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Yesterday, a friend of mine and I went on a little tour of central Kansas promoting a new CD we co-produced. On the way, we went up to a place called Coronado Heights where they had found artifacts from Coronado's days of discovering Kansas for the white man. (I think the native people had already discovered it...lol) It is a part of the Smokey Hills of Kansas, (did you know we had those?) I'll post a couple of pictures and show you just how flat Kansas isn't.
Up on Coronado Hieghts the WPA folks constructed a Fort in the style that would possible have been built during that time period. It is just breathtakingly beautiful up there and the atmosphere was perfect. I had my fiddle with me, of course, and I told Cally that I was going to play my fiddle inside the fort and see if I could channel some "fiddle spirits" while playing. So I just started playing what came to me. It was beautiful, somewhat haunting and yet still simple and old-timey sounding. It echoed off the sandstone walls and was a lot like playing in the bathroom or the kitchen.
Then I went outside and sat on the edge of the hills and played with the light wind that was blowing as my back-up. A Meadowlark would occassionaly provide the fills. I let the sound of the fiddle blend with the breezes. I played for the whole prairie that day. It was fun to imagine if other pioneers and travelers that were up here had played their fiddles here. I am pretty sure there haven't been a lot of fiddlers playing up there since.
I do think that I found a commonality with the fiddle spirits there and they seemed pleased with the attention. With the exception of Callly there wasn't another person around for three or four miles. I would have to rate it very high in my special musical moments. Please check out some of the photo's.
2 comments on “Playing with the Fiddle Spirits”
fiddlebob Says:
Sunday, August 5, 2007 @10:05:54 AM
I visited your website and the music there was awsome. I'd say that was a great album you produced. Some great fiddle work too.
fiddlebob
Jerry Byers Says:
Tuesday, August 7, 2007 @8:40:33 AM
Great story - it would have been awesome to have been there to hear you play with the fiddle spirits.
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