Many older players contributed the tunes that are learned in this class, including some who were first identified and documented by Gerry Milnes in the late 1970s and 80s. The clawhammer style is foremost, with some forays into simple up-picking methods and use of the banjo as a simple backup to the fiddle. Gerry performs with the old-time West Virginia band, Gandydancer, and has several recordings, including one with dulcimer player Lorraine Lee Hammond and a new Gandydancer CD due out this summer. He has won first place in old-time banjo at the West Virginia State Folk Festival, the Vandalia Gathering and the Appalachian String Band Festival at Clifftop. 15 to 20 Intermediate-level fiddlers have an opportunity to learn from one of the leading proponents of West Virginia traditional fiddle styles.
Participants learn some essential techniques and a basic repertoire of West Virginia fiddle pieces.
The emphasis is on learning tunes by ear in the oral tradition, and students are encouraged to record tunes in class. DAVE BING , from Harmony, W. Va., has spent years tracking down the music of older musicians from central West Virginia. An influential figure in the state s traditional music community, he is a gifted teacher and has taught countless fiddle workshops. Dave performs both solo and as a member of Gandydancer. His music has taken him to Ireland, Canada, and England, and his many recordings include Fiddlin Solo, and a new CD with Dwight Diller, In England.