RI Fiddle Project

we've got it: the new blog address

2010-12-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

Here's the new blog address (and the new blog look that goes with it)....the logo is HUGE right now, but we'll see if we can do something about that later on. www.rifiddleproject.blogspot.com

New violins from Hungry for Music Foundation

2010-12-21T08:53:00.002-05:00

About a week before our December performances, a giant box arrived for RI Fiddle Project and inside were six of the violins we had previously had the most difficulty getting for our students: full-sized instruments! We are putting them to use right away: above you can see Ashley warming up for the performance on one of these instruments (on the fiddle in the middle).

Thank you, Hungry for Music!

Wow: Fiddling Celebration photos

2010-12-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

I thought the Fiddling Celebration on Sunday was great, but looking back at these photos taken by Bobbie Hunger, I am just blown away at how many wonderful things happened all in one afternoon! In the slide show you'll first see photos from our warm-up rehearsal, then the fiddle performances for our audience, then some dancing which included almost everyone in the room. I hope you'll enjoy these as much as I did: click here for the Flickr slideshow.

Music making in Middletown, CT

2010-12-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

The Community Music Initiative is going strong in Middletown, CT. From Community Music Saturdays to Neighborhood Jams, Lessons, and Lunches, the program shares much in common with RI Fiddle Project. In fact, Emily Troll (who is behind the Community Music Initiative along with many Middletown community volunteers), will be visiting for our Fiddling Celebration this Sunday.*

Check out the latest news update from CMI in Middletown, CT here: Latest update

and see you on Sunday!
*December 12th, 3 PM, Woodlawn Community Center,
210 West Ave, Pawtucket
Dancing and potluck to follow student fiddling performances!

Notes on the dance from Michelle

2010-11-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

WoW! What a great way to start off my 'fiddler in residency' with the Rhode Island Fiddle Project!!

Since I was in fourth grade, I've thought that fiddle tunes and barn-dancing were one of my favorite things in the world.

As an adult, I've always wanted to have dances where my students and their families came together to dance to the tune they would be learning on the fiddle! It took Rachel's smile, tons of work, and similar dreams to make it happen!

It made my heart sing to see so many of our students and their families out on the dance floor laughing and dancing to our music and the great calling of David Kaynor. It was the first time that I met and worked with David, and Max Newman our guitar player, and I know we all felt the magic of the day, and look forward to more get-togethers!

I want to thank all the people and organizations who helped to make this magical day happen:

Everett Dance Theatre/The Carriage House, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (as we announced at the dance), Community MusicWorks, Alan for playing bass, Richie for taking photos, Alvarro for helping with snacks and the welcome table, the folks from the dance community who joined us, the families of our students for bringing their children, and for dancing!

-Michelle

Community Dance 11/7 Photos

2010-11-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

Fiddling workshop with RI Fiddle Project students and David Kaynor

Our students join the band

Dancing! 70 people joined in the fun at the Carriage House for our Community Dance.

"We're not even going to call it dancing. We're going to get up and move."

2010-11-01T14:04:00.000-04:00

Alex started things off right: showing Michelle some new dance steps while Rachel played a tune on the fiddle.


Then we did a version of the broom dance: one year and twice as many students later!

It was great to get students together in October for an evening of dance and musical storytelling. Now we're ready for the Family Dance coming up on Sunday Nov. 7th at the Carriage House at 3:30 PM!

E-news updates

2010-10-18T10:18:00.000-04:00

In this month's e-news update, we've shared the news of our name change, website change, and additional Fiddler-in-Residence! If you haven't checked it out, here's a link to the e-news:

http://p0.vresp.com/iGk1T9

You can also sign up to receive these updates in the box to the right of the blog page.

Coming up tomorrow: the first gathering of all current RI Fiddle Project students, experienced and new alike. We'll come together to get to know each other and to dance!

Who’s supporting the project this fall?

