres… adding Coldplay, R.E.M., U2, Shooglenifty, Beatles, Crowded House, The Bodeans, Jack Johnson, and Celtic fiddlers Alasdair Fraser, Natalie MacMaster and Eileen Ivers.
 

What instruments do you play? Mainly fiddle, some guitar, ukulele, piano
 

First song you learned on fiddle? “Boil the Cabbage”… a traditional fiddle tune
 

What do you usually do when you travel to the next show? Sleep, read music-related magazines/books, and play on my iPhone.
 

Favorite thing to do when you’re not playing? Go to the movies, go to concerts, find  different restaurants to try, relax spending time with family and friends.
 

Last Book Read? The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
 

Last Movie Seen? Rock Prophecies… really good documentary about the famous rock photographer Robert Knight.
 

What do you think your role is as a fiddle player in this band? First, to be a solid player that can be relied on…both on and off the stage.   As a fiddle player at shows I can set up and tear down very quickly, so I like to help everyone else get set up so we can all finish up loading as quickly as possible.  My role also encompasses being the intonation police for the band.  With years of musical training, I’ve never had the luxury of frets to tell me if I’m in tune or not… so my ear is a blessing (and a curse when it comes to playing with finicky bagpipes). I’m also a caretaker.  I like to make sure everyone is doing well and happy in the band.  From keeping the beverages stocked at rehearsals to letting them know positive feedback from their performance.  I’m much better at giving good news than bad.  Finally, outside of performances/rehearsals, I do the bookkeeping and assist Tim in other miscellaneous duties that need to be done.  We are constantly brainstorming new ideas for the band to improve and elevate to new levels.
 

Favorite quote of all time? “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something”
 
-Thomas H. Huxley
 (1825 – 1895)