VIDEO: In this inspiring interview, a 92 yr. old fiddler talks about taking up the the instrument in her golden years.

In the past 30+ years I have taught a lot of folks how to play the fiddle. My favorite question to ask a new student is, "Why do you want to play the fiddle?"

One older woman wanted to learn to play music for her husband who was in a nursing home and loved fiddling. She joked that his hearing wasn't very good... so she would only need a few lessons! (She did learn to play for him, as well as for the other residents, who she reported -also had poor hearing.)

A young woman wanted to surprise her fiancé at their wedding by playing "their" song with the band they hired to perform at their reception-- none other than the celebrated bluegrass band, The Gibson Brothers. (I played fiddle at the ceremony and was able to witness her special moment. It was a fantastic surprise!)

My feature story is about my oldest student, Mrs. Eileen Sellers, who passed away in 2026 at the age of 102. She was a fascinating woman and a lifelong learner. In her fifties, she returned to college to complete her bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She would give me hand-painted Christmas cards each year and had also taught herself to play the piano, eventually becoming quite proficient.

Her family recalls her fond memories of growing up on the family farm and sitting next to her father in their horse and buggy as he delivered milk. Over 102 years so much changed!

I had to pleasure of meeting her in her golden years. She picked up the fiddle for the first time in her late 80's because she had always loved it and finally had the time in her life to dedicate to learning something new. I asked her if I could make a video about her story... and she did not know what made her special, but said yes. My son Sylvain, a young fiddler, interviewed as she spoke about aging with joy, curiosity, honesty and grace.

It is my hope that Eileen Sellers will inspire you to pursue your interest, at any time in your life.

I wish you much success to you in all of your musical endeavors,

~Gretchen

Eileen Sellers passed away at age 102 in 2026. In her obituary, her family wrote, “Later in life, well into her eighties, she took up the fiddle. She shared her love of music by playing with a small group of musicians at assisted living and nursing homes, bringing joy and comfort to residents through music.”

FIDDLING AT AGE 95: The joy of making music