Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
It is safe to say that twins Cash and Rye were born into music. Their parents, who had both logged long musical careers already, formed the band “The Hankers” after getting married. Their father, Keith Niehenke, had been touring and playing fiddle for some big names for more than 20 years and mother Julie had been performing as a professional anthem singer. When the twins surprisingly came along, Keith was at the height of his career. When the boys were nine days old, they were on a tour bus headed for a Los Angeles concert.
The family spent the next couple of years between Nashville and Los Angeles before coming home to Whitman County where Julie and Keith had grown up, even playing in the same violin class when they were five and six years old. The family now lives in Oakesdale.
The boys are continuing that legacy of music in the family as they came away with a second and fourth place from the Northwest Regional Fiddling Contest in Spokane earlier this month, which qualifies them to go on to the Grand National competition in Weiser, Idaho, in June.
“It has been so exciting to now watch our babies grow and love music as much as we do,” stated Julie.
The seven-year-old boys began taking fiddle lessons when they were four from JayDean Ludiker, the wife of the late National Champion Tony Ludiker who trained Keith. Since then, the boys have taken part in the competition and this is their first year placing.
“For them to both place in the competition is quite an accomplishment,” Julie added.
The boys competed in the Small Fry division against other children up to age nine. In the first round, they play three songs: a waltz, a hoedown and a song of choice. The judges then choose five contestants to go on to a second round with three completely different songs. They have four minutes to play the songs and get docked points for going over. The songs have to be memorized and played in time while the judges listen with ear phones so they do not see who is playing.
“It’s pretty major,” Julie said.
Cash went over by two seconds in the second round and was docked 10 points. He ended up taking second place with only two points more than Rye who placed fourth. Had it not been for the penalty, Cash would have placed first, according to Julie.
Keith, who retired from touring in 2013, will also be competing at the national level as he placed fifth in the adult division. In past years, he has taken first at the regional level and fifth at nationals.
Rye told the Gazette he liked winning stuff―which included a McDonald’s pillow and french fry gift certificates which Julie reported they were more excited about that than the trophies. They won $40 and $20 cash prizes which was spent on a trip to Toys R Us.
The boys are looking forward to the national competition where they will not only play their fiddles, but also get to play with water guns, see friends, camp and bike during the week-long event.
At home the boys practice every day and go to lessons once a week in Spokane. They go through their songs every morning before getting on the bus for school and play with Keith when he gets home from work at Schweitzer Engineering. Wednesdays is family music night where they get to jam and have fun playing as a family.
Before heading to Weiser, the boys will make an appearance in Colfax when The Hankers play a concert at the First Thursday June 7 downtown. Julie said in past years, as the boys were first learning to play, they would join their parents on stage and just jam or play a few chords. Now, they come out and play their competition songs as part of the show.
Fiddling has long been in their family and will likely be something the boys continue with. Julie expects that as soon as the boys are old enough, they will be asked to play in groups. Already they have an ear for picking up music as they can play any tune they hear from playing Minecraft. Their parents still plan on them getting further eduction to have something to at least fall back on, but the boys are expected to have a lot of opportunities to fiddle.
“We hope they will continue to love it,” Julie said.
For more dates for The Hankers performances, check online thehankers.com.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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