Fiddling is tradition in the NWT, but getting to go Whitehorse to compete in it? Not so much. At least not for Andrea Bettger, the director of the Aurora Fiddle Society.
Bettger, alongside her team of fiddlers, all of whom are still youth, took part in the annual Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition.
"The Canadian grand masters has never been to the North, period," said Bettger.
They came with an added support group of family and friends, putting the NWT delegation SA国际影视传媒� all from Yellowknife SA国际影视传媒� at about 40 in total. They travelled to Whitehorse on Aug. 21 and returned on Aug. 25.
"I've taken my fiddlers to Whitehorse before for something completely different," Bettger said. "But this is the first time they've had this actual event there, so this is one for the history books."
This year had a little more than a competition for fiddlers.
"In conjunction with that event, we decided to have a pan-Northern youth fiddling summit," she said. That summit featured workshops, rehearsals and youth concerts SA国际影视传媒� all strictly performative, not a competition, Bettger added.
A fiddler needs to be invited if they're to take part in the Grand Masters Fiddling Competition, she explained. There were a little more than 30 of them who did get that invite and the chance to compete for the title of fiddling champion.
She added that the event itself was well-organized. And although no adults that competed from the NWT won, to be able to play there, alongside her team of fiddlers, left her struggling to find the words to do it justice.
"It's not really describable in words, it's magic though," she laughed.
Fiddling is far from over for Bettger and the Aurora Fiddle Society. She said they will be having a workshop the weekend of Sept. 20 with more to come. Youth programs begin after that week, she added.
