Running a bit late on this quarterly report. September closed out a rollercoaster of a Q3 on a high note. The Happy Hollow Old-Time Music Gathering was a particular highlight of the the last three months, and perhaps the most fulfilling musical event I've experienced this year. After writing a preview about the event last time, I embraced an opportunity to drive three hours south to Nelsonville, Ohio, to camp and play tunes for a delightful weekend to end the month.
From Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 24-27, I attended several workshops and jams. Two of workshops I attended focused on Ohio tunes, presented by Whitt Mead, one for fiddle and the other for banjo. Coincidentally, two of the tunes taught appear on my "Ohio Dozen" list that I compiled in 2023, and another I included on my list of common tunes from Buckeye State fiddlers.
Two of the workshops I attended were hosted by fiddler Rhys Jones, one on bowing fundamentals and another on old-time fiddle standards. I've been a fan of Jones' fiddling for years, particularly on the Bigfoot Stringband album, I've Got a Bulldog. As a workshop leader, I found him to be an engaging teacher and a clear communicator. As someone who often finds it difficult to pick up a tune in a workshop setting, I felt his teaching allowed me to gain real understanding about the tunes and techniques.
Mark Olitsky presented a workshop on crooked tunes for banjo, teaching "Wild Rose of the Mountain" and "Icy Mountain." While I already knew the latter tune, Olitsky taught it in a way that allowed me to add something new dimension to my playing.
Erynn Marshall hosted a jam and a workshop that I attended. I've actually attended a workshop by her in the past, and I used her instructional DVD when I was first getting started in fiddle. She might be the most jovial fiddler I've ever been around. Her sessions were very enjoyable.
Jones, Marshall and Olitsky also performed during the two evening concerts, along with a full complement of old-time luminaries, including Earl White, Jim Childress, Rick Good, and Janie Rothfield. It was exciting to hear these excellent musicians.
Hilarie Burhans was the primary organizer behind the programming at Happy Hollow and served as the master of ceremonies, played during the evening concerts and hosted nightly jams in her tent. I'm so thankful I got to connect and play some tunes with her.
The camping grounds was a bit on the soggy side, as the region had experienced flooding during the preceding days. In fact, they had to move the Happy Hollow festivities to a different area of the Snow Fork Event Center grounds as the original location was under water. Kudos to the event staff for being able to make that change seamlessly.
Attending Happy Hollow made me feel rejuvenated, coming home with a head full of tunes that I'm hoping I can hold onto and add to my repertoire. I took a lot of videos.
Now, onto the rest of the Q3 recap.
The stats
Q3 marked my second highest quarter overall in terms of playing time this year with 28.5 hours, a nice rebound from my Q2 downturn. However, September ended up being my best month with 21 hours total.
Banjo: This marked my second highest banjo playing quarter with 15.5 hours, while September matched my highest month with 10 hours.
Fiddle: This was my highest fiddle playing quarter of the year with 13 hours, with September outpacing all other months by far with 11 hours.
Jams: I didn't get to any jams this quarter, but the festivals I attended provided opportunities to play with others. However, I'm hoping to get out to a few jams during the next three months.
Festivals: In addition to Happy Hollow, I attended the 51st annual Music in the Valley Folk & Wine Festival in July. It was nice to play with other people again, since I had missed out on that opportunity in Q2. Unfortunately, the Raccoon County Music Festival in August was canceled for lack of a sponsor. As I already mentioned, Happy Hollow was great, and I hope to be able to go again next year.
Overview: Unsurprisingly, the bulk of my playing time this quarter was at the two festivals I attended in Q3. It was a bummer to learn that the Raccoon County Music Festival was canceled, just a year after the previous organizers were forced out. In protest, I barely played in August. I'm already halfway through October, and I haven't done a good enough job reviewing my Happy Hollow workshop tunes. This was intended to be published in September, so I'll have to follow up soon with the post I had planned for October, so look for that soon-ish.
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