Summer Fiddle Camp a Success!

We were definitely a small but mighty group! 

On Saturday July 12th, four violin students and myself provided about 20 minutes of music to the residents at Masonville Manor. In only 5 days, we learned 4 new fiddle tunes as well as spoon rhythms and a step dance routine. We played some book 1 pieces with a fiddle twist to them. All in all, it was a great week of music, collaboration, great ideas, and lots of fun. I think everyone, including myself, was inspired by the work we did. I am so proud of the hard work and commitment from everyone and am so happy by the success of this fiddle camp as well as the Winter 2014 fiddle class. I can't wait until the Fall session!

Want to start working on your fiddle skills now? 

First of all, the following phrase is not allowed: "I can't".

Just because something is new, doesn't mean we can't do it. As long as we try, we can do it, by starting small.

Things are not going to be perfect. Perfection is not what being a musician is. It's about playing from your heart and loving what you are doing. If you're having fun, your doing it right!

Try something new today! 

Try to play that song on the radio that you love. 

Go to the music store and purchase some new books to sight read. 

The library is a great resource for listening material (especially for fiddle music which is hard to purchase). Find a song you like and try to learn it by ear.

Already have a piece in mind but are having trouble learning it by ear? Go to www.thesession.org and find the sheet music to help you along. 

For classical music try www.imslp.org.

Hear a tune in your head? Try to find it on your violin and then play around with it. 

There are no wrong answers!

Have something else in mind but really don't know where to start? Ask me for some recommendations!

I find there are many musicians who are either/or. Either they're classical or fiddle, read music or learn by ear, can improvise, can't improvise, can play this style but can't play that style, can do this technique, but cannot do that technique. I have felt like this, probably still do a bit. It's too easy to say that you are good at one area and if you're not good in others to just say it's not what you do. It's only not what you do because you have decided you are not good enough. But we can all be good enough in whatever we choose to do. If we want something, all we have to do is try. At least if it doesn't work out, we can live on with no regrets.

Decide today what it is you want, and then just take that first step. It doesn't matter how small or big that step is. The journey is what is important so just start somewhere and enjoy the process. Everyone who has participated in the fiddle classes has taken a chance and tried something new. Congratulations and keep it up!