BELLOWS FALLS — The Northeast Fiddlers Association is planning a repeat local “fiddle meet,” with another gathering at the Moose Club in Bellows Falls on Sunday, Oct. 21, beginning at noon.
The NEFA is inviting local fiddlers, musicians, and folks who enjoy listening, dancing, and socializing to traditional fiddle music to join them for this free event.
All fiddle meets begin with a jam that lasts for one hour. Fiddlers, (or other instrumentalists) sign up on a numbered list when they arrive and then either join the jamming session 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 or four tunes, depending on the number playing. When a fiddler's name is called, he or she may play solo or invite as many people as wanted 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.
Most of the musicians who sign up are fiddlers, but whistle, mandolin, banjo, and guitar players are also welcome.
A highlight of NEFA 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, NEFA has had a monthly meet open to the public on the first Sunday of every month in one of several northern Vermont towns.
The NEFA meets the first Sunday of every month (the second if the first falls on a holiday weekend) at an American Legion Hall, VFW, or Moose Club in northern Vermont. The schedule is posted at all the meets and in the newsletter.
The idea of having an additional meet in Bellows Falls is to meet new fiddlers and recruit new members. It isn't necessary to be a member of NEFA to attend and participate in the meets, but the yearly dues of $15 (for 2019) are much appreciated.
In addition to the fiddle meets, the annual dues give members a bi-monthly newsletter and a free $15 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 NEFA members are lifetime members.
Further information is available by calling NEFA member Jill Newton at 802-869-3515.