What are Fiddlers' Conventions Anyway?
“Fiddlers’ Conventions” began in the 1920’s and have been handed down from generation to generation in small towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains and across primarily Virginia and North Carolina. Frequently they were ways for the area to come together for food, fellowship, music and to raise money for community needs. That tradition has continued as people have come from wider geographical areas, and indeed from around the world, to enjoy the events. Most Fiddlers’ Conventions are held for a weekend and offer prize money and ribbons for the best Old Time and Bluegrass bands, as well as to individuals who compete for best banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass, vocals and occasionally other instruments. Youth and adults compete in separate categories. Bands and individuals typically pay a fee to register and receive their entry fee back after they play on stage.
The Old Fiddlers’ Convention of Galax, Virginia, is an especially fine example of this tradition. Organized and run by the Moose Lodge, it is a week-long event that attracts thousands of “locals” as well as people from around the world. There’s as much going on in the campground area as on the stage and visitors often wander and spend time in both places. Often dancers and pickers try out their abilities in the parking lots and campsites when they would not yet dare go on the stage.
Older and more accomplished musicians informally and generously share their skills with others, who sometimes become even more accomplished than their teachers. Camping on the grounds brings bands together for jam sessions all day and late into the night. People fall asleep with softer, drifting sounds that move the music deep into the soul.
The connections between young and old over the years have kept the music alive and enabled it to morph into even more beautiful and fascinating sounds, appealing to a wide audience of music lovers. As people have traveled and shared, Old Time and Bluegrass music have reached ever widening audiences. There is a large community of beginning, semi-professional, and accomplished Bluegrass and Old Time musicians in Denver and throughout Colorado making Denver an ideal place for a Bluegrass Convention.
What are Bluegrass Festivals?
“Bluegrass Festival” is a broad category, encompassing old time fiddlers’ conventions, family weekends, camping, street fairs, very large music festivals and everything in between. Festivals are broadly available across the US. Most bring in well-known bands and some offer competition and workshops for attendees. The ticket prices are often higher for these events in order to cover the cost of professional bands. There are numerous famous Bluegrass Festivals in Colorado.
What makes Old Time music, "Old Time"?
Old Time Music goes back to Ireland, Scottland and other European countries and was brought to the United States by the early settlers. It found a strong toehold in the southern Appalachian Mountain region where West African vocals and instrumental styles added variety. Played with stringed, acoustical instruments, including the banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass and mandolin, it is considered a precursor to country music and bluegrass. The banjo is played differently than in other music genres, using “clawhammer style,” made famous by Earl Stanley and so named because the hand was held in a claw-like position to pick and strum the strings.
What makes Bluegrass music, "Bluegrass"?
Bluegrass Music became famous with Bill Monroe’s band, the Bluegrass Boys, in the 1940’s. Considered the father of Bluegrass, he chose the name for his band from his home state Kentucky, the Bluegrass State. Earl Scruggs, an original member of Bill’s band, gave bluegrass music a distinctive sound with his three finger picking style on the banjo. Bluegrass is played with acoustic, stringed instruments – the banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and bass. The dobro and harmonica are sometimes added. Bluegrass music tends to showcase instruments and players in the band by giving each an opportunity to take a “break” giving the “picker” a chance to interpret the melody in his or her own style while other instruments strum the background and keep the beat.