On Saturday night, the CMW Fiddle Lab was invited to a concert of the Ebony Hillbillies at Common Fence Music in Portsmouth, RI. As we drove into Massachusetts, over a bridge, and back into Rhode Island again, the three cars full of fiddlers were abuzz with excitment about the evening–but we didn't really know what to expect. When we arrived, the room was full of folks finishing the meals they had brought before the concert. We chowed down on our pizza and grabbed some of the few seats that were still open in the back of the room.
After the second tune, we were invited to come sit up front where students could really see the fiddle, bass, banjo and washboard players at close range. Students commented at how they ended some of their tunes the same way we did (foot in the air) and some of last year's fiddle students were amazed to hear one of their first tunes, "Cluck Old Hen," played and sung by the Ebony Hillbillies!
After intermission, both the concert organizers and band asked everyone to get up and dance…and we did! I was so thrilled to see Community MusicWorks students leading the way, encouraging each other to dance, and having fun at the same time. We made up dance steps, danced in pairs, in fours, in a giant circle, and even participated in a conga line! What a great way to enjoy this music and to warm up on a cold night. The general feeling was, as Alexandra said, "Can we come back here?"
-Rachel Panitch, 2nd Year Fellow