You've all read about my adventures at Fiddle Hell in Mass, the largest and most diversified meeting of fiddlers in the USA. For those of us who can't get enough, or can't travel to Massachusetts, Fiddle Hell Spring is the on-line version! April 3-6, its a real opportunity to expand your fiddling skills and knowledge, taking classes with such fiddle luminaries like Jay Unger, Darol Anger, Hanneke Cassel, Alasdair Fraser and many others, all artists in their chosen genre'. And talk about diversity of style - just about every thinkable one has classes on it, from Old TIme, Bluegrass, Scottish, Irish to swing, Gypsie, jazz, klezmer and everything in between. Development classes on improvisation and others! Best of all every class is available for unlimited replay for 3 months, so if you didn't get it the first time... or missed a class, you can go back again! Also concerts by the instructors for your exclusive listening pleasure. Oh and not just for fiddlers, there are classes for banjo, mandolin, guitar and others! And most classes have different levels of experience, so even beginners can really get a lot out of it.
Honestly, if you are at all into learning new tunes, techniques and styles, and I think thats most of us on the Hangout, Fiddle Hell On-line is a must! I've been attending one way or another for 8 years, I've been playing for 50+ and I walk away with almost a years worth of new things to play, try and study.
See you there!
https://www.fiddlehell.org/
I had thought about attending about the Fiddle Hell online event. The thought of sitting in front of the computer for 8+ hours for the 3 or 4 days the event takes place doesn’t really appeal to me. I would/am considering the in person event in November.
John, you dont have to sit there for 8 hours! Once you sign up, all the classes are available for 3 months. You can view one at a time or what ever! Honestly, I;d think this ideal for you. The only thing you;d be missing is maybe the jam sessions, since those are live jams - you can still listen and jam to them later.
Edited by - wrench13 on 03/24/2025 13:27:39
I knew Dale "ByGod" Hopkins. He'd be so proud of what Fiddle Hell has become.
I attended this and it was great!
I found out my mental max was 3 zooms a day though...
Anyway, some highlights were that I went to a couple of workshops with Kevin Burke and Matt Cranitch, learned/played some waltzes with Jay Ungar, and listened to some incredible concerts. This was during the pandemic and it felt like such a treat to get some music into my life! There were people logging in from other countries, which is very cool.
(I even got a playing invite from another lady in NC...but then we figured out that she lives about 2 hours away...)
quote:
Originally posted by capefiddleI had thought about attending about the Fiddle Hell online event. The thought of sitting in front of the computer for 8+ hours for the 3 or 4 days the event takes place doesn’t really appeal to me. I would/am considering the in person event in November.
We hope to see you November 13-16 in Westford, MA!
For Fiddle Hell Online, I personally attend some of the live workshops, jams, and concerts, but also love the replays for 3 months (these can be extended to 6 or 9 months). That way I spread out the 30 concerts over months, and get a chance to slow down the speed of workshops (without changing the pitch) where I'm learning a new tune or technique.
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjonesI knew Dale "ByGod" Hopkins. He'd be so proud of what Fiddle Hell has become.
You're right! I email his Mom occasionally, and she's happy that the event Dale thought up has continued. The logistics are a bit different now, but the spirit of sharing and musical community was there from the start with Dale.
Thanks,
Dave
If you're interested in attending Fiddle Hell Online (30 concerts, 27 jams, 193 workshops), the discount code FH10 will save you 10% on registration at https://fiddlehell.org/register .
Dave
AI, your post has completely convinced me that I would really regret it this time if I would miss it. So also I will join this time! Looking forward to the event <3
Quincy, good for you! Almost any level of fiddler will get a great deal of value from Fiddle Hell On-line. Just think about the average cost per lesson with a decent fiddle teacher, then divide that into the cost for the weekend of FH! And these instructors are not your average fiddle teachers, they are literally experts in their chosen styles. What would a lesson in person be with Alistair Fraser or Jay Unger, if they even gave lessons?
Really, the only ones who this doesn't make sense for is the rank beginner, who is just working out where to place fingers - Fiddle Hell is not for them.
From our member Quincy, who is attending:
"Devil Eat The Groundhog! I'm totally confident everything is going to fall in its place now that I attended FHO (where I heard about this tune for the first time). Free from pollution (please take it as a joke) , I mean I had some offers from violinists in my country who picked up bluegrass / folk later, willing to teach me, but from the beginning on I just wanted to sound strictly fiddle in the first place... I just watched a video from a fiddle event in Ghent and they were playing oldtime , but to my ears it sounded like a classical interpretation of the genre, very beautiful yes , but not what I wish for myself lol. Can I just say that? I guess I did before and now I do it again. At least my violin teacher understood this when she said it was time for me to move on.
The risk to appear completely ridiculous and stubborn to others in my own country and the awkward feeling I have right now regarding the whole FHO community realizing I post here a lot -which might not have passed unnoticed - just makes me giggle all day. I just had no clue when I dropped in here one day long ago hahahaha. I really had no clue at all... I just wanted the real stuff.
I feel now like the tiniest fish in the ocean with the biggest yap perhaps.
I started off with a workshop with Tatiana Hargreaves and that was not just fiddle fire, I mean that was a fiddle bomb to me, there was so much in it for me. She is amazing !!! Then I attended a workshop with Eryn Marshall and so happy I picked the beginners old time workshop, I really needed that <3"
Not too late to get in a few days of Fiddle Hello Online !
Newest Posts
'Yout tune lists' 2 days
'Play Red Apple Rag in G/C' 2 days
'Hearing Protection' 3 days
'Have you tried...' 4 days
'Coda Luma Violin Bow' 5 days