2010-09-30T09:11:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to our generous individual donors AND to these generous grantors:

Grey Fox
Grey Fox Educational Fund typically supports scholarships for young people studying bluegrass at a college or university, but when they accepted the proposal to support the RI Fiddle Project because they value passing down these traditions to the next generation of young people. The award was announced from the main stage of the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in July 2010.

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
Rachel received an Individual Artist Grant for this Education Project, based at Woodlawn Community Development Corporation. "Through Project Grants for Individuals, RISCA supports highly creative and talented artists who seek to produce, perform, teach or share their work with the public." This fall the RI Fiddle Project is made possible in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the RI General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation
Provided funds specifically for the purchase of small audio recorders that can fit in students’ violin cases. These recorders can be used to record fiddle tunes at lessons as well as students’ practice at home. "The purpose of the Foundation is to fund needs that contribute to the economic and social well-being of the people and institutions located in the greater Attleboro/Taunton and greater New Bedford, Massachusetts area and the Pawtucket, Rhode Island area."

Country Dance & Song Society
Lent support from the New Leaders, Good Leaders Fund to help to kick-start the additional Fiddler-in-Residence role. One of CDSS' value statements is to "Promote the traditions, while providing an environment where they can continue to grow and evolve for the enjoyment of future generations" www.cdss.org

New year, new fiddler, and more news to come

2010-09-15T14:23:00.005-04:00

Day 1, Year 2! Here we are dancing to the music of Ex Pirata, a fiddle & accordion duo (typically a trio with 2 fiddles) from Canada and France, respectively -- who we were very lucky to hear while they were both in the area!

This was also the day that fiddler & educator Michelle Kaminsky joined the project as our second Fiddler-in-Residence -- so exciting for all of us involved! More news soon about Michelle and about other excitement that's in the works. Stay tuned...

2010-08-29T12:06:00.002-04:00

I've "guest-posted" on my friend Carole Ann's Connect the Dots blog She asks great questions about being creative.

And if you're in Pawtucket today, be sure to stop by the Labor & Ethnic Heritage Festival at Slater Mill. The Whatnots go on at 2 PM.

Best of Rhode Island: Community Music Program

2010-08-18T09:08:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's true! If you pick up a copy of RI Monthly magazine this month and open to the Best of RI Editor's Pick 2010 for Community Music Program, the winner is Fiddle & Dance Project!

Looking forward to thanking everyone who's helped us get started over the past year: dancers, students, Woodlawn CDC, Community MusicWorks, RISCA, Pawtucket community members, fellow musicians, and YOU for checking in here on this blog!

Block Party Today

2010-08-15T10:04:00.004-04:00

Rachel will have a program table today at the Knowledge is Power block party starting at 2pm -- right across from Woodlawn CDC at Payne Park.

what is contra dancing anyway?

2010-08-03T19:46:00.001-04:00

just ask NPR!

CMW Fiddle Lab plays for a dance

2010-07-09T16:21:00.005-04:00

Here is a one minute glance at Providence Youth Arts Collaborative's (PYAC) Youth Arts Day, called Roots and Rituals, on May 22, 2010. In this clip you see the moment after Fiddle Lab students from Community MusicWorks taught and demonstrated the Seven Step dance, then joined the group on stage to play while the audience members danced along. Check out the key change halfway through!

June Fiddling Celebration & Community Dance: photos (& what's not in them)

2010-06-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

Top 3 things I'd like to show in pictures, but I've only got in memory:

1. students passing a block of rosin down the front row where they were sitting right before the performances began, making sure everyone had some on his/her bow

2. high school students leading younger students through our bow games, then, without being asked, leading those students in improvisation

3. students coaxing their parents, siblings, and friends into dancing "just one more dance"

dances of all shapes and sizes

2010-06-03T08:50:00.008-04:00

May was happily a busy dance month for me, starting out with a surprise gig at the Brown Spring Fling:

the next week I took part in the 2nd annual South County open band dance -- now just imagine this number of people also on stage in the band!

