Music making in Middletown, CT

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

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

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."

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

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?

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

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...