The New Year brings Community School Fiddle Classes to the Island. These inexpensive classes have been introducing and encouraging fiddling around the island for many years. Quite often people who start at community school go on to join the various chapters of fiddlers on the Island.

Of course, Vince Keoughan has a popular fall community school fiddle class at the Donagh School. This winter, Cardigan Community School is offering a beginner fiddle class taught by Urban Chaisson and Phillip Bradley, starting Thursday Jan. 9th at 7 pm. Murray Harbour Community School violin class starts Jan. 6 at 7pm, and is led by Charlie MacNeil. St. Eleanor’s Community School held at Greenfield Elementary offers two classes, beginner fiddle taught by Blair Strongman and intermediate fiddle taught by Fraser Squires, starting Wednesday Jan. 8th at 7 pm. Contact information can be found on the PEI Community Schools website.

This year for the first time the LEAP (Learning Elders Arts) program is funding a free beginner fiddle class for seniors 50 and over, in conjunction with the Friendly Circle Seniors Club of Murray Harbour. The classes start on Thursday morning at 10 am on Jan. 16 and are entirely free, and violins are provided at no cost to the student! For information, call the teacher Amy Swenson at 962-2273 or email her at gagliano31@hotmail.com .We have room for a couple more students in that class. In winter, all of the Chapters of the PEI Fiddlers continue their usual practices, except for the laid back folks at Southern Kings who take a break until early April – it seems they don’t care for winter night driving….

Best Wishes for a musical New Year!