Then there was a visit to Little Rhody Vasa Park in Foster with the Cicadas. There we saw a couple who are contra dancing their way through all 50 states!

A trip to Rehoboth (or the Ox Dance, revisited)

2010-05-17T13:13:00.004-04:00

Last night, we traveled to Rehoboth, MA, to dance and play with the Rehoboth Jammers. The jammers meet each week to play, and once a month the jam turns into a potluck & dance. We had the chance to dance in many formations and experience a different caller for almost every dance. After an hour of all this moving around, we took out the fiddles and played along with the jammers to Keith Murphy's Evergreen waltz. Thanks to everyone who helped us keep that steady beat! Here we are dancing to the Ox Dance.

Favorite parts of the night, from students and parents:
"the ox dance, because it was funny and goofy"
"the dance where we kept changing partners"
"at first I was getting my rights and lefts confused, but it got easier after a while"
"playing our violins with them"
"they were good people"
"they helped us sound a lot better"

Elixir

2010-04-29T14:49:00.003-04:00

On Friday, 4/16, Fiddle & Dance Project families and I hopped on a bus to visit with Community MusicWorks and experience a CMW workshop led by Elixir (these guys in the photo, plus Peter Barnes!). Nils (with the trombone) called and led us through some introductory dances with HUGE circles of students, parents, siblings, and teachers. We had a chance to hear Elixir's unique contradance sound and play along with them on the tune, "Reverend Brothers".
Here is what students had to say on the bus ride home:
"I liked the music because it made me happy"
"I liked the style of dancing -- it makes you comfortable with anybody."
"The piano was awesome."
And many more students "liked the dancing"! Looking forward to some more dancing next month.
I forgot to charge my camera battery for this one, but hopefully I'll get some other photos linked up here soon.

Tunes on Main St

2010-04-17T17:24:00.007-04:00

The whole vibe was wonderfully positive throughout the evening of our Fiddle & Dance Project benefit night at the Village Restaurant. And musically, it was magical with the Gnomes (minus one),

French Roast (with a Cajun twist),

and the Bourbon Boys. Cathy and Michelle even stepped in for a 3-fiddle version of Red Haired Boy!

Over 40 people came over the course of the evening to support the work, listen (and dance) to the tunes, and enjoy delicious plantains! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the night a success.

In April's Rhode Island Monthly

2010-04-04T22:47:00.003-04:00

Check it out...in this month's RI Monthly magazine

Join us at the Village Restaurant on Pawtucket's Main Street on April 8th!

2010-03-16T13:27:00.001-04:00

Thank you to Emily Ustach for creating this awesome poster!

6 new students

2010-03-11T14:08:00.003-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been busy. 6 new students have joined Fiddle & Dance Project, from a 2nd grade student to a 10th grade student and everywhere in between.

There are big moments: the first time holding the violin, the first bow games, the first sound on the instrument... and at the same time, students who have been learning to fiddle since October are feeling what it's like to be the ones with lots of knowledge to share.

I've also been playing for more and more contra dances with the Cicadas and with the Whatnots! Here I am with the Cicadas, checking the sound at the dance in Hampton, CT last Saturday.

A Room full of Spoons

2010-03-01T15:25:00.002-05:00

I happened to pass by the room where Mark Rust was teaching the Play the Spoons workshop at this year's Dance Flurry in Saratoga, NY and it was packed. This is from the end of the workshop. Props to all the new spoons-players! Just goes to show that everyone wants to play the spoons when given the chance...

Playing for dances this winter & spring

2010-02-25T14:18:00.002-05:00

As a fiddling fiddler-in-residence, I thought I'd post some contra dances I'll be playing for, starting This Saturday, February 27th! Hope to see you dancing...

