Musos range from old hands to complete beginners. The Fiddlehead Festival at Yinnar reminded Jacqui Paulson of the sheer joy of creating music with friends and strangers.
By Jacqui Paulson
JUMPING in a car loaded with instruments and heading up to Yinnar might not be everybody's idea of a good time but it was the place to be for musicians and music lovers last Saturday.
The third annual Fiddlehead Festival drew people from all over Victoria and after my first visit I could see why. From the moment we arrived, we were inundated with music. Everywhere you looked people were carrying instruments and bopping along to the music playing over the PA.
The list of performers was like a who's who of folk festivals: outside on the grass you could listen to the Jambusters, Ukelicious, Steve Schultz Drumming, Briagalong Bush Band, Redwood, Borderline, Coalville Road, Slim Dime and the Prairie Kings, Strzelecki Stringbusters, Tim Woods, Salubrious, The Nigellas, Massed Sing, Bakersfield Glee Club, Hedonistic Pleasures, Brody Young, Karavana Flamenca and The Molly Maguires.
The indoor stage featured The Harmonizers, Acoustic Kitchen, Moore Fiddling Around, Appalachian Heaven, The Hollands, Dani Capron, Andrew Claremont, Bent Street, Faux Grass, The Ruminators and Folk Train.
The festival isn’t just about listening to music but also about making music. Workshops included The Big Sing led by Mirboo North Vocal Nosh, clawhammer banjo with Ian Alexander, fiddle with Maggie Duncan, mandolin with Andrew Claremont, a mighty old-timey jam session with the Jambusters, drumming/whack it! with Steve Schultz, ukulele for beginners, a ukulele jam with Harry Harrison, a cappella singing with the Harmonizers, rehearsal for massed singing with Jane Coker, guitar with Peter Chambers, and circus workshops for the kids.
We began with the huge craft market, thinking we could nip round then get on with what we had really come for. It was like walking through a megastore for musicians. The quick nip round turned into a slow meander and a lightening of my pocket book was inevitable.
Dragging myself away from the stalls, especially Van Geest Guitars and Lutes, we stumbled on a playable musical sculpture created by the festival organisers. Soon we, too, were whacking away at the “Whackit”. I had to lure the kids away with the promise of food.
Makin’ Our Music Happen
By Betty McLaughlin
I’m bringing my heart back to my community.
It brings out the best in me
Makes me glad to be
Exactly who I am.
A part of something real
Home-grown, hand sewn,
Totally our own.
We’re makin’ our music happen here in Gippsland
So when we’re gathered at Yinnar
Celebrating who we are to each other.
Sing a story, tell a tune.
Join a choir, bay at the moon.
We’re makin’ our music happen here in Gippsland.
Yes we’re makin’ our music happen.
Strings are snappin’, toes are tappin’.
We’re makin’ our music happen here in Gippsland.
Makin’ Our Music Happen was chosen as the festival song
While we enjoyed our lunch, we listened to Jambusters on the outdoor stage. It was only later I realised they were not a band but a group of people who jam together at the Yinnar Pub.
Once hunger was satisfied, our yearning to sing led us towards The Big Sing. Community singing is always great fun and it doubled up as a warm-up for our own performance, the opening act on the indoor stage. The festival came out of the community singing philosophy, and a sense of community was tangible in the sheer joy of creating something with friends and strangers. Community music defies age and is not limited to the very talented or gifted. It recognises that we all have something to share and something to learn, no matter how experienced we are.
In the a cappella workshop led by The Harmonizers, there was the same eagerness in those who had long been teaching music as there was in people experiencing the wonder of making beautiful music for the first time.
To me, the best thing about the festival was watching seasoned performers mixing with less polished performers, jamming with beginners, making music together regardless of ability, and encouraging one another to improve.
Betty McLaughlin captured this in her song, Makin’ Our Music Happen, which was chosen as the festival song and performed by the massed choir. I hope I’ll get another opportunity to make music in Yinnar but till then I’ll sing along to Betty’s song right here in Wonthaggi.
COMMENTS
March 25, 2014
Many thanks Jacqui for your article on the Yinnar Fiddleback Festival. What an incredible lineup of talent. Kicking myself that I missed it but will definitely get there next year!
