To play and to dance

As dance enthusiasts of varying ages gather inside the patriotic confines of a local hall — in this case, the Hyde Park VFW — a well-known tune could be wafting through the air, or it could be one suited for a waltz. You might not get a jig, but there could be one or two tunes where the steps pick up.

At these once-a-month fiddle meets, every number is a big surprise, and a big hit to boot.

For the Northeast Fiddlers Association, the monthly fiddle meets are both ritual and revival. They are the best of times for the fiddle players, who once a month hold their events in small Vermont towns.

“Playing the fiddle is a joyful activity. We do it to remind ourselves of old tunes and to learn new ones,” says Jill Newton, a fiddler who’s

one of the organizing forces for the group. “We do it because we enjoy each other’s company, and the friendships that have evolved.”

Go ahead; jump in

On Sunday, Feb. 5, the fiddle players took over the VFW Hall in Hyde Park. For five straight hours, they plucked or bowed their instruments as people streamed on and off the dance floor.

Some people danced a while, then took a break Others stayed on the dance floor for every number. The musicians played to the final note.

“I don’t think that ‘talent’ has anything to do with it,” Newton said when asked about the talent level needed to be part of a fiddle meet. “Some folks have been fiddling all their lives, and others only picked it up after they retired, because they loved fiddle music.”

This is not a group of mega-egos and seekers of the spotlight.

“The fiddlers are very welcoming to fiddlers at any level,” Newton says. “Some are self-taught, and some learned from a family member.”

Newton herself has been at it a while.

“I took violin lessons as a child, so being able to read music has always been a help to me,” she said.

Newton wrote the Northeast Fiddlers statement of purpose: “NEFA is a group of fiddlers, other musicians, and folks who come to their meets to dance, socialize and enjoy the music.”

They’ve been at it for more than 50 years, hosting fiddle meet on the first Sunday of every month (the second Sunday if it’s a holiday weekend).

It’s held at an American Legion or VFW hall in one or another of the towns in northern and central Vermont.

The association’s now talking about scheduling an occasional third Sunday meet in another part of the state “to increase awareness and possibly increase membership,” Newton says.

You don’t have to be a member of NEFA to attend and participate, but the $12-a-year dues payment is appreciated.

Solo, or with friends

All fiddle meets begin with a jam that lasts for one hour. Fiddlers (and some guitar, mandolin and banjo players) sign up on a numbered list when they arrive, and then either join the jamming session or get something to eat at the concession booth.

A few can be found tuning their instruments, or getting in some practice time before taking the stage. Some just socialize with old and new friends.

At 1 o’clock in the early afternoon, the moderator takes the list and starts calling fiddlers up to the stage to each play three tunes.

Newton explained that, when a fiddler’s name is called, he or she might play solo or invite as many people as they want to join them on the stage. A piano and guitar player are available to back up those fiddlers who don’t have a backup person.

She said a highlight of the events is the number of people who come to just listen, dance, and enjoy the music. The meets give people who do not usually play with others — or in front of others — the chance to do so. They provide an opportunity to meet new fiddlers, hear different styles of playing, learn new tunes and enjoy a very sociable Sunday afternoon.

And then there are the perks.

People who have been members of the Northeast Fiddlers Association for at least 10 years become lifetime members upon their 80th birthday, and no longer have to pay dues.

At present, more than 25 percent of the organization’s members are lifetime members. In addition to the fiddle meets, the annual dues of $12 give you bimonthly newsletters and a free $15 turkey dinner at the annual Christmas party at the Canadian Club in Barre.

Something deeper

For Newton and her fellow fiddlers, what they do is more than just play music, although that is still important. It’s about keeping alive something deeper.

“Square dancing to fiddle music is a great tradition in Vermont,” she said. “In the early part of the 20th century, if you had transportation, you could go to a square dance almost any night of the week at a Vermont town hall or Grange hall.

“There is a great tradition of French Canadian fiddling, and many of the fiddlers and many of the tunes we play are French Canadian.

The VFW, American Legion and Moose Club organizations have all been very welcoming to the fiddlers for the monthly meets, and Newton has a pretty good idea why that is the case.

“Maybe it’s because many of our members are veterans, or maybe they like to host family-friendly events.”

The fiddle meets

Here’s the 2017 schedule for monthly meets of the Northeast Fiddlers Association.

March 5, Moose Club, Williamstown

April 2, VFW, Montpelier

May 7, VFW, Morrisville

July 9 (second Sunday), American Legion, Waterbury

Aug. 5 (first Saturday), at Lee and Mae Deyette's in East Randolph

Sept. 10 (second Sunday), American Legion, Waterbury

Oct. 1, VFW, Hyde Park

Oct. 22 (fourth Sunday), Moose Club, Bellows Falls

Nov. 5, VFW, Morrisville

Dec. 10 (second Sunday), Canadian Club, Barre (Christmas party)