Fiddle festival offers something for everyone

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Hundreds of people from around the world are expected to join John Arcand and his wife Vicki as they host the ninth annual John Arcand Fiddle Fest from Aug. 10 to 13.

?The festival will bring people from the United States, Britain, people from Germany and people from right across Canada,? said Arcand, a master of the Metis fiddle.

Free fiddle workshops in six classes will be featured throughout the four-day fiddle fest. These workshops are geared to fiddlers of all skill levels, from the absolute beginner to the advanced fiddler.

If a person has never picked up a fiddle but has always wanted to try it, the absolute beginners workshops would be ideal for them. The workshop instructor will teach the basics, including how to hold the fiddle and bow and finger placement.

Beginners workshops and three levels of intermediate workshops are also planned. The sixth level of workshop will be geared to veteran fiddlers and will be instructed by renowned Canadian fiddler Calvin Vollrath.

"We have the best possible instructors here to teach different skills for all levels," said Arcand,

Red River jigging workshops are also on the agenda at the fiddle fest, focusing on the style and steps that are considered part of traditional jigging. The Red River Jig is experiencing resurgence of sorts and as the number of fiddlers and dancers that perform the jig grows so does the demand for accompanists. To help meet that demand, guitar and piano workshops from beginner to advanced have been added to the fiddle fest, running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Arcand anticipates a good turnout to this year's fiddle fest, which he said will offer up something for everyone.

Each night will wrap up with a concert showcase featuring talented artists including Vollrath and the Kikino Northern Lites. Also scheduled to perform is Les Moccasin from Manitoba, Bannock Country and Arcand himself.

"The Fiddle Fest is family oriented and I think it's one of the cheapest places to come and spend time with family," said Arcand.

A day pass is $20 per person, weekend passes are $40 per person and children 12 and under are admitted free. The day or weekend passes give visitors access to all of the workshops, concerts, dances, contests and unserviced camping.

More than $10,000 in prize money will be awarded at the John Arcand Fiddle Fest. Fiddlers and jiggers will compete in various categories, including a traditional Metis category, the Andy DeJarlis Class, named in honour of the legendary Metis fiddler and composer from Manitoba. The fiddle finale will wrap up on Sunday with the announcement of jigging and fiddling winners.

"We have a pile of competitors that compete here for prize money," said Arcand. "We are one of the biggest contests there is in western Canada."

Arcand has been playing the fiddle since the age of six, having received instruction from his father Victor Arcand and his grandfather Jean-Baptiste Arcand. By the time, he turned 12 he was playing for dances.

He has been recognized for his passion for the preservation of Metis traditions through many awards but he said that seeing youth get involved with the Metis culture is his 'biggest thrill.'

"Getting recognized for the accomplishments that I have done is a thrill but to me seeing youth being subjected to Metis fiddling especially is a biggest thrill that I get out of this," said Arcand. "I'm not a man for all the glitter. People recognize me but not as a receiver for different awards but for what I do (playing the fiddle)," he said.

"The fiddle and its music provided me with a really good life and through it all I guess it was my turn to try and keep the traditions going and so far I've been quite successful doing it."

To learn more about the John Arcand Fiddle Fest visit www.johnarcand.com.