Where are the fiddlers? I have been noticing in the last few years that fiddle playing is dying. Oh there are still a few left, but not many! And good fiddlers are getting rare as hens teeth.

Is it just laziness? is there none today willing to put in that much time? Are you playing mandolin and banjo because it's easier and can be achieved without the mbuttive effort the violin demands?

There are 10's of thousands of pretty good copies of J.D. Crowe and zillions of renditions of Chris Thile (who knows about the spelling). Chris doesn't impress me anyway as I have never heard an original lick from him, just redoo's of Sam Bush licks from the 60's :) Point is, there is a glut of banjo players and mandolin players. A lot of them are great musicians, but where are the copies of Kenny Baker, Byron Berline, and Stuart Duncan?

I mean after all, one only has to listen to Stuart pull a blues bow on something like "Workin on a Building" to understand that all the banjo's and mandolins and guitars in the world could never do that! Some of you need to let that envy become inspiration and drive and get on with learning that art yourself.

It is to where in our area that we are one of three bands that still has a fiddle! And we have bunches of bands around here. We need more young fiddlers comming on. Become good on a banjo or mandolin or guitar and what have you done? I know where there are 50 of each right now. But become good on the fiddle and the world will weed-eat a path to your door!

While there is nothing wrong with being a great mandolin player or banjoist, I encourage you to seriously consider spending that same time with a violin. Bluegrbutt will be a better place with 5 piece bands again and that lonesome backup filling the holes and cutting in the aftertime.

Think about it, if a band looses a good banjo player or mandolin player or guitarist, that hole can be filled with just a phone call or two. But this day in time, if a band looses a good fiddle player, they are ruined! I know it is 4 times as hard, but if you start now, you can get there! Encourage youngsters to start on the fiddle. I have a youngster right now (10 years old) that I even gave a fiddle and am not charging him for lessons because he wants it so bad. That old box is a small price to pay if I can see him make it as a fiddler.

Give a kid a fiddle this Christmas, or buy yourself one! Bill Monroe, Chubby Wise, and Curly Fox will look down from on high and bless you for it

C YA

Mitch

-- "Come by and sit a spell with me at www.volstate.net-~mitch "