Old time fiddling old time
year’s state champion and will compete this weekend
at the state championship in Lebanon.
Today, Ewing plays the fiddle,
mandolin and will begin study­
The Community Center, ing the banjo soon.
which has come under attack
He admits the mandolin is *
recently because of allegedly an unusual instrument. His fid­
too-loud rock music, played dle teacher suggested he take
host to a different kind of music up a second instrument, and a
last weekend.
mandolin is commonly used to
The local chapter of the back up some fiddle music, in­
Old Time Fiddlers held a jam in cluding Irish, Appalachian,
the Center on Sunday, May 8, Canadian and Texan varieties.
Mother’s Day. Approximately Ewing is now taking mandolin
25 fiddle players from lessons from Bob Misley, music
throughout the metropolitan instructor at the College.
area participated in the event.
Unlike many young musi­
This is the fifth one to be held at cians, Ewing said no other
the College.
member of his immediate fami­
ly plays an instrument, except
The days activities started his late grandfather. “My
around noon, as musicians grandpa played classical violin
began to wander into the Mall when he was young,” Ewing
in groups of two and three. By said. “Before he died, he heard
12:30 p.m., nearly two dozen me playing the fiddle and liked
players were standing in it a lot.”
groups, rosining bows and
One of Ewing’s fellow fid­
practicing old favorites such as
dlers, John Melnichuk, was last
“The Tennessee Waltz.”
year’s state champion. He has
No sheet music was pre­ played with the District 7
sented. Most of the fiddler’s group, which encompasses the
repertoire has been passed Portland metro area, for 11
from generation to generation, years.
Melnichuk pointedout that
and everyone seemingly knows
every number. Two fiddlers, most everyone present at the
John Melnichuk and Jason jam was an amateur, himself
Ewing, sat in a corner of the included. Few, if any, ever fid­
Fireside Lounge and practiced dled for a profession. “We
codas of old, American folk have these public jams nearly
every weekend somewhere in
ballads.
Ewing is an accomplished Oregon,” Melnichuk said. “We
fiddler, belying the fact he is 11 have one in the Portland area
years old, a 6th grader from about once a month.”
This jam was a warm-up
Uplands Elementary School.
session for the state competi­
“I went to church one day tion, to be held in Lebanon on
and Grant Wheeler was playing Saturday, May 14. “There will
the fiddle,” Ewing re­ be 100 or more contestants
membered. “Everyone went there,” Melnichuk predicted.
nuts, and I thought ‘Hey, I Competition will be held in the
Pee Wee, Junior, Senior and
could do that!’ So I started.”
That was two years ago. Championship division. The
By J. Dana Haynes
Of The Print
OLD TIME FIDDLERS Dee Johnson of Rock Creek
plays “Plucker’s Mill” on her fiddle.
winners of each group will go
on to the Nationals in Wheezer,
Idaho in June.
At about 1 p.m., the
group’s emcee got up on stage
and called for the 23 fiddlers,
five guitarists, one bass player
and pianist to gather on the
risers. When everyone was
ready, the emcee stood before
the mic and said, “Here we go.
Who’s gonna lead off and what
are you gonna play?
The entire jam had that
same feeling of spontaneity.
Malnichuk, one of the
respected regulars of the
group, shrugged and suggested
a tune called “Boys of Cabbage
Downs.”
Once the number was
selected, all the musicians
chimed in, everyone seeming
to know the number by heart.
When it was over, and the au­
dience of about 100 applaud­
ed, someone else from the
back of the risers shouted out
“Over the Waves,” better
known to non-musicians as
“Those Daring Young Men on
the Flying Trapsze.” Once
again, everyone played along.
The jam lasted till about 5
p.m., when the group began to
disperse. Not everyone left im­
mediately. Many people hung
back, reminiscing with old
friends and looking forward to
the next session or the state
competition.
It is a basically unassuming
group of people, much like the
music they play. They are
gregarious but private, calmly
gathering for a weekend to
keep a traditional form of
entertainment alive.
Photos by Duane Hiersche
fiddling old time fiddling old time fiddling old time fiddling
KATIE MELNICHUK, accompanied by her father John,
plays “Arkansas Traveler.” Katie, age six, was the
youngest player at the jam. John Melnichuk was last
fiddling old