BELLOWS FALLS — The Northeast Fiddlers Association is planning a repeat of last year's well attended “fiddle meet” with another gathering at the Moose Club in Bellows Falls on Sunday, Oct. 22, beginning at noon.
The Association is inviting local fiddlers, musicians, and folks who enjoy listening, dancing, and socializing to traditional fiddle music to join them for the event.
All fiddle meets begin with an hour-long jam. Fiddlers, (or other instrumentalists) sign up on a numbered list when they arrive and then join the jamming session, get something to eat at the concession booth, or just socialize with old and new friends.
At 1 p.m., the moderator takes the list and starts calling fiddlers up to the stage to each play three tunes. When a fiddler's name is called, he or she may play solo or invite as many people as desired to join in on the stage. A piano and/or guitar player is available to back up folks who don't already have a back-up person.
A highlight of these meets is the number of people who come to just listen, dance, and enjoy the music. Another great thing about the meets is that they give people who might not play often with others, or in front of others, the chance to do that. They provide an opportunity to meet new fiddlers, hear different styles of playing, learn new tunes, and enjoy a very sociable Sunday afternoon.
For more than 50 years, the Northeast Fiddlers Association has had a monthly meet open to the public on the first Sunday of every month in one of several northern Vermont towns. The idea of scheduling an occasional third or fourth Sunday meet in another part of the state is to increase awareness and possibly increase membership.
It isn't necessary to be a member of the Association to attend and participate in the meets, but the yearly dues of $12 are much appreciated. In addition to the fiddle meets, the annual dues give members a bi-monthly newsletter and a free $15 turkey dinner at the annual Christmas party, which is held at the Canadian Club in Barre.
A member for at least 10 years becomes a lifetime member at 80 years old and no longer pays dues. Currently, more than 25 percent of Association members are lifetime members.