THE NORTH COUNTRY FIDDLE ORCHESTRA

Kick Up Your Heels with North Country Fiddle Orchestra Nov. 2nd, 2025 in Potsdam!!!

POTSDAM – The North Country Fiddle Orchestra, led by Gretchen Koehler and Barb Heller, is holding a TAUNY-sponsored community dance on Sunday, November 2nd.

The family-friendly event takes place from 2:30-3:30pm at the First Presbyterian Church community room, located at 42 Elm Street in Potsdam. No experience is necessary and admission is free. Listeners and dancers of all ages are welcome!

An hour of beginner-friendly folk dances (square dance, polka, contra dance, waltz) will be taught by caller Gretchen Koehler and accompanied by the North Country Fiddle Orchestra.

The NCFO is a multi-instrumental ensemble of all ages that plays a wide variety of fiddle tunes popular in the north country, including music from the USA, British Isles, and beyond.

This TAUNY program was made possible in part by the Petya Perkins Family Foundation & Corning Incorporated Foundation as well as the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE

The North Country Fiddle Orchestra is an mixed instrumental ensemble that plays a wide variety of fiddle tunes popular in the North Country of Northern New York including music from around the USA, Canada, British Isles and beyond. The multi-generational group welcomes beginning to advanced players who are “comfortable” on their instrument (strings, woodwinds, brass) and will feature relaxed and creative folk arrangements that support both note readers and those who play "by ear." The North Country Fiddle Orchestra will meets weekly with the goals of enriching ensemble skills, playing a diverse repertoire, and having fun. This ensemble was inspired by the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra.

MEET THE FIDDLE ORCHESTRA TEAM

Gretchen Koehler, Music Director/Conductor. Fiddler Gretchen Koehler grew up in New England playing traditional fiddle. She holds a degree in music education from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. She is a North American Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame Inductee (NY State rep.), a TAUNY Heritage Award recipient and the music director for The Madstop Fiddlers.

Barb Heller, Assistant Instructor. Best known for her role as on-air host for North Country Public Radio in Canton, Barb Heller has been on the radio since 1989 in northern New York. She’s also a guitarist/songwriter with five albums to her credit, and has taught hundreds of teens and adults how to play fingerstyle guitar.

INSTRUMENTATION

What instruments comprise the North Country Fiddle Orchestra?
The ensemble is open to musicians of all ages on a variety of acoustic instruments centering around traditional folk instruments such as fiddles, mandolines, guitars, banjos, accordions, flutes and acoustic basses. The ensemble also welcomes string, wind and brass instruments.

REHEARSALS

What will I need to bring to rehearsals?

You will need your instrument, a music stand, a 1 inch, three ring binder for your music (even if you play by ear), and pencil.

What is a typical rehearsal like? Each rehearsal will begin with a few minutes of ear training. A new fiddle tune will be played and musicians will attempt to pick out the melody, to the best of their ability. (This is a big part of the folk tradition and players will improve greatly over the semester.) During the main rehearsal, we will work on our shared repertoire. As needed, we will break into groups of melody players led by Gretchen Koehler and accompaniment players led by guitarist Barb Heller. As time and space allows, we may also dance (square, contra, waltz, polka) to connect with the dance music we are playing.

In addition, for each tune, all melody players will learn to follow a chord chart to play a bass line. If this is new for you, you will learn how at rehearsal.

Do I need to read music? If you are a chording person, you will need to be able to follow a chord chart. As a melody person, if you have a strong ear, you will be fine.

Do I need to be able to play by ear? No. This ensemble is designed to strengthen everyone’s listening skill with the hope that players improve their ability to play by ear over the semester.

THANK YOU!!

The 2022 semester for the North Country Fiddle Orchestra was made possible with support from The New York State Council on the Arts (Arts in Education) with additional support from TAUNY- Traditional Arts in Upstate New York

The 2023 semester for the North Country Fiddle Orchestra was made possible by the Perkins Family Charitable Fund with additional support from TAUNY- Traditional Arts in Upstate New York.

The 2025 semester for the North Country Fiddle Orchestra was supported by the Petya Perkins Fund, in honor of Gerald Perkins and the Corning Foundation. Traditional Arts in Upstate New York programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Thank you to Romeyn Prescott for caputuring The North Country Fiddle Orchestra 2023 repertoire.