Fiddle Tunes at Centrum

Dirk's Reflections on the 2008 Festival

"You know, time stops when you pick!"
Chester MacMillan, Fiddle Tunes 2008

Of the many great quotes that surfaced during Fiddle Tunes 2008, this is perhaps my favorite.

Chester hit the nail on the head with this one! We are all chained to time in various ways, worrying about schedules, trying to make deadlines, wishing we were older or younger, resisting the imposition of time or succumbing to it, often missing the things that matter while focusing on the moments in which they are about to happen or just happened, ignoring the essential reality that each moment itself exists outside of time, in a permanent ever-happening now.

Music is an instant ticket to the present, to a place where time, as Chester says, simply stops. Get out your fiddle and wave it goodbye. You can always invite it back on your own terms when you're good and ready. And it will always serve you, rather than you serving it, if you allow music a central place in your life.

This year at Fiddle Tunes we saw the illusion of time exposed. The 80 - 90 year old set played some of the most spirited music of the week while the award for least sleep/most music, including full tuition for next year, went to 13-year-old fiddler Tatiana Hargreaves, whose playing comes from a deep well that can only be described as timeless.

Fiddle Tunes founder Bertram Levy described the phenomenon as older players (such as Earl Murphy, 91, and Harold Luce, 89) reaching towards modernity while younger players (such as De Temps Antan and The Pine Leaf Boys) reached towards antiquity. There were bridges being built everywhere and crossings happening at all hours of the day and night. We all made it to the same place, regardless.

Reluctantly, I will make one mention of actual time. The last jam session I know of started at 6:30 AM on Sunday morning (by players for whom it was still Saturday night) and went for about an hour or so before everyone involved went to the beach. During this session a person showed up whom several people called "the best dancer I've ever seen."

I don't know who he was. It remains a mystery, a wonderful mystery that on the last day of the event a person would show up and dance for an hour that has burned itself into the minds of those present as the pinnacle of one means of expression.

The memories of those moments, when forces converge and timeless experiences surface, will still be there when we're 90, and may inspire us then, like Earl and Harold, to get out the fiddle and give it another good lash. And, if things keep going like they did at Fiddle Tunes 2008, there'll be quite a few members of 13-year-old set there to hear it.

Announcing the Contemporary Stringband Workshop

We've just opened registration on an exciting new workshop here at Centrum.

Somewhere beyond or behind all musical borders lies a creative terrain where bluegrass, jazz, classical, pop, and various world musics mingle, played by musicians who care more for inspiration than they do for genre.

Our Contemporary Stringband Workshop is designed to take you there, and there is no better guide than Darol Anger, along with his fellow faculty members Scott Nygaard, Tristan Clarridge, and Matt Flinner.

Visit our CSW page for complete information on this premium experience taking place November 13-16, 2008 here at Fort Worden State Park.

Showtime at Fiddle Tunes

Happy Independence Day! The next two days--July 4 and July 5 (2008) are filled with public performances at Fort Worden State Park.

We hope you can join us for amazing performances featuring musicians and music from across the continent and beyond.

Complete program schedules and ticket information are available on our 2008 performance page.

Taste of Fiddle Tunes

Hello there. My name is Kristina and I spent the afternoon walking around to the various Fiddle Tunes workshops, taking in all the sights and sounds.  This is my fifth year coming to Fiddle Tunes and what always impresses me is that there are people of all ages here - truly a family friendly festival.  This afternoon was a series of workshops called Band Labs where participants have the opportunity to learn and perform group pieces. Below are a few of the photos from this afternoon.   Hope to see you at the concerts this weekend!

 

Fiddle Tunes Performances Coming Up!

[The Pine Leaf Boys in onstage performance]

Led by the incomparable Wilson Savoy, the Pine Leaf Boys--a Cajun/Creole band that is rising so fast they're scorching--will be leading a Cajun dance on Friday, July 4, at 7:30 pm at the Fort Worden Mule Barn Tent. Yes, there will be a bonfire and, yes, gumbo'll be for sale onsite. Tickets are ten bucks; youth eighteen and under get in free.

Information and tickets for this--and all--weekend Festival of American Fiddle Tunes shows are available by visiting our Fiddle Tunes performance page. (Watch for a Santa Claus appearance in this video at 2:48.)

Free Fridays at the Fort

Centrum has unveiled the lineup for its popular “Free Fridays at the Fort” series, showcasing jazz, blues and fiddle tunes performers, among many others, at the lawn in front of the Fort Worden Commons.

Seating is provided, local and sustainable food is available, and all the entertainment is free. All concerts start at noon. The June 27 event is rain or shine; all others are weather-dependent. 