With the Whatnots (Seth Gruenwald, cello; Carole Bestvater, fiddle...a contra dancing string trio!):

Sat, Feb 27th, 8 PM, Mystic, CT "The pie dance" - serving cherry pie at the break!
At Frohsinn Hall, aka the German Club, across from Mystic Seaport, $8

With the Cicadas (Bill Shevin, guitar; Ed Dale, bass; Jennifer Cooke, flute; Tim St. Jean, mandolin):

Sat, March 6th, 8 PM, Quiet Corner Contra Dance, Hampton, CT
Hampton Congregational Church, 263 Main St (on Rt 97), $10

Sat, March 20th, 8 PM, New Haven Country Dancers, Branford, CT
Branford Community Center, 46 Church St, $10

Sun., April 18th, 7 PM, Shindig at the Barn, Enfield, CT
Powder Mill Barn, 32 South Maple St, Hazardville (Enfield), $8

Sat., May 1st, 8 PM, Quiet Corner Contra Dance, Hampton, CT
Hampton Congregational Church, 263 Main St (on Rt 97), $10

Fri., May 21st, 7 PM, Foster, RI
Little Rhody Vasa Park, 10 Boswell Trail, Foster

Fiddling at Le Foyer

2010-02-20T20:49:00.005-05:00

Today was filled to the brim with great music! I began by sitting in with the Yams at their Wintertime Farmer's Market gig in Pawtucket's Hope Artiste Village. Stopped by McCarten Violins to pick up some recently set-up instruments for new students.

Then it was off to the big event of the day: Donna Hébert, Max Cohen & Daniel Boucher's workshop at Le Foyer, the French club in Pawtucket. Le Foyer invited all Fiddle & Dance Project participants as well as Fiddle Lab from Community MusicWorks to participate in a day of French music workshops and dancing.

It was thrilling for me to see and hear my students learning from Donna Hébert's fiddling (and joyful attitude towards music learning in general) And to play along with her and Max Cohen for some of the dances. Plus, a bunch of students had the chance to learn a favorite fiddle tune (La Marionette) directly from its composer, Daniel Boucher.

And to top it all off, we were visited by Rhode Island's Lt. Governor, Elizabeth Roberts as a part of her statewide Arts & Culture Tour, in opposition to cuts to Arts & Culture small businesses.

Bonne nuit!

Photos from Fiddle & Dance workshop @ Boston Public Quartet

2010-02-18T00:21:00.003-05:00

Fiddle & Dance @ BPQ

2010-02-08T14:25:00.002-05:00

BPQ is the Boston Public Quartet, founded and led by Betsy Hinkle. It's an awesome, like-minded program to Community MusicWorks. BPQ uses a Chamber Music Model to provide instrumental music programming as a part of the daily life of public school, creating community around this music. I ran an interactive fiddling & dance workshop on Saturday in Dorchester with the help of musical guests Max, Sophia & Dave. We all jammed on a fiddle tune, learned a new tune by ear, and danced together (and just as importantly, enjoyed pizza together!). I look forward to coming back in the future to share more tunes & dances. Hope to have photos follow!

And the winner is...

2010-02-01T11:54:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to Ned Boyer, the winner of our December appeal letter raffle! He won a house concert in his living room, but due to the fact that he lives across the country, he is sharing his prize with friends in Exeter, Rhode Island.
He was one of 7 generous donors who gave $250 each to support Fiddle & Dance Project.

the Pawtucket Red Sox hat with raffle entries

"dancing fiddle guy" looks on (a new mascot for Fiddle & Dance Project, created by Linda Daniels)

Our first appeal letter was a great success overall, collecting $2680 (as of Feb. 1) to support the work of Fiddle & Dance Project during the 2009-2010 school year. Thank you to everyone who has given. It's incredibly humbling and exciting to know how many people already believe in this project.

tunes together

2010-01-25T12:05:00.004-05:00

On our first week back of 2010, 5 Fiddle Lab students from Community MusicWorks (CMW) visited Pawtucket to play tunes and dance with 5 Fiddle & Dance Project students. They each shared their names and their favorite strings, then proceeded to play tunes for each other that each group had recently performed. We also found ways to play together by accompanying each other on open strings. And finally, we danced to the music of Kirby (CMW student leader) and Carole (CMW teacher/fellow).

