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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers strike a chord Comment By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 12, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 12, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News It brought to mind a scene from “Places in the Heart” or “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” In a room filled with sweet strings and melancholy, folks smiled at one another and danced the two-step. The adjacent room had a long table with sandwiches, cookies and coffee. I’d stepped back to a former decade that Saturday, when I paid a visit to the Ashland Community Center. You may recall a few weeks back when I mentioned having met Bruce and Judy McGarvey over ice cream treats at the Lake Creek Store. I’d learned that Judy wasn’t just an active member of the Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers, but, according to Ron Bolstad, publicity chairman for the OOTF, District 4, “Judy’s the energy, the spark of our local district, and is the initiator of their outreach to youngsters.” She won last year’s statewide fiddling competition in Salem, having taken first place three of the last five years. Judy handed me her business card with upcoming dates, inviting me to have a listen. She easily sold me on making their next jam in Ashland. I counted about 25 acoustic musicians. Many cradled a fiddle, but I noted guitars, mandolins, a stand-up bass, harmonica, one accordion, a ukulele and one resonator mandolin strummed by Dave Basden, a blind man, not that his fingers couldn’t see and move their way over the strings so familiar to them. In the mix, I saw Don Maddox, the lone surviving member of the group, Maddox Brothers and Rose, America’s popular hillbilly band from the late 1930s through the '50s. When Don fiddled and crooned "High Desert Waltz," the dance floor filled. There are about 90 members of the Oregon association in District 4, and about half are musicians. Membership is inexpensive, and Carol Ferrara is the woman in charge. These folks from all walks of life — professors, beauticians, nurses, construction workers — come together for the love of music and keeping America’s musical history alive and kicking. At monthly jams, members sign up to take turns leading the group in a well-seasoned favorite. They welcome all acoustic musicians. No charge — donations welcome. A few old-timey numbers I recognized. Titles like "Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone," "Detour," and "Keep on the Sunny Side," were familiar. "Rat Cheese Under the Hill," not so much, but it rang lively. One misconception I held was that the Oldtime Fiddlers were old. They weren’t. Three teens played fiddles and a few mid-lifers, even those advanced in mere years, would remain young. Take, for example, Jim Winslow, who at age 99 strummed the guitar and sang "Jambalaya" so convincingly, I wanted a steaming bowl brought to me right then. Later, he told me, “I’m always busy. If you ain’t got nothing to do, you can watch TV.” During a break, my friend, Linda, and I got up to leave, but Judy stopped us. She reminded me I hadn’t heard her chicken medley yet. So, we took our seats for an earful of the theme song ode to chickens everywhere (you’d recognize it) fiddled with energy and skill on her classic 1880s German violin. Judy is a nurse who still knows how to cure what ails you. If you have a youngster interested in free lessons this fall, phone her at 541-779-8145. To find out more about this generous and talent-rich organization and view its busy calendar, visit www.ootfa4.org. I’m hooked, of course. I have the day marked for the Eagle Point Vintage Faire on May 9, when they’ll strike up some lively notes at the historic Butte Creek Mill. Judy laughed and said, “If they knew how much fun we were having, they’d probably tax it.” Having just retrieved my taxes, her sentiment was painfully ironic. I still see their faces and hear the honeyed strains reminiscent of simpler days when we better understood the value of community. An Oldtime Fiddler jam gives us the opportunity. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer living in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected]. By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 12, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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