Thursday, July 17, 2014

Happiness: Fiddling & Sketching

The Belfast Bay Fiddlers welcome an audience to their weekly rehearsals. I thought I'd died & gone to heaven, attending for the first time. About 20 musicians played tunes like Saint Anne's Reel, Golden Slippers, Angeline the Baker, Whiskey Before Breakfast, Boys of Blue Hill & Reel de Montreal. I used to kind of play guitar & then tin whistle until a wrist injury changed things. And I used to contradance before my knees started creaking. But how I still LOVE to listen!!
Their stands were ipads on which they downloaded the tunes! The smiles on some of their faces as they played were like mirrors for my own feelings. A few of the slow waltzes made me cry. A roomful of joy, you see it, & you feel it vibrating deep in your core. Out the windows the trees were swaying to the music, & whole families of children were dancing on the lawn.
I was shy about taking out my sketchbook. Then, a regular audience member, wife of a guitarist, whipped out a Moleskine. So I whipped out my Moleskine. I almost exclaimed, "Look! We're twins!" As we shared our books we discovered that we are/were both art teachers. Then we hunkered down to sketching as the the fiddlers went on fiddlin'.
Fiddlers & sketchers, working out, practicing, immersed in traditional music...I became a part of a lucky group of people in that room that evening...


9 comments:

  1. Did you make a new friend on top of all this Joy?
    Now that is something.
    Love everything.Your sketches are my dream.
    I am sorry some things have escaped you..but you are enjoying in different ways..
    Sometimes a loss of something brings a gain elsewhere..
    If we are lucky:)
    You are!!

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  2. Oh, I remember those days when I have my sketch book everyday, brings back memories. Now I bring a camera instead.

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  3. Awesome experience. And nice to be able to share it with a fellow teacher.

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  4. ... and I used to... Oh, you don't want to know.
    Can you beat good, free music? I think not.

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  5. Oh these are great sketches my friend. So you were an art teacher - how wonderful. Isn't it amazing how music transports us. Hubby and I often listen to those grand oldies of the 60's and 70's and for just a little while we are teenagers again. Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know you were thinking of my Mom - she got a long super and all is well - God is so good! Have a great week-end.

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  6. I think you were in heaven--and if I'd been there, I would've been watching and sketching YOU enjoying it all so much. xx

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  7. Great visuals for us in this post!

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  8. Rita -- somehow I missed this post when you put it on your blog. Glad I noticed it as I was perusing your blog. Love the sketches -- you astound me with your talent. I love the type of music you describe as being played that night. -- barbara

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