Over at Community MusicWorks, we asked fiddlers (some who have been in Fiddle Lab 2-3 years & counting!) what they wanted to do this year in Fiddle Lab. Here were some of their answers:
"play a fast jig," "play a waltz," "dance." How awesome is that? I am so proud of fiddlers who can appreciate both slow & fast, both jigs & reels, both playing the music & doing the dancing, themselves!

Students at Fiddle & Dance Project (who are in their 4th month on their instruments) were just as enthusiastic in their hopes for 2010. We had some requests for "more complicated tunes" and lots for "more music!"

Photo highlights from Fiddling Celebration

2010-01-14T09:39:00.010-05:00

Here are some of the highlights from our December 19th Fiddling Celebration. A big thank you to photographer Bobbie Hunger for capturing these! You can see even more in the slideshow at our website: www.fiddleanddance.org/see--hear.html

more good news!

2010-01-04T22:33:00.003-05:00

Fiddle & Dance Project will be receiving support from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts this winter/spring through an Individual Artist Grant. This grant will be used to support some of our core programming of fiddle lessons and monthly music & dance events for families.

Also, RISCA-related, Rachel has been accepted to the state's Arts-in-Education Roster.

Coming up: This Thursday, Community MusicWorks Fiddle Lab will be taking a field trip to Woodlawn Community Center to have a Fiddle Jam session with Fiddle & Dance Project fiddlers.

2009-12-28T09:42:00.002-05:00

Valley Breeze

2009-12-28T09:36:00.003-05:00

If you can, pick up a Pawtucket copy of The Valley Breeze, week of December 22-29.
A color photo of our Fiddling Celebration is on the front page, with five more great photos on page 14! Scans to follow...

My favorite part

2009-12-20T13:24:00.002-05:00

of yesterday's Fiddling Celebration was the moment at 1:30 PM when I was together with all the fiddlers for our rehearsal, standing in a circle with our instruments in "rest position". We went around the circle saying our names and our favorite bow games. Even though many of the fiddlers had never met, they had a lot in common through this shared body of knowledge.

I look forward to a time when students' experience of the fiddling community can start here, at the community center, and extend as far out geographically as there are fiddlers and dances.

We were lucky enough to have some experienced photographers doing their thing yesterday, so in a few days we'll be able to share what they captured.

We're still on

2009-12-19T12:10:00.002-05:00

Yes, there's plenty of snow on the way, but we're going to get in as much of our Fiddling Celebration as possible before that happens! See you at 3!

Live Pawtucket

2009-12-19T08:51:00.000-05:00

Here's all the info for today on the Live Pawtucket blog:

http://www.livepawtucket.com/events/calendar/2009/12/19/149

Exciting News

2009-12-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

Rachel has been accepted into the 2010 Nonprofit Emerging Leaders Mentor Program at the Rhode Island Foundation...

I'll be working closely with a mentor in the Rhode Island nonprofit sector as well as meeting regularly with a peer group of mentees and attending workshops. I'm really excited about this opportunity, both personally, and for the ways Fiddle & Dance Project and Community MusicWorks may both benefit from what I learn.

First fiddling celebration coming up!

2009-12-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 19th at 3 PM will when Fiddle & Dance Project's first student performances begin.
The fiddling & dance celebration begins with student performances of Cluck Old Hen, Bile dem Cabbage Down, Cripple Creek & more...then it'll be time for audience participation.
Around 3:45, the event will evolve into a Community Dance and around 4:30, conclude with a potluck! Hope you can join us.

"12 more times!"

