​Hello my music loving friends,

I've missed you all so much, I can't believe it's been almost 4 years since we last gathered together in 2019. 

After a sabbatical, the crazy pandemic and a FREEZING stint in the Yukon, I'm so happy to be back in my hometown in Creston, BC and would love to see you here this summer for Fiddle Camp. Yes, I'm totally embracing my roots and am running Fiddle Camp right here at home in the Kootenays. The lovely people in Canyon, BC have welcomed our merry crew and I know it's going to be an amazing venue for us.

Here's what you need to know:

Camp dates: Monday, July 31 until Friday, August 4, 2023
(Instructor's Showcase concert on Sunday, July 30)
Location: Canyon Park, Creston BC (See map)
Confirmed Instructors: JJ Guy and Gordon Stobbe, Jeff Farragher, Brie Hurlburt, Maggie Chow, me (Zavallennahh!) and many more.
Registration starts: Friday, May 5 at 5pm (PST) on our website fiddleworks.ca 

Onsite accommodation: Camping for tents and RVs with access to full bathrooms and camp kitchen. PLUS there are so many airbnbs and similar in the Kootenay region.

Our new Kootenay camp will feature many of the things you came to love on Salt Spring, a barn dance, random acts of violin, fiddle orchestra, delicious, locally sourced food and of course, fun classes and stellar instructors! PLUS there's going to be BASEBALL!  Yes, we are combining fiddles with flying balls, it's going to be a hoot.

Team Fiddleworks is cooking up all the delicious details for you so keep your eyes on our website as we will be updating it regularly. The link for registration will be emailed to you on Friday, May 5.

We hope that you can join us in the Kootenays to re-ignite the beautiful Fiddleworks community. 

Musically yours,

Zavallennahh

PS: the baseball is optional, beautiful music making is not!

It is a bitter sweet summer; normally at this time we would be printing off final registration lists and packing the truck full of fiddles and gear, about to head to fiddle camp.  With the instability of Covid-19 it seemed safest to postpone fiddle camp for this year. Instead of heading to fiddle camp, I am weeding my garden, collecting eggs from the chickens and packing my truck with camping gear as the family heads out to the lake.  I can't wait for the jubilant celebrations when we can all make music together, but I am deeply grateful for the inward time of this season. 

I have played and written a lot more music this year, and stumbled upon precious though unintended discoveries as a result of slowing down: new artists and their music, a favourite new recipe, the wild berries growing in our forest, letters I started but never sent to people who are gone now, and why have I not discovered mountain biking earlier in life? I have reflected a great deal on the purpose of all the busyness we keep ourselves occupied with, and which things are worth holding on to or letting go of.  I'm sure you've all had these revelations too.

I've decided the community that Fiddleworks has become over these decades is one of those things I want to hold onto.  The camps, the connections, the learning and sharing.  In the coming days, I'm excited to breathe my creative energy into Fiddleworks, and to share with you the vision and opportunities for everyone to reconnect online and in person.  ​