Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Appalachian Fiddlers’ Influence in Florida
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Many fiddlers from the Appalachian region have visited Florida, influencing the musicians and creating an important cultural connection. Some have been “snowbirds” that winter in Florida and others have visited as guests at festivals or events like the Florida State Fiddlers Convention. North Carolina old time musicians, Kirk Sutphin and Riley Baugus were featured guests at the Florida Fiddlers Convention in 2009. Their connections to Tommy Jarrell and other important musicians in the tradition provided an invaluable resource for those learning the style in Florida. Tennessee fiddler, Ralph Blizard spent many winters in Florida and was the Guest of Honor at the Florida Old Time Music Championship in 1984. These are just a few examples of the many fiddlers that will be discussed in this presentation, along with their significance to the musicians and community.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Aisha Ivey is an award-winning fiddler, teacher and researcher. She started and directs The Old Time Ensemble class at Florida State University, a class that focuses on Appalachian old-time music and dance. Aisha is a past recipient of the Appalachian Digital Archives Fellowship and the Berea College Special Archives maintains the collection of her research on migrations of Appalachian Old Time fiddling styles. She is a current doctoral student in music education at FSU.
Appalachian Fiddlers’ Influence in Florida
Many fiddlers from the Appalachian region have visited Florida, influencing the musicians and creating an important cultural connection. Some have been “snowbirds” that winter in Florida and others have visited as guests at festivals or events like the Florida State Fiddlers Convention. North Carolina old time musicians, Kirk Sutphin and Riley Baugus were featured guests at the Florida Fiddlers Convention in 2009. Their connections to Tommy Jarrell and other important musicians in the tradition provided an invaluable resource for those learning the style in Florida. Tennessee fiddler, Ralph Blizard spent many winters in Florida and was the Guest of Honor at the Florida Old Time Music Championship in 1984. These are just a few examples of the many fiddlers that will be discussed in this presentation, along with their significance to the musicians and community.
