Gracing local stages from the tender age of 5, young local fiddler Grace Partridge is now chasing a dream.

Partridge is embarking on a music career which is now kicking off with an opportunity to open for country music star Martina McBride at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls on Sept. 15 alongside Nate Burnham.

“It’s insane,” said Partridge. “I love Martina and this is an awesome opportunity. I’m so excited.”

When Partridge, daughter of Jenn Partridge of Rigby, was nearly 5 years old, she started playing the fiddle; learning by ear and attending lessons three times a week. She would practice constantly, she said, two hour practice sessions where she would listen for an hour and play for an hour.

Slowly, she went down from three to one weekly lesson. Simultaneously, Partridge began competing.

From 5 years old, she competed at the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, an annual opportunity she took part in for over ten years.

“I didn’t bag my first competition,” she said, recalling the memories, “but I’m really grateful for the opportunities I had there.”

Her ten years competing in Weiser loaded Partridge with several experiences; losses, wins, new friendships and the experience she needed to reach her current status.

“I used to be so nervous before going out on stage, before the contests,” she laughed. “But it really prepared me for the work I’m doing now, and I’m not nervous anymore.

Altogether, in her ten years competing, Partridge bagged five victories. She won four competitions performing solo and one as a twin fiddler.

She was 16 the last time she participated in the Weiser contest. That same year, she graced a bigger stage and played for a larger audience; The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

“It was a highlight to get to play there,” she declared. “It was such a blessing to get to play on that stage and for all those people.

Partridge graduated from Rigby High School in May, with the class of 2023, and left behind a hopeful legacy and a gift to fellow Rigby students.

For her senior project, Partridge put together a large event in Idaho Falls, complete with Texas musicians and a list of sponsors. She said she was able to raise a total of $20,000 and had the opportunity to present a fellow Rigby student with a music scholarship.

“The scholarship,” she explained, “was intended to go toward students with musical dreams; whether they want to study music in college or if they want to jump right in to the world of music.”

The scholarship went to a student Partridge believes to be an incredibly talented pianist.

In an effort to chase her own dreams, Partridge moved to Texas in April although she had already been traveling back and forth between Texas and Idaho.

“We’re doing shows every weekend,” she said, referring to her current gig of fiddling with country artist Nate Burnham. “We’ll play Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, sometimes Wednesday nights, too.”

Partridge also spends her time fiddling at a cowboy church on Sundays and with western swing bands where she has the opportunity to sing background vocals and occasionally sing her own songs.

While touring with Burnham, Partridge’s Texas residency has made her eligible for a Texas Country Music Association nomination for Young Artist of the Year, the results of which will be made public at an Award Show at Billy Bob’s Texas in Forth Worth on Nov. 12.

“I’m just speechless,” she said regarding her nomination for the award. “It’s between me and four other young artists who are all very talented.”

Among those other four nominees are Sadie Lee, Jenna Katherine, Logan Papp and Payton Riley, according to the TCMA’s official website.

Partridge said her fellow nominees are wildly talented.

“Whoever wins, they definitely deserve it. Maybe they deserve it more than I do because they’ve lived in Texas longer,” she laughed. “But it’s awesome to be recognized. I’m so grateful to have people who support me and my dreams.”

Her future is looking bright and productive, she said. In fact, this week she is working with musicians and producers to produce her new single, which she hopes to have complete by November. The song is one of her originals and recording will begin in early September.

“I’m actually saving up for an album,” she stated. “I’m excited for it, but it’s expensive and takes a lot of time.”

In the meantime, Partridge is preparing for her Idaho Falls performance opening for McBride.

“I’m so blessed,” she said. “I’ve bought a new dress and new shoes — it’s exciting!”

As she works toward achieving her life-long goal, Partridge has sworn she isn’t done with Rigby. Rigby’s community has shown her an enormous amount of support, especially from her family, friends and mentors, namely Joe and Jackie Sites who gave her lessons.

“I’m not rich and famous or anything, but I’m very grateful for the childhood I had and I love everyone,” she said. “I’m just chasing a dream.”