Pierce County
WOTFA District 8
A classic meeting point for Old Time Music lovers!
WELCOME
Welcome to District 8. We meet monthly on the 3rd Sunday 2:00 PM at the Mid County Community Center, 10205-44th Ave E., Tacoma. No meetings May-Aug. Contact: Barbara Peterson 253-926-8457
Doors open at 2:00 for a short business meeting at 2:30, and after that there is an open circle jam. Finger foods are welcome. Don’t forget that Old Time Music isn’t just for fiddles. All acoustic instruments that play Old Time music are welcome.
It’s easy to find! From 104th Street E, pass the school on the right, and turn right onto 44th Ave E. which runs along a fence. The community center is in the back. See the map below.
Please join us!
And hey! Don’t forget to renew your WOTFA membership in October!
Reasons to join WOTFA:
- Discover many resources
- Find out what’s happening state wide
- Meet other musicians
- Help support our various activities, camps, lessons, contests
- Support this genre of American music
- You don’t have to be a musician to support this American art form
- Price is reasonable too!
DISTRICT 8 EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Jul
15
Mon
2019
all-day
WOTFA Workshop/Fiddle Camp
@ Moses Lake Christian Acadamy
WOTFA Workshop/Fiddle Camp
@ Moses Lake Christian Acadamy
Jul 15 – Jul 19 all-day
WOTFA sponsors a week long workshop in Eastern Washington each year. When is the Fiddle Camp? July 15-19, 2019 How much is tuition? $75 for youth / $175 for adults (Half day classes are half [...]
Aug
4
Sun
2019
all-day
Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp
@ in Divide, CO
Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp
@ in Divide, CO
Aug 4 – Aug 11 all-day
In the first week of August, 2019 will mark their 20th annual event. Located 30 miles west of Colorado Springs. There are shuttles from the Denver Intl. AP. [...]
Aug
11
Sun
2019
all-day
Centralia Campout
@ Centralia, WA
Centralia Campout
@ Centralia, WA
Aug 11 – Aug 20 all-day
2019 with be the 11th Annual Event. Usually on the 2nd Sunday in August. Check their web page for directions and registration. [...]
Aug
23
Fri
2019
all-day
Valley of the Moon Scottish Fidd...
@ near San Jose, CA
Valley of the Moon Scottish Fidd...
@ near San Jose, CA
Aug 23 – Aug 31 all-day
In the last week of August, 2019 will mark their 36th year. There is a shuttle from the San Jose International AP. Registration opened March 1 and was full by March 6, though you [...]
Feb
14
Fri
2020
all-day
Oly Old Time Music Festival
@ Olympia, WA
Oly Old Time Music Festival
@ Olympia, WA
Feb 14 – Feb 17 all-day
2020 will mark their 13th annual festival. There are workshops, jams, performances and dances. WOTFA has been a sponsor of this event for several years. Check their very nice web site for tickets and schedules. [...]
Feb
21
Fri
2020
all-day
Wintergrass Music Festival
@ Bellevue, WA
Wintergrass Music Festival
@ Bellevue, WA
Feb 21 – Feb 25 all-day
Registration opens Thursday at 8:30am for Youth education program and Intensive students ONLY. All others may start checking in after 10am. Be sure to look at their web page for schedules, programs, parking, etc. Tickets [...]
Apr
27
Mon
2020
all-day
NW Regionals Fiddle Contest
@ Spokane, WA
NW Regionals Fiddle Contest
@ Spokane, WA
Apr 27 – Apr 28 all-day
2020 will be their 52nd annual event! This contest is one of the largest of this kind in the area. Held at the P&S Event Center. It includes contestants from: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North [...]
May
24
Sun
2020
all-day
North West Folklife Festival
@ Seattle Center
North West Folklife Festival
@ Seattle Center
May 24 all-day
2019 will be their 48th annual event. Suggested donation $10 per person, $20 per family. With over 5,000 performers on 20+ stages, 200 vendors, 500 volunteers, and upwards of 250,000 attendees, this remains one of [...]