2009-12-03T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a short clip from the fourth annual Fiddle Hell (that's really what it's called!), a free gathering put on by fiddler Dave Reiner in Westford, Mass a few weekends ago. You may ask, "why do they call it that?" Well, if I had stayed for more than a few hours, I think I would have had a better sense of it: just fiddlers, lots of rooms going simultaneously...that's a lot of E strings! But it was great for the time I was there. Dave Reiner led a really thoughtful, descriptive workshop on back-up playing, and when I first walked in, David Kaynor was leading everyone in Soldier's Joy, as you hear in this video. The only reason he's shouting "3 more times" instead of "12 more times" at this moment is that he only has 3 minutes left of workshop time! David has been one of my fiddle mentors since I met him in 2002 and I've realized that a lot of what I love about fiddling comes from his attitude: fiddlers of any experience level can have fun (if they allow themselves to) by playing the same old tune at least 12 more times together over the course of many years.

Where the fiddles have come from...

2009-11-24T09:12:00.000-05:00

This is Dennis:

His violin making, repairing, selling & renting shop is McCarten Violins, on the first floor of Hope Artiste Village, just down the road from where our fiddle lessons take place in Pawtucket! His shop is right by where the Wintertime Farmer's Market takes place. Dennis has donated fiddles that have come his way as well as the labor needed to fix them up and make the violins playable for our students.

This is Emily:

She is the Rental Workshop Manager at Johnson String Instrument (which has shops in Newton & Waltham, MA). Johnson String is where my own full-sized violin came from back in 1996. I was lucky enough to meet Emily through Community MusicWorks -- which has been a recipient of Johnson String donations for a number of years.

Thank you to Dennis & McCarten Violins and thank you to Emily & Johnson String Instrument for helping to make the start of the Fiddle & Dance Project possible.

IMPS!

2009-11-20T08:22:00.000-05:00

I'm immersed in Community MusicWorks'
Institute for Musicianship and Public Service this weekend!
We're sharing ideas, successes, & challenges in doing the work that we do. Institute participants include leaders at:
Music Haven
Boston Public Quartet
Kidzymphony
& more...
We'll be talking together about many aspects of our work, but also doing playing & performing together as well as what's most important: eating together!

Check it out...

2009-11-17T08:56:00.000-05:00

I'm in the early phases of developing

Fiddle & Dance Project's new website!

It's got info about the program, the people, flickr photos, video & more.

Community Dance a Success!

2009-11-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful, warm November day, during which over 60 people joined us inside the Carriage House for Fiddle & Dance Project's first ever community dance!

It was a warm, welcoming environment for first-timers. We had 5 squares going at one point (that's 40 dancers), plus lots of smiling people looking on from the side. Less than 10 of the people there had ever attended a contra dance before. Families had heard about the dance through the Fiddle & Dance Project, the Carriage House and Friday Night Live, Community MusicWorks, and the Rehoboth Jammers.

Andy Davis - who has literally written the books on leading dances like this (along with the Amidons & Mary Cay Brass as a part of New England Dancing Masters) - led us through an afternoon which got us moving in circles, spirals, squares, sicillian circles, and scattered about the room during "Sasha":

Can't wait 'till we can do it again!

We interrupt this count-down to Community Dance (3 more days!) to bring you...

2009-11-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

7 days of practice!

This week, Ashley brought this colorful, completely filled in practice chart to her lesson -- congrats on a job well done!!

Fiddle AND Dance!

2009-10-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

Yes, tonight we had our first Dance event of the Fiddle & Dance Project!
Thank you to Ronzio's & Olly's of Pawtucket for the pizzas.
Kati & Chris were on the tunes and Rachel & Carole led the dances.
Here we are with a broom (how appropriate for Halloween) dancing the "Paddle dance" taught by Carole.

Everyone was tired out but smiling afterwards -- looking forward to the big dance on November 8th!

"If things never descend into chaos while you're teaching kids to dance, then you're not taking enough risks!"

