Mount Rogers Music Center/Chris Testerman

Handmade instruments by Chris Testerman.

My name is Chris Testerman, originally from the small community of Whitetop, located in Grayson County Virginia. I became interested in old time country music at an early age, as a member of The Albert Hash Memorial Band while attending Mount Rogers Combined School. The program was started by Albert Hash in the early 1980’s, and after his death in 1983, the program was taken over by his daughter Audrey Hash Ham and later, Emily Spencer. I began taking clawhammer banjo lessons at age 9 and later took up the guitar and fiddle. As I got older I took lessons from Emily’s husband champion fiddler, Thornton Spencer of the Whitetop Mountain Band. Through the program at Mount Rogers I learned to play several instruments, some with and without strings.

The fiddle became my passion, I was fascinated by it and wanted to learn everything I could. In 2003 during my junior year in high school I wrote a 10 page research paper on Albert Hash for my final exam in my English class. I became very interested in his music and also in his ability to build fine stringed instruments. I was so intrigued by all this; I not only wanted to play like him but also sought to build instruments in the same tradition. I was encouraged by Emily Spencer, the band director and good friend, to visit Albert’s daughter, Audrey Hash Ham. Audrey was very generous in showing me the techniques of fiddle making and she gave me all the materials I needed to build my first fiddle. We became good friends over the years. She helped me cut out the rough shape of the back and gave me a piece of sand paper and told me to get to work. I worked all through New Year’s, nights, and weekends, every spare moment I had in between my school work. I guess I had about 100 hours of time put in that first fiddle. I finally finished it in 2004 just in time for graduation. I played my home made fiddle that year at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia. I finished 5th in the adult old time fiddle category.

I have received many awards for my music over the years, placing and winning blue ribbons in various musical competitions. In 2003 I was nominated as an USAA (United States Achievement Academy) National Band Awards recipient. Although I had played for several years before in youth competitions and won awards there, I didn’t begin to compete regularly at fiddlers conventions until 2004, forming the award winning band, The Cabin Creek Boys with friend, Allen Rutherford. The members consisted of myself on the fiddle, Allen on the banjo, Harvey Rutherford on guitar and Mark Rose on bass. I have also played in various other bands. I have placed and won in contests for band, fiddle, banjo, vocal, and dance.

My influences in music are Albert Hash, Emily and Thornton Spencer, Enoch Rutherford, Jont Blevins, G. B. Grayson, Mark V. Sanderford, fiddlin’ Arthur Smith, Tommy Magness, Kenny Baker, Otis Burris, Fred Cockerham, and various other musicians I’ve met and played with over the years.

I owe a special thanks to Emily and Thornton Spencer, and Audrey Hash Ham for their friendship and continuous support in my work as a luthier and musician.

My father Albert Hash taught me to build fiddles. I have been building fiddles for 40 years. Chris Testerman was my apprentice and he has been able to stick with the theories as to what makes a wonderful instrument. He is a very gifted artist as well as a very gifted violin maker. I believe that he is the best most likely in the state of Virginia with his work and the tone of his instruments.
~ Audrey Hash Ham.

Chris is building some of the best fiddles in the country.
~ Audrey Hash Ham