Jun
2
Tue
2020
all-day
Montana Fiddle Camp
@ Monarch, MT
Montana Fiddle Camp
@ Monarch, MT
Jun 2 – Jun 7 all-day
Tuition varies $230 – $445 with meals. If you fly into Great Falls there is a $40 pick up fee. [...]
Jun
9
Tue
2020
all-day
Montana Fiddle Camp
@ Monarch, MT
Montana Fiddle Camp
@ Monarch, MT
Jun 9 – Jun 14 all-day
tuition $230 – $425 with meals. If you fly into Great Falls, there is a $40 pick up fee. [...]
DANCE BAND
If you are interested in playing with the District 8 Dance Band, we meet on the 1st and 3rd Mondays 5:30-7:30PM at the Mid County Community Center above. We will play contradance, square dance, and swing style music. It’s a good time to urge your playing to another level, plus it’s fun! The more the merrier!
We have played at the NW Folklife Festival, Wilkeson Days, the Ballard Norwegian Independance Day Parade, as well as the local square dances. Again, this is open to all acoustic stringed instruments.
Contact: Karen Herzog 253-590-9046
There are several ongoing contra dances throughout Puget Sound. Contra dance is a folk dance made up of long lines of couples. The dance is led by a caller who teaches the steps in the dance before the music starts. Early evening dances are usually the easier forms. For more information, click on the links below.
LOCAL CONTRA DANCES
LOCAL SQUARE DANCES
BEGINNER'S JAM
Has it been too long since you played your violin? Never jammed before? Not sure if you’re ready? Need a coach, some lessons? Come and play with us in a “slow jam” tailored to help you rekindle your skills in a fun way. Still not sure?
Contact: Barbara 253-926-8457
For the Younger Musicians
We’ve started a junior jam/band. Please join us!
1st and 3rd Mondays 6-7:30PM at the MCCC above.
Play music with your pals, meet some new people.
Contact Barbara 253-926-8457
SOME INTERESTING LINKS
WHERE ARE WE?
OLD TIMEY MUSIC - WHAT IS IT?
Basically, this is North American folk music (excluding Native American) dating from the colonial period through the 1800s and even to the early 1900s, prior to the wide spread availability of radio music. In most communities, folks played their own music with input from their British, Scottish, Irish, European, African heritage. Music was played on acoustic stringed instruments (mostly fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass) for dances, clogging, singing, and evening get-togethers after a hard day’s work. Various styles are now associated with rural areas such as Appalachia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee to name just a few, and “old timey” music may often be referred to as “mountain music.” Pioneers brought this music to the northwest as they migrated via the Oregon Trail. Our musicians do play other genres of music too. If it’s fun, we’ll play it!
Music of the Old Time Fiddlers of District 8
Featuring Musicians from District 8 1992
Andy Anderson
Marilyn Becker
Zella Chase
Harbetta Chihuly
Frank Christoph
Shelly Frankel
Carrol Gaskins
Marilyn Scott
Tom Stone
Lynn Wehmeyer
This publication is one example of ordinary people gathering to enjoy playing old-time music together. These were our friends. Cassette tapes were produced by Terry Shaw in 1992, and re-engineered for CD in 2011.
Old-Time Music stems from the American colonial period through the early 1900s. From Scotland, Ireland, Europe, and Africa came dances such as reels, squares, waltzes, clogs, hornpipes and jigs, plus folk songs, aires, and ballads. These traditional North American tunes are alive today in festivals, workshops, community organizations, shows, private homes, and through various recording efforts, including the Library of Congress, to preserve this history.
This publication is intended for practice purposes only, and it is hoped that future musicians will appreciate this effort to share some of our past. If you believe copyright laws have been violated, please contact Noel Thomas at Noelula@aol.com
Annual Fiddle and Variety Show 2019
DATE: APRIL 13 “DISTRICT 8 PRESENTS”
TIME: 2PM PreShow at 1:30
PLACE: White River High School Theater
26928 120th St E
Buckley 98321
DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 410 toward the city of Buckley. At the stoplight at Mundy Loss Road, turn right. Continue down Mundy Loss Road until you reach 120th Street; turn right on 120th Street and continue until you enter the White River High School parking lot.
