Fiddle | John Harrod | Intermediate/Advanced | Period 1 | Week 3 (July 20-24, 2026)
The places we refer to as Kentucky and West Virginia are not divided by the Big Sandy River, rather they are connected by the Big Sandy. Many great fiddlers lived on or near this river. Their interactions through time have left us with a great tradition of fiddling distinctive to the region. In this class we will explore some tunes from Snake Chapman, Paul David Smith, Ed Haley, Emma Lee Dickerson, J. P. Fraley, and others. We will consider the question that of all the different tunes that bear the name Boatin’ Up Sandy, which is the real one, and what key should it be played in? I once witnessed a fist fight over this very question, but we will attempt to come up with an answer by consensus.
About the Instructor
John Harrod has documented, recorded, and performed traditional music for more than 45 years. Born and raised in Shelby County, Kentucky, he has a B.A. from Centre College (1967) and an M.A. from Oxford University (1969) which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar. Recently retired, he taught history and English at Owen County High School and Frankfort High School. In the 1970s and ’80s, he played with a number of bands including the Progress Red Hot String Band, the Bill Livers String Ensemble, and the Gray Eagle Band that re-introduced traditional musicians such as Bill Livers and Lily May Ledford to Kentucky audiences. John’s field recordings are housed at both Berea College and the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead. He has taught fiddle and conducted workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center, the American Festival of Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington, the Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music, and the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School. He continues to perform with Kentucky Wild Horse, a band that draws on a wide variety of Kentucky music past and present. In 2004 John received the Folk Heritage Award of the Governor’s Awards in the Arts for his work in traditional music.