• June 27: Participant performances from the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival (held at Wheeler Theater).
• July 4: No presentation. Join audience members at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes show at 1:30 pm.
• July 11: Dobro Showcase with George Rezendes and Dave Meis.
• July 18: Port Townsend Writers’ Conference reading with Brandon Schrand.
• July 27: Participant performances from Jazz Port Townsend.
• August 1: Jam Session from the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival.
• August 8: Dance/Movement Demonstration from Madrona MindBody Institute

Free Fridays at the Fort are sponsored by the Port Townsend/Jefferson County Leader.

Fiddle Workshop at Capacity

Fiddle Tunes is full - unfortunately, we won't be able to accept any more people into the workshop in 2008. We will keep a waitlist, however, and people on the waitlist are guaranteed a spot in next year's workshop. With this in mind, you still might want to register. Thank you for your interest in this gathering.

Des Temps Antan - Les Pissenlits Bricoleurs

[De Temps Antan in rollickin' onstage performance]

French-Canadian roots band De Temps Antan will give a mainstage performance at McCurdy Pavilion on Friday, July 4, at 1:30 pm. The band features André Brunet (fiddle, guitar, tapping), Eric Beaudry (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, tapping), and Pierre-Luc Dupuis (accordion, harmonica, jaw harp), all current or former members of the internationally acclaimed group La Bottine Souriante. Tickets are available by following this link or by calling Centrum at 360.385.3102, x117. Reserved seating's twenty bucks, with youth eighteen and under free with advance reservations.

De Temps Antan will follow performances that include such musicians as Wendy MacIsaac, David Maclsaac, Harold Luce, Adam Boyce, and Paul Bradley.

The music of De Temps Antan is a rich blend of traditional French-Canadian and Acadian songs, original compositions, instrumental pieces, and French-Canadian response songs, all driven by the energetic beat of French-Canadian ‘podorythmie,’ the foot-tapping that replaces drums in traditional music from Québec. The members of the band offer a fresh and vibrant perspective on the music of their ancestors—and on the joie de vivre that has come to define the music of their province.

Fiddle Tunes Almost Full

Just a heads up - the Fiddle Tunes workshop is filling at a unprecedented rate, and we're approaching capacity. If you've been waiting to register, we suggest doing it today. http://www.centrum.org/admin/register.html

May 10 Swing Dance at the JFK Building

Get ready for some jump blues, western swing, and classical jazz standards from the 1930s and 1940s on Saturday, May 10!

Join us at 7:30 pm, as Fort Worden State Park’s newly renovated JFK Building comes alive with rock-steps, twirls, and dips. The cost is $10; tickets are available at the door or by calling 360.385.3102, x117. Tickets are also available online.

Leading the swing dance are Grammy-winning guitarist Mike Dowling, violinist Paul Anastasio, sensational Canadian vocalist/pianist Jennifer Scott and bassist Cary Black.

The dance is the public capstone to an intensive weekend workshop for swing musicians and vocalists, some of whom will join the band onstage.

Before embarking on a solo career, Mike Dowling worked and recorded with jazz great Joe Venuti, mandolinist Jethro Burns, and Nashville swing fiddler Buddy Spicher. Dowling is a popular swing instructor throughout the country. He has been called by Vassar Clements "one of the finest guitarists there is, anywhere."

Paul Anastasio studied jazz violin with the great Joe Venuti. His first job on the road was with Merle Haggard’s band, The Strangers. In 1992, a chance encounter with Mexican violinist Juan Reynoso turned his life upside down. He began to travel to southwestern Mexico to study Reynoso’s regional fiddling style, leading to a distinctive and virtuoso style.

Jennifer Scott is a Vancouver-born vocalist and jazz pianist specializing in jazz, blues, and world music. From sold-out concerts in San Francisco to exclusive local club performances, Scott’s performance experiences have been varied. Jennifer has appeared at Jazz Festivals all across Canada and in several of the United States.

Cary Black, a bassist, teacher, vocalist, and producer from Olympia, taught music theory and improvisation for six years at the Evergreen State College. He has made numerous radio appearances including the Grand Ole Opry and A Prairie Home Companion.

Earl Murphy in the New Yorker

First time Fiddle Tunes faculy member Earl Murphy, who won a fiddle contest in 1926, has a nice photo in the April 28 issue of The New Yorker. Nancy Hartness reports from Georgia:

"We had a great weekend with Earl playing at the Second International String Band Festival of Gordon County.  It was a good trial run for Fiddle Tunes.  Although Earl has been around a lot of musicians for years, I don't think he'd ever experienced the sense of community like that this weekend with the old time bands who were there. He especially enjoyed meeting Jim and Joyce Cauthen who will also be at Fiddle Tunes. He also enjoyed reconnecting with Rich Hartness and Tolly Tollefson who he'd met a year ago when they visited us here in Athens."

Here is a link to the photo of Earl and Art Rosenbaum from the New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/04/28/slideshow_080428_bilger/?slide=3#showHeader

The photo is part of an article by Burkhard Bilger about field recordings, old 78s, reissues, and the strange and obsessive people in the world of record collecting. The article's not on-line, you'll have to buy the mag if you want to read it, but it's worth it, it's a great read if you're a old time musician - of any age.

