Fiddlin’ on the Farm

The sounds of old-time music will fill the air at Howell Living History Farm.

By: Anthony Stoeckert

TIMEOFF/MARK CZAJKOWKSI

Hunterdon Folk Exchange’s Greg Myers does some fiddling at Howell Living History Farm, where the group will host Fiddlin’ on the Farm.

   Ever wonder if there’s a difference between a fiddle and a violin? Greg Myers has an explanation.
   "Our answer is, violinists don’t smile," says Mr. Myers of the Hunterdon Folk Exchange, which will host Fiddlin’ on the Farm Aug. 25 at Howell Living History Farm in Lambertville.
   The instruments are essentially the same, but fiddle music, according to Mr. Myers, came about in the areas surrounding the Appalachian Mountains in the 19th century. One of its primary purposes was to give people something to dance to (think square dancing). Charlie Daniels’ "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" features fiddle playing (in fact, the song is about a fiddle contest with the devil) and last year’s album from Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, wouldn’t have been the same without Soozie Tyrell’s fiddle playing (though she’s credited as playing violin in the album’s notes).
   "Old-time fiddle was a regional kind of music," says Mr. Myers of West Portal. "They played a certain way in Virginia, and they played a certain way in North Carolina and so on."
   In the 1920s and ’30s, fiddle playing got more modern and jazzy, but there were people who stuck to those original styles and were committed to keeping the music alive.
   "That’s what we originally intended for the contest," Mr. Myers says of those traditional sounds. "But of course, fiddlers come out of the woodwork and play all kinds of styles, old and new. And we don’t discourage it because we think there’s a good cross-pollination where fiddlers learn from each other and expand their styles. And that’s the general idea of the fiddle contest."
   The Hunterdon Folk Exchange hosted its first fiddle contest in 1982 as a winter event called Fiddle in February at Flemington Baptist Church. In its early years it was held at high schools and venues throughout New Jersey, until settling in at Howell Farm about 10 years ago.
   "We wanted to bring fiddle music to the area and help preserve the fiddle tradition, and to provide a place for local fiddlers to play," says Carol Behrens of the Folk Exchange. "At that time there weren’t as many fiddlers as there are now. It’s not hundreds of thousands now, but there were a lot fewer then."
   Thirteen fiddlers competed at that first contest; this year’s will see more than 30, split into two divisions (a junior competition was introduced a few years ago after youngsters started registering).
   The contest aims to give fiddlers a place to share their sounds in a competitive, yet fun atmosphere. It also allows the music’s lovers to share their insights about fiddle playing, and to learn about each other’s styles. For Mr. Myers, that’s an important function since the ranks of people who grew up when fiddle playing was more mainstream are dwindling.
   "In the old days, you could go and sit on the back porch of an old-time fiddler and learn the way he plays," Mr. Myers says. "But you can’t do that so much anymore. So this is like a great sharing of technique and style and inspiration."
   So how does one judge a fiddler? Mr. Myers says the criteria include tone, timing and intonation (meaning the right notes are being played at the right pitch). But perhaps most important are the facets of fiddling that are hard to describe.
   "A lot of it is an intangible feeling," Mr. Myers says. "A fiddler has a certain spirit, a personalized stylistic way of playing. They’re judged on that as well. There’s not real specific criteria really, it’s a matter of judging a person’s spirit."
   And while this is a competition, it’s mostly in fun, no one’s betting a fiddle of gold against anyone’s soul.
   "Fiddlers generally don’t get too angry," he says. "I’ve haven’t been hit over the head yet.
   "There is a certain competitive aspect to it. Everyone wants to win, not only because there’s prize money, but because there’s some prestige that goes with winning as well. There is a good competitive spirit but I’d say it’s positive. It’s not an intense, nerve-wracking thing."
   Other musicians aside from the fiddlers will be at the farm. The Jugtown Mountain String Band featuring Mr. Myers and Ms. Behrens will open the festivities with a few songs. There also will be some guitarists and banjo players to accompany some of the fiddle players. Many of these musicians just show up with their instruments and are asked by a fiddler to join them when they play.
   It’s a day when the music never stops. After the contest, all of the fiddle players get together and play a few songs, then spread out into smaller groups and make music throughout the farm.
   From its beginnings at a church, the festival has grown, and can bring thousands of people to Howell Living History Farm. When asked if the visitors are dedicated fiddle fans, or people looking for something fun to do, Ms. Behrens says it’s a little bit of both.
   Even inclement weather can’t stop the music. Ms. Behrens remembers a contest when rain forced the musicians under a food tent. "It’s a rain or shine event," she says.
   Mr. Myers has been playing the fiddle for about 20 years. He says his fiddling sprang from having played other traditional instruments.
   "I think if you play banjo, guitar and mandolin in these traditional styles, you slowly gravitate toward the fiddle," he says. "It’s the instrument with the sound that’s closest to the human voice. It’s also a sound that I think is very close to the human heart. I think people immediately relate to the sound of the fiddle, just because it has a human voice quality to it. It can express emotions in a more effective way than some of [msu: the: ]the other instruments."
   For Mr. Myers, fiddle and old-time sounds are genuine music, harking back to the days when people sat on their back porch and made their own music.
   "This was music people played at home, before there were radios, before there were TVs," he says. "There’s kind of a more authentic feel to it in terms of it being something that accentuates your life and reflects the human experience."
Fiddlin’ on the Farm will take place at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Wooden’s Lane, Lambertville, Aug. 25, noon-4 p.m. (farm opens at 10 a.m.) Admission is free ($2 material fee for children’s craft activity, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.); food and drink will be available for purchase; (609) 737-3299; www.howellfarm.org