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Annual Fiddlers' Convention

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31st Annual FSFA Convention
October 19-21, 2012

Otter Springs Campground - Trenton Florida

You do not have to be a member of FSFA to attend - ALL ARE WELCOME!

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME GREAT VIDEOS OF MATT BROWN PERFORMING AT THE 2011 ANNUAL CONVENTION!

and here's some random jam video from the campground!

FSFA's 2011 Annual Convention was held at the Otter Springs Campground, in Trenton, FL - October 14-16. 
Thanks everyone for making this the best Fiddlers Convention ever!  Photos and videos are available on our Facebook page
and also on YouTube.  Help us spread the word about our Convention and invite your friends for next year!

2011 Special guest artist:  Matt Brown  (2012 artist TBA)

Matt Brown is a talented performer of American roots music. He is an entertaining singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has established himself as a highly respected fiddler, both authentic and innovative. His mentors are some of the best fiddlers in the genre, including Brad Leftwich, Rafe Stefanini, Bruce Molsky, Dirk Powell, and Bruce Greene. As a banjo player, he cites the early influence of his father, Tim Brown. More recently, he has also had the privilege of learning from Paul Brown. Along the way, he taught himself how to play guitar and has become a soulful flat-picker, in addition to being a solid rhythm player. Ginny Hawker, Tracy Schwarz, Charles Williams, and Dick Swain have all helped shape his relaxed, resonant singing style.

Matt Brown tours the country presenting solo shows. He has performed in a variety of configurations: with Paul Brown as the Brown Brothers; with Rhythm in Shoes, Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble; with Flynn Cohen; and with Paul Brown and Beverly Smith as the Lone Prairie Band. Matt has appeared as a guest artist with Tim O'Brien, Uncle Earl, and The Wilders. He has performed at a variety of prestigious venues and festivals, including Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Club Passim, the Annenberg Center, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Wheatland Music Festival, The Appalachian String Band Music Festival ("Clifftop"), The New England Folk Festival, and on Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's radio program, Dancing on the Air.

Matt's debut album, Lone Prairie, was recorded with Paul Brown on banjo and Beverly Smith playing guitar and singing. The material covers a wide emotional palette with tunes from the standard repertoire as well as obscure pieces learned from field recordings. Matt's second studio release, Falls of Richmond, demonstrates his versatility as a solo musician and singer. Matt's third album, My Native Home, has just arrived. It is a delightful mix of solo performances and collaborations featuring four remarkable guest artists: Tim O'Brien, Ben Krakauer, Brittany Haas, and Mark Schatz.

For more information on Matt, please visit his website at http://www.brownsdream.usMatt also offers online fiddle lessons on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/MattBrownsDream.


FSFA's Annual Convention also features some of Florida's finest fiddlers, banjo players, guitar players,
stringbands, concerts, dances, callers, campground jams, workshops, and Stringband Contest (home-baked pie required for entry!) 

Many thanks to Everything Photo & Frame in Tallahassee for sponsoring the ribbons for our Stringband Contest last year!
Be sure to visit their web site, and better yet, go by the shop and have a tune with Tom! Remember to take your framing! www.everythingphotoandframe.com
or on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Everything-Photo-Frame/181584018685.  /
If you're interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact President Aisha Ivey at theaisha@hotmail.com.  We need sponsors for ribbons
for both the Stringband Contest and the Fiddle Contest, for prize money for the Fiddle Contest, and other appropriate give-aways of your choosing.




 CONVENTION SCHEDULE



REGISTRATION FEES
ENTIRE WEEKEND

Includes workshops, dances, concerts, jams & band contest
(Saturday catered dinner not included - see below)

Adults - $50 Members, $60 Non-Members
Children (16 & under) - $15
Family Rate - $80


DETAILS ON OTTER SPRINGS CAMPGROUND

ALL DAY SATURDAY ONLY
Adults - $25
(children under 16  - $5)
FRIDAY or SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT/DANCE ONLY
Adults - $10

 REGISTRATION
You may register for the convention on Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the FSFA registration table. 
Cash and checks only. 
Campground check-in begins at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.

FRIDAY NIGHT POT-LUCK AND SATURDAY NIGHT CATERED DINNER
Meals are not included, however Friday night features a pot-luck supper in the Dining Hall.  Fried chicken and paper-ware will be provided for everyone! 
Just bring your favorite dish to share with others, meet, greet, enjoy.
There will be a separate ticketed catered dinner on Saturday night.  Saturday's dinner will be catered by Hill's BBQ
Dinner tickets MUST be reserved in advance, and may be paid for and picked up on-site at the FSFA registration table. 
Please contact President Aisha Ivey at
theaisha@hotmail.com to reserve Saturday night dinner tickets.  PLEASE NOTE:  a vegetarian option will
NOT
be offered unless we receive a substantial number of requests in advance
.  Dinner tickets are $10 per person.

STRINGBAND CONTEST
Saturday afternoon features a Stringband Contest.  Hook up with your favorite pickers or meet some new ones and enter the contest!
Ribbons will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.  As always, homemade pie, cake, or other home-baked-dessert entries are the entry
fee into the contest. 
Thanks for keeping up the tradition, fiddlers! (First place band gets last pick of the pies, and so forth).
 Pick-up bands are strongly encouraged, so let's get everyone involved in a band!  Come on out and join the fun!
All skill levels are welcome to enter the stringband contest.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Otter Springs offers tent and RV/Pop-Up sites, as well as cabin accommodations.
Click here for camping details.  Hotels are available nearby in Fanning Springs or Chiefland.

OTHER FACILITIES
Otter Springs also offers indoor facilities for our dinners, band contest, workshops and concerts/dances.
We'll be using the Springhouse Lodge for most of our indoor activities.
Bathroom and shower facilities are also available in two locations in the campground.
See camping details for a map of the campground.
There is also an indoor heated swimming pool -- no lifeguard, swim at your own risk.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
It takes numerous volunteers to help organize and run our Annual Convention.  
If you would be interested in helping out by volunteering for a couple of hours during the Convention weekend, please contact
Aisha Ivey at
theaisha@hotmail.com with the days/times when you would be available.  We appreciate your help!

DIRECTIONS
From I-75 take Exit 387. Take ramp toward W Newberry Road (SR 26); go 0.2 mile. Turn west toward Newberry on W Newberry Road (SR 26); go approximately 30 miles. Exit soft right just past Wilcox & Otter Springs signs; go 0.2 mi. Turn right on CR 232; go 1.6 miles. Turn left on SW 70th Street; go 1.0 mile. Turn right into entrance at 6470 SW 80th Ave.  Or from Highway 19 (US ALT 27) in Fanning Springs, bear left on SR 26; go 1.4 miles. Turn left on CR 232 (on curve, just past Otter Springs sign); go 1.7 miles. Turn left on SW 70th Street; go 1.0 mile. Turn right into entrance at 6470 SW 80th Avenue.  Otter Springs is approximately 45 minutes from Gainesville, and an hour and a half from Tallahassee.  The address is 6470 SW 80th Avenue, Trenton, FL 32693.
CHECK OUT OTTER SPRINGS CAMPGROUND ON FACEBOOK!