2009-10-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

So says Peter Amidon, who, along with Mary Alice Amidon, led one of their incredible workshops for at least 150 teachers on Saturday in Lexington, MA. Peter's point was that dancing is supposed to be fun and if things are too rigid while you're teaching, neither you nor the dancers will likely be having much fun. At the same time, they both of have a magical way of teaching that's both fun and easy to follow. And they know that the best way to learn how to teach a dance is by first doing the dance!

Follow that with the magic of Common Fence in Tiverton, RI. Common Fence is organizing free drumming workshops for youth in Newport County. Kinobe (pronounced Chee-noh-bay) was a special presenter and performed an amazing concert Saturday night with his band, Soul Beat Africa, traveling from Uganda.

a day in the life...

2009-10-20T19:59:00.000-04:00

Here's what I did last Wednesday (true story!):

I'm up early driving from Pawtucket, RI to Waltham, MA (but not early enough to avoid all traffic) to meet Emily at Johnson Strings. I'm picking up two 3/4 violin donations and lots of bows -- enough to outfit all of the violins coming our way from local maker, Dennis McCarten.

Then it's off to the Community MusicWorks office (the incubator - it's always warm in there), where Jesse shows me the tool I'll use to put the chin rests onto the two 3/4 instruments. I make copies of tickets for the upcoming dance, cut them up with the paper cutter, and I'm in the car again...

To Baldwin Elementary just a mile from where I teach in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Pawtucket, which is where I meet Sarah, their music teacher. She's agreed to share Fiddle & Dance sign-up information with her students and is excited about the tickets to the dance.

Speaking of the dance, my next stop is the Carriage House, our hosts! I share more of the tickets with Dorothy, and Aaron helps orient me to the sound system.

Lunch time! Not so coincidentally, I'm close enough to stop in at the Sandwich Hut and have a delicious blondie for dessert.

After lunch, there's enough time to rosin up those bows, put them in their cases, and get ready for today's fiddle lessons later in the afternoon!

Come dance with us!

2009-10-15T08:55:00.000-04:00

You're invited to the Fiddle & Dance Project's first community dance:
Sunday, November 8th, 3-5 PM
at the Carriage House, 9 Duncan Ave., off N. Main St in Providence across from Action Auto Parts.

Andy Davis will be calling, traveling all the way from Burlington, VT to be here! This dance is especially suited to folks at any age who have never tried contra dancing before.

Musicians include Michelle Kaminsky, Sakiko Mori, myself, and more! Hope to see you there.

violins going home & a giant ox dance!

2009-10-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

Fiddles started making their way to new homes last week (including one lucky student with a purple violin!)

Last night I went to Rehoboth, MA to check out what was an incredible gathering of new dancers. The Youth Mandolin Orchestra of the North Rhine had flown in from Germany the night before and was visiting the Providence Mandolin Orchestra -- both those groups visited the Rehoboth Jammers: a group of musicians, callers and dancers who get together to play music every week and dance to it every month. This was their largest gathering that I know of. The best part was how willing all of these new dancers were to try something as silly as the Ox dance. Bob leads in a fun and straight-forward way -- there's no reason not to follow him!

Holding "violin" boxes

2009-10-06T09:31:00.001-04:00

Our first fiddle lessons over the past week have been packed: holding violin cereal boxes, practicing bow holds on over-sized pencils, learning to allemande & do-si-do, and reading basic rhythms.

Families enrolled live in Pawtucket, Central Falls & North Providence and our students range in age from 7 to 16. Everyone has a different reason for being there, but all have one thing in common: can't wait to hold the real fiddles!

Youth Dance Weekend

2009-09-29T15:02:00.000-04:00

Surrounded by fall folliage in Plymouth, VT this weekend, I danced and played at Youth Dance Weekend.

It was a whirlwind of movement to tunes new and old (the "techno contra" began at 1 am), and a good time to sit and talk with people about who is dancing to and playing this music...and why?

