marianne danehy
FIDDLING
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There’s no other way to say it, fiddling is just plain fun! As soon as we break out into fiddle tunes, the excitement and energy level soars. The rhythmic, catchy melodies are hard to stop playing. We play Irish jigs and reels, old time, pretty waltzes, polkas and more. Most of my students learn fiddle tunes along with the Suzuki repertoire, although I have some students who focus on fiddle music. At Suzuki group lessons we often play some fiddle tunes with my husband, Charlie on guitar. Sometimes Charlie and I will get our studios together for a student jam. He teaches guitar, mandolin and bass. I use a variety of books and materials to teach fiddle tunes. Some are available for free on the Internet. However, I like to use books written specifically for fiddle, such as Hope Grietzer’s book, Learn to Fiddle.
Charlie and I love acoustic music of various traditional styles, and we take every opportunity to attend jams with friends and future friends at festivals and house parties. Some of our favorite festivals are the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas; Bluegrass on the River in Pueblo, Colorado; the Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival in Northglenn, Colorado; The High Mountain Hay Fever Festival in Westcliffe, Colorado and the Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival in Palisade, Colorado. A good way to get into jamming is to regularly attend jam sessions, and there are several in the Pikes Peak Region. For one, the Black Rose Acoustic Society holds various jam sessions; the Kids’ Jam is especially helpful and welcoming for young people starting out. There are also sessions for bluegrass, Gospel, radio oldies, Irish, rockabilly and other styles. Music provides a wonderful community!
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