The Fiddle Story

I played the fiddle for years in a small room in the back of the house. I’d close the door and play play play – a great stress reliever and an opportunity for the soft, melodic yet frenetic part of me to express and escape. My wife would hear me and offer comments from the “audience” point of view to help me be a more effective performer. At the time, I didn’t think of performing, but only of releasing that pent-up inner me. But when I did play with people around I received compliments. Sometimes, they didn’t know it was me playing, thinking it was a recording or the radio. Imagine that…

My wife convinced me to “come out” as a celtic fiddler by taking my violin with me to Ireland, telling people play the fiddle, then be prepared to participate if an invitation was offered. I agreed, not realizing that the Irish LOVE live music. She’d write an article about that later appeared in the San Francisco Examiner called “Fiddlin’ Around In Ireland”.

We arrived in Dublin and walked the streets, I with my fiddle strapped to my back and my wife with pen and pad. I played once in St. Stephen’s Green early in the morning right after Easter. There was no one there…I was so nervous that I could hardly move, my hands shaking like a wind-blown leaf. When finished with one of my “good” tunes, the only expression I heard was the unappreciative squack of a crow. Perfect.

After that, I was invited to play in parlors and pubs and I did play. Of the 16 days and nights that we travelled and I played in Ireland, one night was particularly momentous…it was at the Shenakee in Skibereen, in southwestern Ireland. We heard that this was a good place to hear traditional Irish music. We got there early, no one was there but the bartender. He suggested we come back about 9 pm. We decided to have dinner at the Battered Fish and watch and see how many people came to listen to Natural Gas, an Irish band that just returned from a successful European tour. We didn’t see too many people enter and thought we might have been given a bumb lead. WE crossed the street at 9 pm, pushed through the two sets of storm doors and were greeted by a packed house of300 people ranging from 6 to 60 years old. We bellied up to the bar and positioned ourselves to watch. Natural Gas was fun…and good. Their fiddler was wonderful, with a technique that was inspirationally precise. I told him so at the break, noting I played the fiddle too, with a caveat that I thought I played Irish Fiddle until I came to Ireland…I had a lot to learn.

The lead singer heard me mention that I played the fiddle and suggested that I play with them during their next set. Panic set in. These guys were GOOD and 300 people? I replied maybe after a couple of guiness I could be persuaded…we’d see. The second set came and they played the first set with no mention of me playing. Whew. However, after their break, an announcement surprised me…Ladies and Gentlemen, the Shenakee spared no expense to bring a fiddle player all the way from the States to play for you this evening…let’s have a warm Shanakee welcome for……LOWRY. gulp.  I had to go, but I didn’t have my fiddle, so I thought I was “safe”. I slowly went up to the stage and over to the fiddler telling him of the situation. He immediately replied – “Here, play mine!”  I asked him what he was going to do. His answer, with a big grin, “I’m going to take a lesson!” and left me on stage with the band, me and a most unfamiliar fiddle. I did play. I did have the crowd stamping their feet and clapping their hands. I played one tune….”Ohhhh, Lowry, surely you know a couple of more tunes!” the lead singer asked. Of course I did, and played a couple of more tunes. Not celtic, but bluegrass – didn’t know how popular bluegrass was in Ireland. To my surprise, the audience stamped their feet, clapped their hands and called out for more tunes. I passed, looking frantically for the “real” fiddler. The band was gracious, the audience appreciative and I returned to the bar with pats on the back and plenty of guiness to drink.

The Band played another two sets as closing time approached. The lead singer acknowledged and introduced each member of the band to huge a fanfare. It was an unexpected moment when the lead singer then said – “and let’s give a big round of applause for…. Lowry the Bold!” What a shocker! What a magical moment to experience what my wife and I both thought was a tradition that reached back in time to King Arthur…how people were named for their acts, deeds or nature.

After the Ireland trip, I don’t get nervous with an audience…just very appreciative!