Contra dancing seems to be moving healthily toward a strong, inter-generational future (with weekends like this, who could deny that?). In other ways, contra dance, while already a mish-mosh of many traditions, has had trouble sharing the dance and music with people diverse in race and class -- not just in age.

Yes, I believe that these traditions are precious in and of themselves (as beautiful, historic music & movements), but More Importantly, I believe that these traditions are precious because of what they do for us as people, as groups, as communities. Contra dance visibly brings people together: to move together, make eye contact, smile at each other, trust one another.
This stuff is worth making accessible. It's worth sharing.

Video: Dancing in the Garden

2009-09-21T07:54:00.000-04:00

Check out 1:35 into the video and you'll hear Elzic's Farewell and see the dancing for yourself!

Community Partners

2009-09-16T08:45:00.001-04:00

Fiddle & Dance Project will be working closely with two organizations throughout this year:

1. Community MusicWorks (CMW) in Providence, RI, will incubate this project, offering physical and mentoring support in the office and acting as a fiscal agent. Fiddle & Dance Project is both informed and inspired by Rachel's two-year immersion in CMW's culture and organization through the Fellowship Program and shares CMW's philosophy of music and social change.

2. Woodlawn Community Development Corporation, or Woodlawn CDC, "strives to improve the economic and social well-being of the Woodlawn Community, with an emphasis on low-income residents (%77), by empowering them through education, advocacy and innovation." Woodlawn CDC will host Fiddle & Dance Project's weekly lessons this year as well as some special events.

Community MusicWorks' Fiddle Lab Performance at Slater Mill

2009-09-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

Community MusicWorks Fiddle Lab players performed tunes at the Labor & Ethnic Heritage Festival at Slater Mill in Pawtucket on Sunday, generating buzz both about their playing and about the Fiddle & Dance Project.

This festival was part of the larger Pawtucket Arts Festival, which continues over the next few weeks. Tunes we played included Mairi's Wedding, Have you been to Ireland, Roddy McCorley, Angeline the Baker & All the Way to Galway. Thanks to Michelle Kaminsky & Adrienne Taylor for joining in the music making!

Lots of festival attendees joined our email list to find out more about upcoming special events and dances. You can receive updates, too, by emailing fiddleanddanceproject@gmail.com

dancing in the garden

2009-08-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

Today there were two sign-up events for the Fiddle & Dance Project: one in Central Falls at the Back-to-school celebration and one in the Pawtucket community garden space on Barton & Nickerson Streets. Here we are dancing the Foula Reel to the live tunes of Kati and Chris on fiddle and guitar. Thanks all for a great afternoon!

what, how & why

2009-08-17T17:29:00.000-04:00

Here’s What the Fiddle & Dance Project is about:

-empowering kids, parents, grandparents as learners, teachers & performers

-cultivating leadership among youth and adults in a diverse, under-served community

-strengthening ties within and across peer groups in the community

Here’s How:

-exploring, trying, learning, practicing & sharing fiddle tunes as individuals and as a group

-dancing to this music (eventually, to each other making this music) across generational lines

Here’s Why fiddling & dance:

-these tunes are Old, yet each player has the potential to breathe new life into them—to reinvent them and own them.

-this music is participatory, group-oriented and often purposeful (to get people on their feet, dancing!)

-community dance is about looking other people in the eye, smiling, & then moving together

-the process takes time, just as the goals do—just as building relationships do. Learning fiddling takes focus, commitment & overcoming frustrations—but the results are invaluable

Recruitment Events

2009-08-12T17:30:00.000-04:00

Fiddle & Dance Project will have a sign-up table with information (and in some cases, music) at the following events:

August 22nd, 4-6 PM, PCDC Garden Celebration, corner of Barton & Nickerson Streets, Pawtucket, RI (with community dancing and live music from 5-5:30 PM)

August 30th, 12-5 PM, Labor & Ethnic Heritage Festival, Slater Mill, Pawtucket, RI

(with performances by Rachel and Community MusicWorks Fiddle Lab students from 12-12:30 PM)