A Pianist Among Fiddlers
My little sister, always one to dive head-first into whatever subject interests her at the time, decided one day that she wanted to play the fiddle. Granted, this started as a choice that was made for her, as my folks decreed that she must play a musical instrument of some sort. And since her big sister was already playing piano, she decided that was not an option and instead settled on violin. (Though ukulele and xylophone were also considered.) She tried the traditional route and studied classical music with an overly strict teacher, and in very short time decided that classical was not for her. But still, she loved the feel and sound of a violin. So, she found another teacher, (one we will call C for now,) who taught my sister the ways of the fiddle and opened her eyes to a world of fun, upbeat music. This foot-stomping, energetic style of music was much more my sister’s speed! Then one day C mentioned an organization that she had participated in some years ago, and how beneficial it had been for her when it came to playing the fiddle.
Enter BC Fiddle Orchestra. This was a lively organization of young people led by Daniel Lapp, a man with a visible passion for the music he taught. My sister signed on, eager to play some of the jigs, waltzes and folk songs that BCFO offered. Imagine her dismay when she was placed in the beginner level with students who were younger than her, all of them playing the equivalent of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on repeat for hours.
She disliked this level so much, in fact, that she begged mum to talk to Daniel and convince him to move her into the more advanced level. He agreed, but only after she spent a year in the beginner group. And so she gritted her teeth and stuck it out.
After a year, she was transferred to a higher level. Even though the learning curve was quite steep, she kept at it for several years.
At some point, it became apparent that BCFO was lacking in accompaniment—they had a pianist and perhaps even a guitar or two, but they were looking for another member to add to the orchestra. The idea was suggested to me that I could play piano alongside the fiddlers. I liked the songs, and so for lack of any real reason not to, I joined BCFO.
All of a sudden, I, like my sister, found I had to learn a new song on the spot, and keep time with everyone else. I got off easy, however, as I only played the accompanying chords instead of the melody. But all of a sudden I had gone from reading very structured, piano-focused sheet music to lead sheets that were usually no more than a line of melody with the chord name written above. Where I once had several weeks to learn a song, I now had a few minutes. And I had to remember what made up a G chord, a D7 chord or an A minor chord right away, because if I was off, Daniel would hear it and we might have to start again. Although perhaps I give myself too much credit; often the piano could barely be heard over the room full of violins (and occasionally a couple cellos, a trumpet and an accordion,) all being played at full volume.
Certainly there were tough days—sessions when I felt completely useless, when Daniel would be frustrated or disappointed with us, when no one wanted to play the same song over and over, when nobody could focus. But when I look back at my time at BCFO, the benefits are pretty clear to see. I didn’t realize it at the time, but playing alongside the orchestra gave me “lighter fingers.” As an adult now teaching young piano students, I’ve noticed that some of my kids, especially the older ones, will be rather “solid” when they play the piano. They put all their weight into their fingers and it feels like every chord is as heavy and loud as they can make it. These “heavy fingers” don’t work in BCFO—you have to keep up! So I learned how to be light and leap from place to place.
That, and BCFO was fundamental in building up my knowledge of basic chords. (Though there are still some that baffle me.) I learned about inversions in an attempt to make my own task easier; why move all the way from G to C when a second inversion of a C chord would do the trick? It all sounded just as good!
Playing among a group also helped to ease me into feeling comfortable on stage. I still get nervous if I have to perform, as anybody might, however the shock was lessened with the knowledge that I was not the center of attention, that I was surrounded by other musical people and that we were all contributing to the performance. Of course I had gone through the experience of performing solo, something that left my stomach queasy and my heart pounding. The difference between waiting for my turn at a piano recital versus waiting in the wings at a BCFO performance was noticeable.
All this being said, playing music in groups, whether it be choir, orchestra, or even a jam session may not be for everyone. I eventually left BCFO to continue playing piano on my own. My sister carried on with the group for a while, and I attended some shows and even some dances—a wonderfully fun experience that I’ll remember for years! While we both experienced the steep learning curve of a fiddle jam, we both grew from this experience as musicians. I still have copies of those songs we used to play and will bring them out whenever an opportunity arises.