Vilya Congreave, Wonthaggi
JUMPING in a car loaded with instruments and heading up to Yinnar might not be everybody's idea of a good time but it was the place to be for musicians and music lovers last Saturday.
The third annual Fiddlehead Festival drew people from all over Victoria and after my first visit I could see why. From the moment we arrived, we were inundated with music. Everywhere you looked people were carrying instruments and bopping along to the music playing over the PA.
The list of performers was like a who's who of folk festivals: outside on the grass you could listen to the Jambusters, Ukelicious, Steve Schultz Drumming, Briagalong Bush Band, Redwood, Borderline, Coalville Road, Slim Dime and the Prairie Kings, Strzelecki Stringbusters, Tim Woods, Salubrious, The Nigellas, Massed Sing, Bakersfield Glee Club, Hedonistic Pleasures, Brody Young, Karavana Flamenca and The Molly Maguires.
The indoor stage featured The Harmonizers, Acoustic Kitchen, Moore Fiddling Around, Appalachian Heaven, The Hollands, Dani Capron, Andrew Claremont, Bent Street, Faux Grass, The Ruminators and Folk Train.
The festival isn’t just about listening to music but also about making music. Workshops included The Big Sing led by Mirboo North Vocal Nosh, clawhammer banjo with Ian Alexander, fiddle with Maggie Duncan, mandolin with Andrew Claremont, a mighty old-timey jam session with the Jambusters, drumming/whack it! with Steve Schultz, ukulele for beginners, a ukulele jam with Harry Harrison, a cappella singing with the Harmonizers, rehearsal for massed singing with Jane Coker, guitar with Peter Chambers, and circus workshops for the kids.
We began with the huge craft market, thinking we could nip round then get on with what we had really come for. It was like walking through a megastore for musicians. The quick nip round turned into a slow meander and a lightening of my pocket book was inevitable.
Dragging myself away from the stalls, especially Van Geest Guitars and Lutes, we stumbled on a playable musical sculpture created by the festival organisers. Soon we, too, were whacking away at the “Whackit”. I had to lure the kids away with the promise of food.
Makin’ Our Music Happen
By Betty McLaughlin
I’m bringing my heart back to my community.
It brings out the best in me
Makes me glad to be
Exactly who I am.
A part of something real
Home-grown, hand sewn,
Totally our own.
We’re makin’ our music happen here in Gippsland
So when we’re gathered at Yinnar
Celebrating who we are to each other.
Sing a story, tell a tune.
Join a choir, bay at the moon.
We’re makin’ our music happen here in Gippsland.
Yes we’re makin’ our music happen.
Strings are snappin’, toes are tappin’.
We’re makin’ our music happen here in Gippsland.
Makin’ Our Music Happen was chosen as the festival song
While we enjoyed our lunch, we listened to Jambusters on the outdoor stage. It was only later I realised they were not a band but a group of people who jam together at the Yinnar Pub.
Once hunger was satisfied, our yearning to sing led us towards The Big Sing. Community singing is always great fun and it doubled up as a warm-up for our own performance, the opening act on the indoor stage. The festival came out of the community singing philosophy, and a sense of community was tangible in the sheer joy of creating something with friends and strangers. Community music defies age and is not limited to the very talented or gifted. It recognises that we all have something to share and something to learn, no matter how experienced we are.
In the a cappella workshop led by The Harmonizers, there was the same eagerness in those who had long been teaching music as there was in people experiencing the wonder of making beautiful music for the first time.
To me, the best thing about the festival was watching seasoned performers mixing with less polished performers, jamming with beginners, making music together regardless of ability, and encouraging one another to improve.
Betty McLaughlin captured this in her song, Makin’ Our Music Happen, which was chosen as the festival song and performed by the massed choir. I hope I’ll get another opportunity to make music in Yinnar but till then I’ll sing along to Betty’s song right here in Wonthaggi.
COMMENTS
March 25, 2014
Many thanks Jacqui for your article on the Yinnar Fiddleback Festival. What an incredible lineup of talent. Kicking myself that I missed it but will definitely get there next year!
Vilya Congreave, Wonthaggi