From Deseret News archives:
Fiddles making family harmony
The LDS couple not only has a bureau full of trophies and ribbons to show for it but two young boys well on their way to a lifetime of fiddlin' fun.
The Davises, known locally as part of the Quintessential Quartet, noticed right away that their then-toddler grandson Skyler Beck had perfect pitch. He could whistle back a song he'd only just heard and would cry whenever anyone turned off his classical music.
His little brother, Zach, has an innate sense of rhythm. Just hand him a pair of wooden spoons and stand back!
Both boys are lucky that their grandparents picked up on their natural abilities.
Nate Olsen, a professor of music at Brigham Young University who is currently studying in New York, said Skyler is one of the most talented young fiddlers he's had the opportunity to work with.
__IMAGE1__\"The strong support of his family, his work ethic and his love of fiddle music have fine-tuned a unique ability in him,\" Olsen said. \"I expect that he will continue to find great success and fulfillment in his playing.\"
The boys practice with their grandparents every weekday morning and most weekends.
\"They come here at 6:30 a.m. and practice until school,\" Linda Davis said.
\"Supervised practicing is much more effective than individual practice,\" Don Davis said. \"You can correct what they do wrong immediately.\"
It seems to be working, because Skyler placed seventh among 68 in a national fiddle competition and first in the regional contest at Wheeler Farm. Meanwhile, Zach stands his ground just fine against adults with his guitar. (There hasn't been a youth category for guitarists prior to this coming year.)
They're both totally comfortable on stage and under pressure. They're the ones cracking a smile or even cutting the rug during a competition.
They play in parades, in blue grass festivals and for local events.
The only time Skyler — who is now 13 — gets nervous is when he competes against a cute girl. He once got going too fast in a hoedown number and inexplicably switched over to another hoedown song. His grandmother didn't think the judges noticed, but she did.
\"All of a sudden, he was playing something else,\" she said. \"But it worked out OK and they are encouraged to improvise.\"
Zach says he doesn't worry, even when he's lying on his back playing \"The Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road.\"
Skyler recalls sawing away on a cardboard violin when he was just 2 years old. \"I thought that I was big,\" he said.
Zach was so anxious to be a part of things that he would come along to competitions and just sit for hours watching until he got big enough to compete.
