When JJ Chaisson and Tim Chaisson look around the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival field, they see their past and their future.
For as long as they can remember, they have been coming to this beautiful site — rolling green hills that form a natural amphitheatre — every July. First as babies, then as children, then as accomplished young musicians, they have delighted audiences, playing traditional fiddle tunes with their siblings, cousins and other family members on stage at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival.
RELATED: Click here for more festival details
Their memories are many. And they are important.
“This is a big part of our identity. This is what we grew up doing, and we want our kids to experience the same thing in the future,” says JJ Chaisson of the 40th annual Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival that starts today and runs until Sunday.
As members of the not-for-profit organization known as Big Field Traditions, the two first cousins are taking steps to secure the future of the outdoor venue following the death of Peter Chaisson in July of 2015. Until then, Peter, with his brothers, Kenny and Kevin, had been the main organizers of the festival.
Now the festival has been passed along to their children and other family members.
After a successful fundraising concert at the Rollo Bay Church in April, Big Field Traditions ran a Go Fund Me campaign to raise $60,000 to undertake essential infrastructure improvements, support festival entertainment costs and maintain the grounds. It also received funds from award-winning Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster as well as a supportive call from celebrated Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac within two days of Peter’s death that he would be back at the 2016 festival, says JJ.
“He said, ‘If 40 is going to happen, I’m going to be there’ ”.
Besides fundraising, the organization is expanding its programming.
“We’ve made a jump into a new age in keeping with the tradition of the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival and we’re adding new components,” says JJ.
One is a new fiddle camp, held this past week, attended by 45 students from across the country as well as from Australia and Japan.
“It’s year one without Peter, and there have been changes. But when I walk out of the tuning room and look up and see people standing in between their cars, going over fiddle tunes that you’ve just
taught them or playing songs on their guitar that they’ve just learned, it hits a soft spot in my heart. And that makes me feel good because it’s our turn, so let’s do this for another 40 years,” says JJ.
Tim agrees, adding no one person was responsible for the groundswell of support they have received for the 40th annual fiddle festival.
“It came from everybody. We all knew what we had to do and what we had to do to make this happen. As kids, we took it for granted. But, after travelling and playing music (around the world), I realize that we had something really special going on at home. So we came up with a way to do this. It was something that had to be done.”
When JJ Chaisson and Tim Chaisson look around the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival field, they see their past and their future.
For as long as they can remember, they have been coming to this beautiful site — rolling green hills that form a natural amphitheatre — every July. First as babies, then as children, then as accomplished young musicians, they have delighted audiences, playing traditional fiddle tunes with their siblings, cousins and other family members on stage at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival.
RELATED: Click here for more festival details
Their memories are many. And they are important.
“This is a big part of our identity. This is what we grew up doing, and we want our kids to experience the same thing in the future,” says JJ Chaisson of the 40th annual Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival that starts today and runs until Sunday.
As members of the not-for-profit organization known as Big Field Traditions, the two first cousins are taking steps to secure the future of the outdoor venue following the death of Peter Chaisson in July of 2015. Until then, Peter, with his brothers, Kenny and Kevin, had been the main organizers of the festival.
Now the festival has been passed along to their children and other family members.
After a successful fundraising concert at the Rollo Bay Church in April, Big Field Traditions ran a Go Fund Me campaign to raise $60,000 to undertake essential infrastructure improvements, support festival entertainment costs and maintain the grounds. It also received funds from award-winning Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster as well as a supportive call from celebrated Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac within two days of Peter’s death that he would be back at the 2016 festival, says JJ.
“He said, ‘If 40 is going to happen, I’m going to be there’ ”.
Besides fundraising, the organization is expanding its programming.
“We’ve made a jump into a new age in keeping with the tradition of the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival and we’re adding new components,” says JJ.
One is a new fiddle camp, held this past week, attended by 45 students from across the country as well as from Australia and Japan.
“It’s year one without Peter, and there have been changes. But when I walk out of the tuning room and look up and see people standing in between their cars, going over fiddle tunes that you’ve just
taught them or playing songs on their guitar that they’ve just learned, it hits a soft spot in my heart. And that makes me feel good because it’s our turn, so let’s do this for another 40 years,” says JJ.
Tim agrees, adding no one person was responsible for the groundswell of support they have received for the 40th annual fiddle festival.
“It came from everybody. We all knew what we had to do and what we had to do to make this happen. As kids, we took it for granted. But, after travelling and playing music (around the world), I realize that we had something really special going on at home. So we came up with a way to do this. It was something that had to be done.”
In the lineup
Singer-songwriter Tim Chaisson has a busy touring schedule.
He’s away for days or weeks at a time, travelling the world.
But, every July he returns for the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival.
“It’s the only time I’m home this summer. It’s important to me. This year everyone has used his or her strengths to make it come together,” says Chaisson of the festival that starts today and runs until Sunday.
The concert features Ashley MacIsaac, The East Pointers, Vishtèn, Richard Wood, Mairi Rankin, The Chaisson Family, Kim Wempe, Richard Wood, Cynthia MacLeod, JJ Chaisson, Liz Stringer, Haley Robertson, Wendy MacIsaac, Mac Morin and many more.
“I’m pumped about the lineup. To have all these people here this weekend is so exciting. Other then being amazing musicians, they’re really great people,” says Chaisson.
That’s because of the commitment they have to traditional music.
“These performers are not here because they’re making lots of money. They want to play and share the passion,” says Chaisson.
The music plays continually throughout the weekend. It starts today with an open jam in the ceilidh barn at 6 p.m. The kickoff concert follows at 7 p.m.
On Saturday there are guitar and fiddle workshops in the morning, followed by a big hill concert, 1-5 p.m.
At 5:15 p.m., there’s a ceilidh barn stage, followed by another big hill concert at 7 p.m. A ceilidh barn dance, starting at 10:15 p.m., will close the evening.
On Sunday, there’s a tune writer/songwriters circle at the ceilidh barn stage at 11:30 a.m., followed by a big hill concert at 1 p.m. Then at 5:15 p.m. there’s another ceilidh barn stage followed by another big hill evening concert at 7 p.m. The festival concludes with a ceilidh barn dance from 10:15 p.m. to midnight.
Fast facts
For more information and a complete lineup, go to http://www.rollobayfiddlefest.ca.
