first singer/songwriter gig whilst playing fiddle... and other mishaps.

i was featured in an arts showcase here in Seattle last night. the idea was that, after being selected out of however many people sent in submissions, the participants chosen were to compose two completely new, never-before-seen pieces, each under 5 minutes long. most of the shows i play these days are with my band and i hadn't played a "singer-songwriter" gig for awhile... and i had never played anything other than guitar or had anyone play guitar for me before. my boyfriend stepped up to the plate and even went out of his comfort zone (it was his first-ever acoustic performance!), and agreed to play acoustic for one of my songs so that i could have a fiddle solo. i was pleased with the way it turned out, but relinquishing the "power" of the dominant instrument (in this case, the guitar) over to someone else was difficult. i was no longer in charge or tempo, key changes, etc.... i had to put all of my trust in him and hope that he got it right. and while he definitely lived up to my expectations, it was hard for me to give up control of the song, MY song, something i had put so much heart into and that, without the right inflection and timing, would have sounded like something completely foreign to me. i guess that there's a certain level of give and take when playing fiddle. it's such a commanding, resonant instrument- yet, you're still at the mercy of the guitar, bass, and percussion for root notes and tempo. anyway, it was a new experience but definitely a good one. i hope to do it again soon.

also, i just sold my first fiddle today. can't say i am super sad to see it go (it was a Cremona Contemporary student violin.... not exactly high end), but i guess it's just a reminder of how quickly i have progressed on this instrument. a year ago i could barely play a 6th-grade level orchestra piece (i was 12 when i quit playing initially)... now i am performing regularly with a semi-pro band and writing my own music on the fiddle. crazy.