DEH CHO
With 14 years in the Deh Cho under its belt, the Kole Crook Fiddle Association came together in Fort Simpson this week to celebrate its annual jamboree.

Calvin Cairns, back centre, is a familiar face among Fort Simpson's fiddling crowd. Here, he joins Lydia Nelner, left, E'tonda Arden, right, and Morris Lafferty, front, at Fort Simpson's long-term care centre. - NNSL file photo

Seventy-five students attended but only seven were first-timers, according to association president Gerda Hazenberg.

Hazenberg said this year's event was unusual thanks to the amount of intermediate and advanced fiddlers who attended the jamboree.

While most of the advanced fiddlers were in high school, the group included one Grade 2 student from Tulita.

Marshall Menacho played a duet of Rubber Dolly with his instructor during the jamboree's community dance and concert.

He started fiddling in kindergarten and is already playing at an advanced level.

The successes of fiddlers in the North, and their willingness to keep fiddling, is one of the things instructor Calvin Cairns loves about the Kole Crook Fiddle Association.

Celebrating beloved muscian

Although the association is in its 14th year, another landmark is being remembered as well - the 15th anniversary of the death of Kole Crook, the association's namesake.

Crook, a Metis fiddler from Hay River, died at the age of 27 on Dec. 31, 2001. He was flying to Tulita to perform at the New Year's Eve dance when his plane crashed due to bad weather.

Cairns, who joined the association in 2004, said the organization's efforts to pay tribute to Crook are recognized in the fiddlers who return year after year.

"One of the reasons this society continues is just because (Crook's) name carries huge weight. Everyone has a Kole Crook story, a story to tell about some way he touched their lives," Cairns said.

"He was hugely admired, respected and loved."

Every year, as he attends the jamboree, Cairns finds himself struck by how the power of the fiddle creates a sense of community and puts people in touch with each other.

The power of music

"It blossoms and goes out and touches everyone in the community," said Cairns.

"Pretty soon people are coming back into these gatherings and then they take all that musical energy and put it back into their communities."

"It warms our hearts to see that interplay and positive energy going out there. It's a very healing thing."

Cairns said he hopes to see the organization continue to grow into the future.

The challenge lies in securing enough teachers to see that happen.

"I feel like it hasn't even come close to reaching its potential. From the outside, it looks like, 'wow,' but from the inside I'm going, yeah, it's fabulous and it could easily be twice as big as this," Cairns said.

"In an ideal world, we'd be going to each community in the Northwest Territories four times per year. The interest is there."