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Miles Booher, 8 plays famous the bluegrass tune, RedWing for his on stage performance.

The Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Association had alot going on in Salem, Oregon this Friday and Saturday.  Event organizer and  association chairman Lew Holt greeted me at the door. The event was held at the Building 6 Auditorium in at Chemeketa Community College.

Just off stage was the designated warm up room  filled with fiddlers and guitar players of all ages. A wide range of beginners to top champions were playing to each other in the warm up room.  The  1990 Weiser Grand Champion,  Rudi Booher of Yoncalla was on hand to spend time with his son.  His eight year old son Miles  Booher competed in the Pee Wee division for the first time.

Living on a farm in Yoncalla, The Boohers are long time readers of the Capital Press and raise goats and chickens on their farm.

The Booher farm is also host to Booher Music Camp every July.  Acoustic musicians come from all over to Oregon once a year to camp out, make new friend and music classes.

Age 10, Gabriel Alan Moses Baltzelli has as melodic a name as his fiddle performance performance. Home schooled in Portland, Gabriel is backed up by a guitar player prior in order to warm up for his onstage performance.

Fiddling is more than an education, its a great pastime. Many of the youth who attend such music events are home schooled, and as a result have time that publicly school might not for musical training.

An accomplished fiddler at age 8, Isaaiah Baltzeli has been playing since age 3. Issaaiah won the "Twin twin" competition for fiddle playing where fiddles harmonize with each other.

Isaaiah Balzeli (8) and her older brother Gabriel  from Portland are “forever thankful” to have their lessons provided by by a grant offered from the Old Time Fiddlers Association. Issaaiah won the Twin twin competition for fiddle playing where fiddles harmonize with each other.

Instructors, parents and organizers chill out playing Old Time favorites.

Its purpose is to bring opportunities for the native peoples of Oregon’s Willamette Valley to celebrate their cultural traditions. Master of ceremonies Bob Tom set the tempo of the event performances.

GRAND ENTRY:  A Pow wow begins with all the performers lining up by dance style and age. They then enter the arena accompanied by the Host Drum.

Sponsors of the even were:
The Willamette University Native American Enlightenment Association,
Associated Students of Willamette Univeristy and the Willamette University Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Traveling on a Sunday allows one to be adventurous in church visits. There is such a cornucopia of churches to choose from and people to meet.  Inevitably you meet somebody special or learn something unique about people.

Today I met Barbara Spittler, who has been attending the First United Methodist Church of Midtown Sacramento since its building in 1925. For her age, I might add, she was sharp as a tack, and had answers to all my questions.  I mentioned to her that I thought the chandeliers seemed be be kept quite clean, (knowing at my church what a huge undertaking that is.)

Barbara, sitting in the pew next to me said, “Yes. They used safety ropes and pulleys to do that. Not an easy task. The chandeliers were made in the basement by our music director.  He was a welder.  He learned metal work for the sole purpose of building the chandeliers. All the chandeliers are one of a kind. “

“Did they make the crystal?”

“No,” she laughed, “those are just dessert bowls that they picked up and the five and dime store that was down the street at the time.”

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After the service I enjoyed Valentines Cake in the annex.  Curious though it was why they were serving it a week early. I noticed a beautiful stained glass window, which had been imported from the older church in 1925.  I couldn’t help but want to take pictures.  Be sure to click on them for full effect.