How I started fiddle (finally)

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Posted by KenC on Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I won't clog up the Forum with my musical story, but will place it here. I hung around with fiddlers in northwestern Indiana all through the 1990s. They taught me many tunes, first on dulcimer and than on anglo concertina, which I can play reasonably well now. Yes, I heard many great players at the Indiana Fiddler's Gathering, our own Mr. C. Smith among them! Also Liz Carroll, Johnny Frigo, etc. I got to know emcee Dave Samuelson when we worked as volunteers on the folk radio show at WBAA/Purdue U., and he taught me a lot about music.

It was Cajun music that first brought me in...at Augusta Cajun week in 1997 I got the bug and bought the cheapest fixed-up fiddle Bob Smakula had in stock in his shop up the road from Elkins, W.Va. I diddled with it and did a few short workshops, but no one I counted as a friend among the fiddlers at home would give me lessons.

Finally, in 2005 work had brought me to the Pittsburgh area, and I took Mark Tamsula's class through the local folk society. It was fun, and I took a few private lessons from him also. This year work finally let up enough for me to take another class. I had also got a better fiddle that is easier to play (though it needs a real setup), and that has made a huge difference. So I am really in my first year of playing when you add up bow-to-fiddle time. I'm after a good bow next, and will post about that hunt.

4 comments on “How I started fiddle (finally)”

bj Says:
Thursday, June 19, 2008 @7:58:19 AM

Hopefully you don't run into the walls I did! Though my walls have clownfaces painted on them (and it's usually me wearing the clown makeup . . . )

I'm on the other side of the state. There's a jam in the middle next month that I'm planning to be at. It's called BillFest II, and info is on this site.

http://www.meadowoodmusic.com/

Hope to see you there. Maybe we can find the beginner's circle and make awful music together!

brya31 Says:
Thursday, June 19, 2008 @1:35:00 PM

Good story Ken. I know what you mean about trying to find a fiddle instructor. I live right off of Purdue's campus and fiddlers just arent here. I will be going to the fiddlers gathering next week. Crazy they have a fiddlers gathering here, but no one here sales fidles or teaches fiddlin. I did find one guy who I have had training with twice but I am not real comfortable with his instruction. Oh well, glad to see you are back at it.

FiddleJammer Says:
Thursday, June 19, 2008 @4:55:01 PM

Not sure how much of a drive it'd be for you, but there's a sweet little festival with lots of jamming near Bradford, PA in early August. http://www.hotafest.com/index.php?home