When Carolyn Hatch formed the Fiddler’s Hatchery in Sandpoint back in 1981, little did she know that she would become known throughout the region as the grandmother of all fiddlers. In 1995 Hatch moved to Creston, British Columbia and created The Fiddlers International, teaching up to 40 young violin students each year.
One of the aspects of the group that makes it truly international are the trips Hatch takes with students around the world including Hawaii, Washington, D.C., Europe and, next summer, Scotland. Reflections of their world journeys can be found in a recent CD project with dance music from Macedonia, Hungary, Israel and South America.
“We try to pick up music from all over the world and make our projects a little different every year,” Hatch said.
Marvir Meschke of Sandpoint, whose 14-year-old daughter, Aurora Adamson, has been with Hatch since she was 6, said the experience of recording was a side benefit to being part of the group.
“It’s been really exciting and challenging for Aurora,” she said. “They had to have the music to perfection before it could be recorded.”
The CDs, entitled “The Bear’s Paw” and “Pass Porte,” are available at Monarch Mountain Coffee and from Fiddlers International members.
With almost 1,000 students nurtured in her 20-year career as an instructor, Hatch has lost track of many past students. But more often than not she is surprised when a former student resurfaces.
“They just keep coming out of the woodwork,” she said. “It’s real fun to see what they have been doing since I last saw them.”
Hatch said she has past students who are playing in the Boston Philharmonic and Winnipeg Symphony orchestras. One local has even gained regional and national acclaim.
Sandpoint violinist Jason Moody began studying at the Fiddler’s Hatchery when he was just 6. He has appeared on National Public Radio, and last summer he performed an old fiddle tune he learned from Hatch on The Festival at Sandpoint’s mainstage. It was yet another moment when Hatch’s tutelage came full circle in Sandpoint.
– Ben Silverman
