Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project
There was a time in Washington, and other parts of the country, when friends and neighbors gathered at the school or in somebody's bunk house to spend a night dancing to the tunes of a local fiddle player. This music ranged from simple, straight-forward tunes to pieces that demanded the technical skills of a master. But all had a rhythm and vigor so infectious, people couldn't help but dance. And for every fiddler who traveled the countryside, there was a child listening and learning, waiting for his or her turn to play those sweet old waltzes, two-steps, and polkas.
But times have changed and people don't gather at dances as much as they used to, and the tunes just aren't being passed on to the next generation. In response to the critical need to preserve this music, Northwest Folklife was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to preserve our state's unique fiddle heritage through recordings and interviews with many older-generation fiddlers.
The Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project is a continuation of the Washington Fiddlers Project, directed by Frank Ferrel of Centrum and Vivian Williams. With funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ferrel and Williams documented the music of 20 fiddlers. The current project seeks to build upon this work by interviewing and recording additional fiddlers, presenting fiddlers in concert and creating a publicly accessible archive. This work culminated in a major concert performance at the 1993 Northwest Folklife Festival, a booklet on Washington state fiddle traditions, Volume I - Old Time Dance Fiddling recording available on cassette in conjunction with the booklet, and Volume II - Generations released in 1996, available on cassette or compact disk. The 1997 Northwest Folklife Festival will feature a special concert of fiddlers celebrating the release of Volume II.
Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project -- Vol. I
"Old Time Dance Fiddling"
(Click on image for larger view.) Fiddling in the Northwest has undergone rapid change in the last 50 years with the tradition from traditional country dance fiddling to swing, country & western and modern contest fiddling as well as urban square and contra dance fiddling. Recognizing the need for documentation and preservation of the older styles of fiddling in the state, Frank Ferrel of Centrum, along with Vivian Williams and Kathleen Oyen, initiated a series of interviews with traditional old-time fiddlers.
- Introduction -- Old Time Dance Fiddling
- The Fiddlers -- The twenty-one fiddlers.
- To Order -- Order a copy of this right now, through the WWW.
Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project -- Vol. II
"Generations"
(Click on image for larger view.) The first fiddlers in Washington state were among the Scottish and French Canadian fur trappers of the early nineteenth century. Successive waves of immigrants included many steeped in Scandinavian, Canadian and Midwestern fiddle traditions. Styles mingled together as they traded tunes at logging and mining camps and at dances in school houses, and at farm gatherings.
- Introduction -- Generations and communities of fiddlers in Washington.
- The Fiddlers -- Brief biographies of the twenty-four fiddlers.
- The Tunes -- A list of titles, players, and credits.
- To Order -- Order a copy of this right now, through the WWW.
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This page last updated on 19 September 2001
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