Howdy Folks!

I love this time of year! nice temperatures, longer days and more time for golf! Hope you are all enjoying this wonderful Spring weather.

Bette and I just returned from a trip to Atlanta, Ga. for the American String Teachers convention. I helped judge the eclectic string entrants. What an eye-opener that was for me! It was enlightening to see these talented school kids playing their instruments with something other than Bach, Beethoven or breakdowns. We heard jazz, Celtic, fiddle and rock tunes played on a variety of string instruments, mostly electrified. Then we got to see a wonderful group of young people called BARRAGE that play and entertain to a high degree of energy and expertise. They were formed 15 years ago in Calgary, Canada and have been the inspiration for this new kind of musical interest in our kids. Check out a couple videos on their website: barrage.org to see where this music is taking us. Bette and I were blown away! Oh, and I won an electric fiddle in one of the dealer drawings!

On our way home, we stopped in Tennessee to visit the Hunt family who recently left us after 7 years. They showed us all around their 37 acres, and we played some music and cards. They are all doing well, it seems like a good move for the whole family, and they asked us to tell everyone “hello”. On this same trip I traded some fiddles and bought a couple of old Martin guitars, one that Elvis used to play.

We are all enjoying Brighton and Coralie! They come to the Fiddle Shop about every day and entertain every one that comes in. Brighton just turned 2 and Coralie is now 7 months. We appreciate Becca and Colin bringing them in and helping us here at the Fiddle Shop.

I am working on a couple of big projects --- a book: Diary of a Fiddler. Jane Frost has been working on it for almost 2 years, and we now have it in a publisher's hands. We'll see! The other project is a new fiddle CD I've recorded with a lot of different musicians along with my band buddies called Jammin' with Byron. Hoping this will be out in a couple of months.

On April 28 Edgar Cruz and Antsy McClain will present a show in our Music Hall. Antsy is a singer-songwriter of some renown, and you all know about Edgar's wonderful guitar playing and entertaining. This is a night of music you won't want to miss!

Another date for your calendar is May 12 when our band will perform a benefit for the Pollard Theater at the Pollard. There will be a variety of entertainment, culminating with our show. I hope you will come and help us support the Arts

Our annual Western Swing dance is scheduled at the Logan Co. Fairgrounds here in Guthrie, Saturday, May 19th. We will again feature former Bob Wills' lead singer, Leon Rausch, steel guitar player Smiley Weaver, our 3 fiddlers and the rest of the Berline band. I believe this will be our 10th year for this show, so put on your dancing shoes and bring your friends and neighbors.

Don't forget about the early bird tickets for our bluegrass festival. They can be purchased until June 1st. We have invited the Kruger Brothers, the Quebe Sisters, April Verch (Canada), Beppe Gambetta (Italy), a great all-star band from California, plus a whole bunch more. Log on to oibf.com for more information.

As always, we schedule our Music Hall shows about every other Saturday. You will find dates for the upcoming 4 months a little further on this page.

Check out our Out & About schedule and see if your or your distant friends and family would like to make one of our away shows. We always enjoy seeing our friends when we're away from home!

Be sure and drop by the shop to see some of our nice instruments, or just to say hello. You never know who will be in here jamming!


DISCOUNT TICKETS

We are continuing our offer for bargain tickets, 6 shows for $52.00 ($104 per couple). That is $8.00 per show May through August, plus an extra $4 for the Western Swing evening, and the privilege of selecting your reserved seat location. There is a schedule further on which lists these shows with an asterix. The tickets will be ready to buy by the time you read this. Remember it is first-come first-served for your seat selection, and we hold your seat for you only until show time.

LESSONS, ETC.

Jim Garling continues to teach beginning and intermediate fiddle and guitar students. He can be reached at 306-4182. John Hickman (282-6646) works with banjo students and Greg Burgess (627-0263) teaches advanced fiddle students. Jim Fish is opening up some time for teaching guitar students. His number is: 513-3657.


Upcoming Music Hall Shows:

MAY 05
MAY 19 **WESTERN SWING
JUNE 02
JUNE 16
JULY 14
AUG 18


OUT of TOWN SHOWS:

MAY 12 - Sat Pollard Theater Benefit Guthrie, Ok.
JUNE 15 - Fri Bicycle Run Ponca City, Ok.
JULY 1-7 - Sun-Sat Centrum Festival of Fiddle Tunes Port Townsend, Wa.
JULY 21-22 - Sat & Sun Wildlife Music Fest. Edgewood, NM
JULY 29-Aug.4 - Sun-Sat Augusta Music Camp Elkins, WVa.
AUG. 5-11 - Sun-Sat Swannanoa Fiddle Week Asheville, NC
 http://www.swangathering.com/


INSTRUMENTS AT THE SHOP

Our website now includes videos of the instruments, so you can both see them and hear how they sound. I am always getting in new and old instruments that are not on the website. Be sure and come in often to see what's new!


GUITARS :
You must come in and check out our large selection of accoustic guitars. I'm always getting old stuff to put on the racks. It irritates me to go into a music store and all you see is new Chinese guitars hanging there. I have some of those too, but also some older Martins, Gibsons, Epiphones and Collings are here and ready to be played.

VIOLINS, VIOLAS, BOWS :

We have the biggest and best selection of anyone around these parts, and now we are happy to show and sell the violins of Lucas Wronski. I'm always trading and buying fiddles – just picked up a Roth on my last trip. Check the website to see and hear them. We also have violas, cellos and basses. If you are looking for a good deal in a fiddle or bow, cases or accessories, come in and we’ll help you out with something.

MANDOLINS :

I have new and used Gibsons, Kristufeks, Kentuckys, Webers, The Loar, Eastman, Kay, Fender, Savannah, and an old Martin mandolin that sounds great!

BANJOS :

We have a good selection of new and used banjos from entry level to quality Gibsons, which includes several 5 strings and 3 old tenors, a must-have for your collection. We also have a Recording King, a Flint Hill, and two 6-string banjos. Too many to mention – all priced to fit your budget.


MISC :

You can find all kinds of accessories at the shop: tuners, straps, picks, rosin, strings, capos, pick-ups, chin rests, shoulder rests, pitch pipes, books on how to play, DVDs and CDs of the band and solo CDs.