Swing Intensive Registration Deadline Approaching

This is the final week to register for the Swing Intensive, taking place May 8-11 here at Fort Worden. This premium experience features you (we hope) and 15-20 fellow musicians working with Paul Anastasio, Mike Dowling, Jennifer Scott, and Cary Black. That's a pretty sweet student/faculty ratio.

We'll house you in Centrum artist cabins, and feed you some seriously good food. Visit our swing page to learn more. If you are planning on attending, we'll need to hear from you by Friday, April 11.

Cornbread Nation: The Bluegrass/Americana World of Tim O'Brien

"People ask me what my hobby is, and I tell them, well, I like to cook and hang out at home or read history, but really it's music," says Tim O'Brien with a smile.

So what if that's what he's done for a living for going on three decades? And what if he became regarded as a pre-eminent Americana and bluegrass musician by doing so? "It's my hobby. And everything the hobby does feeds the repertoire," O'Brien, who will be at this year's Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, says.

At this point in his career, nearly thirty years after moving to Colorado where he would form his landmark band Hot Rize, repertoire is a major part of the Tim O'Brien story. For in addition to his own prolific and successful songwriting, this child of West Virginia and the WWVA Jamboree has never stopped mining the American music canon for great material. He's a song sponge.

Songs collect and abide in Tim O'Brien's world as comfortably as family heirlooms. They come from around the world, particularly the American South and Ireland. They morph into new ideas and new songs that update old truths about the human condition. They find expression in O'Brien's clear-as-ice voice on stages, in recording studios and at home with circles of gifted musical friends. O'Brien's relationship with songs embodies the very essence of the folk music tradition, always aware that the branches of the musical tree need sap from the roots.

O'Brien was so full of songs when he approached his latest phase of recording that they overwhelmed one album and became two. And yet with Fiddler's Green and Cornbread Nation, his original intent has remained intact.

Paul Bradley: Our Man From Ireland in 2008

We know that you Irish fiddling fans have been waiting patiently for us to find just the right voice for this year's faculty.

Your wait is over. We're able (and excited) to announce that the amazing Irish fiddler Paul Bradley will be making the trip over the pond to be with us at the 2008 Festival.

Paul's fiddle style is highly energetic and evocative. Though favoring raw passion to technique, it is technically challenging, distinctive and distinguished.  His recent solo album 'Atlantic Roar', received a five-star review in the Irish Times.

To learn more, visit our faculty page.

Are You Ready to Swing?

The past few years at Fiddle Tunes, we've had some excellent swing musicians on staff. In reviewing the workshop evaluations, it is clear that you musicians are into this 'swing thing,' AND that you want more.

We heard you, and are pleased to offer a special weekend in May just for you. We've invited Paul Anastasio, Mike Dowling, Jennifer Scott, and Cary Black to conduct a Swing Intensive, May 8-11, 2008.

The world of swing is a big one, but with this intensive long weekend the focus will be on "vintage swing", classics from the 30's and 40's that will include jump blues, and western swing, instrumentals as well as vocals. Morning sessions will be devoted to technique, while afternoons will include a faculty-led band lab that will demonstrate how to "put it all together."

Please visit the Swing Intensive page to learn more and to register--space is very limited in this special weekend. Hope to see you there!

2008 Fiddle Tunes Faculty

Vermont. Alabama. New England. Cape Breton Island. North Carolina. Mexico. Argentina.

These aren't just places. They are cultures comprised of stories, histories, relationships, and songs. We're honored to have a collection of master musicians from these and many other parts of the world join us for the 2008 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. Tim O'Brien. Harold Luce. James Bryan. Lee Stripling. Jim and Joyce Cauthen. And many, many more.

These amazing artists will come to Port Townsend in July to serve as friends, guides, and inspirations. They are the keys to the cultures behind the place names.

To lean more, visit our 2008 Festival faculty page.

...and once you're inspired, don't forget to register for the Festival!

The Pine Leaf Boys

The Pine Leaf Boys, who bring a sensational blend of Cajun and Creole music from Louisiana, have been added to the Fiddle Tunes faculty lineup for 2008!

The Pine Leaf Boys bring youthful exuberance to their inimitable brand of traditional Cajun and Creole music. In addition to their dance hall standards, their repertoire includes many of the more-obscure songs of past masters, performed with gusto. Skillful multi-instrumentalists, they often switch instruments during their raucous shows.

All five members, in their early twenties--Wilson Savoy, Cedric Watson, Jon Bertrand, Drew Simon, and Blake Miller--live in same shotgun house near downtown Lafayette. Steeped in music since childhood and hailing from various farms and villages in Cajun country, the Pine Leaf boys have been making a name for themselves not only for their youthful energy, but also by preserving the traditional Cajun sound while allowing it to breathe and stretch. They present their music on twin fiddles, accordion, bass, and drum.