I was inspired to take on a personal project from a recent APA meeting I had attended. The photographer decided to get involved with the retired blues musicians of North Carolina. He created amazing promotional piece from that work that got him some amazing new clients. So I wanted to do the same but with another style of music that doesn't get a lot of publicity or coverage. I chose to look into the bluegrass festivals of North Carolina to start my journey in preserving the music and the people that play the music. I really didn't think anyone would really talk to me because I had my 5d mark II with a 70-200 lens attached to it. I am sometimes shy especially when I am trying to make contacts in the field of music that I would like to capture and preserve. Boy was I in for a real treat instead of trying to focus on the main performances on the main stage. I decided to let the music be my guide and the first jam session I encountered was only a short distance from where I parked my car. There were three gentleman, one a lawyer who played the bass, the other was a gentleman in his late 40's maybe who picked up playing the fiddle after he had attended his first Fiddlers Grove Festival back in the early 70's. The third gentleman was a banjo player and he had acquired a very special banjo from the late 1800's I think. Together these three gentleman would get together at the festival to play the music they love and to share their stories of the music and the history. I wasn't expecting a huge history lesson but I got one and it is pretty interesting. I had introduced myself and told them that I was a photographer from Charlotte that had asked to come up and document the event and I also wanted to shoot video and take pictures of the instruments etc. The instruments are part of the history and I thought it was important to capture them when they made an appearance and to also capture the sounds that they produced. So for the video that I took I wanted it to raw and kind of unscripted, like you were looking in on a private jam session from folks that just love to play. One of the first things I learned when talking to these guys is that there are two kinds of sounds for bluegrass. Bluegrass is the sound that came after World War II and focuses mainly on each of the musicians individually. The Old Time Music are the instruments that predate World War II and the focus is on the music and not the musicians themselves. They gave me some names of other people I should look for and probably talk to and also pointed me to the direction of the lake where I would probably find more jam sessions. I took a video of trio playing a song for me and then I took some photographs of them and their instruments before I moved on to another group. There is so much more to this day and I will eventually be sharing it all with you. One of the key things you will learn about Fiddlers Grove is that it is a place that keeps the music alive and also inspires and turns people and kids onto the music. There are people that have come to Fiddlers Grove for over 30 years and they continue to come back year after year to play and meet others folks that love the music. Everyone there is really easy going and they are so accepting of strangers that have the same kind of passion for the music as I do. Fiddlers Grove is put on by the Van Hoy Family up in Union Grove NC. Union Grove is on an hour drive from Charlotte and is so worth getting to experience! For only $5 you get to hear and listen to some of the most talented people in the Carolinas who are passionate about preserving the style of music that reaches into the depths of their soul and just makes them happy! Saturday is the main day filled with lots of music and dancing and is so worth the trip. The best kept secret though is to mingle with those that are camping and having their own jam sessions. You can learn a lot and even get to see some truly one of a kind historic instruments. I got to see Martin Guitars, Wayne Anderson Guitars and Fiddles, a banjo from the late 1800's, an antique Honner Accordion with golden pearl inlay, antique and classic Bass's from the early to mid 1900's. There is something special when you talk to people to find out why they enjoy the festival and then they tell you they have a special treat hiding in their tent. When they pull those rare musical instruments out and begin to play a tune for you then you know you are in the right place. To learn more about the festival you can go here :
www.fiddlersgrove.com
Sometimes you find the unique people at festivals like Fiddlers Grove all you have to do is journey to the camps and let the music lead you to where you should be.... You might just brighten someone's day!
( Alan Davis with his Honner Accordion)
(From Left to Right Rob Morrison who plays the Fretless Banjo, Reid Ringer who picked up the fiddle after coming to his first Fiddlers Grove Experience back in the early 70's, and Ronald Raxter who plays the Bass.)
Photos were taken by Essence of Soul Photographer Tony Russo and are copyright protected.
