Foot stompin’ traditional fiddle music will be celebrated on Friday, Jan. 30, when the local group the Fireside Fiddlers and the feature band the Don Roy Ensemble from Maine take to the stage at the Tillotson Center in Colebrook. Hosted by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts, this night of music takes place during the annual Colebrook Kiwanis Winter Carnival—which offers a full weekend of fun, outdoor winter events.
The Fireside Fiddlers will open the concert, followed by the Don Roy Ensemble, which features Maine’s own Don Roy on fiddle, his wife Cindy on piano, Jay Young on upright bass and Larry Burkett on guitar. The night will feature some old-time step dancing too.
Don hails from Franco-American ancestry. His grandparents came from Quebec and emigrated to Maine with the work available. At age six, Don learned guitar under the tutelage of his uncle Norman Mathieu during many house parties held at various uncle’s and his grandparent’s homes. Soon after, another uncle, Lucien Mathieu, became a mentor of many things to him, particularly fiddle playing. Lucien, a well noted fiddler, would stop by during business trips to play tunes with Don, thus sparking his interest in learning the fiddle.
In 1975, when Don was 15, uncle Lou gave him his first fiddle and a recording of Monsieur Pointu, a Montreal fiddler whose playing became a strong influence. At age 16 Don won his first fiddle competition and began one year of formal training to learn how to read music (but he still prefers to learn by ear).
From 1975 through 1987 Don won many fiddle contests including the Massachusetts State Championship and the Maine State Championship multiple times as well as placing in the top three at the Northeast Championships in Barre, Vt.
In 1994 The Don Roy Trio was created which includes Don, Cindy and Jay Young, who has been playing bass with Don and Cindy since 1987. Larry Burkett joined the trio on guitar in 2010, thus switching the name of the group to The Don Roy Ensemble.
In the fall of 2000, Don started teaching a free session in Portland. Once a month players gather to learn tunes and soon the group Fiddle-icious was created. As of 2012, Fiddle-icious was in its 10th year, has over 140 members. It is now a non-profit organization with a complete staff of teachers and administrators donating their time. In his spare time, Don also makes and plays on his own violins. He published a book of fiddle tunes, Notes From My Mind, complete with bowings, harmonies and chord progressions.
Don hails from Franco-American ancestry. His grandparents came from Quebec and emigrated to Maine with the work available. At age six, Don learned guitar under the tutelage of his uncle Norman Mathieu during many house parties held at various uncle’s and his grandparent’s homes. Soon after, another uncle, Lucien Mathieu, became a mentor of many things to him, particularly fiddle playing. Lucien, a well noted fiddler, would stop by during business trips to play tunes with Don, thus sparking his interest in learning the fiddle.
In 1975, when Don was 15, uncle Lou gave him his first fiddle and a recording of Monsieur Pointu, a Montreal fiddler whose playing became a strong influence. At age 16 Don won his first fiddle competition and began one year of formal training to learn how to read music (but he still prefers to learn by ear).
From 1975 through 1987 Don won many fiddle contests including the Massachusetts State Championship and the Maine State Championship multiple times as well as placing in the top three at the Northeast Championships in Barre, Vt.
In 1994 The Don Roy Trio was created which includes Don, Cindy and Jay Young, who has been playing bass with Don and Cindy since 1987. Larry Burkett joined the trio on guitar in 2010, thus switching the name of the group to The Don Roy Ensemble.
In the fall of 2000, Don started teaching a free session in Portland. Once a month players gather to learn tunes and soon the group Fiddle-icious was created. As of 2012, Fiddle-icious was in its 10th year, has over 140 members. It is now a non-profit organization with a complete staff of teachers and administrators donating their time. In his spare time, Don also makes and plays on his own violins. He published a book of fiddle tunes, Notes From My Mind, complete with bowings, harmonies and chord progressions.
The Fireside Fiddlers have been playing together for over four years. Composed of 10 regional musicians who perform popular fiddle tunes by ear, the group has recorded two recordings, “The Fireside Fiddlers: Common Fiddle Tunes of Coos County” (2011) and “The Fireside Fiddlers Christmas Album” (2013). Both will be on sale during the concert.
Admission to what promises to be an exciting night of music is $15. Advance tickets are available at Fiddleheads at 110 Main Street in Colebrook, or at the door the night of the concert. For more information on this and other GNWCA-sponsored events, call 237-9302 or 246-8998, or you can visit www.gnwca.org.
Admission to what promises to be an exciting night of music is $15. Advance tickets are available at Fiddleheads at 110 Main Street in Colebrook, or at the door the night of the concert. For more information on this and other GNWCA-sponsored events, call 237-9302 or 246-8998, or you can visit www.gnwca.org.
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