Hi from VT—about 10 miles north of Smuggler’s Notch where there are lots of hiking trails and beautiful Sterling Pond on the mountain.

I was about 53 when I decided to try to play Irish fiddle. I took lessons every other week for about six months (I think). I found a book called, The Irish Fiddle Book, by Matt Cranitch. It’s great and has a CD. Fiddle lessons were an hour’s drive one way, so I decided to just work from the book.

I practiced everyday for about 3 years. I had a breakthrough that felt good and then hit a plateau that I couldn’t get above. I couldn’t play the fast reels, and I never could get that really nice sound. I seemed to be hitting the notes correctly, but there was still something missing. I tried a new brand of strings, rosin, a book on intonation—everything except going back to an instructor. 

I started to feel like I had been foolish to think I could learn at my age. I started to play less and less until I got to where I as afraid to pick the instrument up. 

After several years of intermittent attempts to get back to my last plateau, I’m giving it another try. What kept me going and progressing in the beginning was not having any expectations of greatness. It was simply the journey of learning. It’s that frame of mind that I have again. I’m in my middle 60s now, so I don’t know how far I can get this time around. But it doesn’t really matter because it’s the journey. I’m really glad I found this website. I get encouragement from reading about everyone else’s  journey.