What I Have Learned

My topic is about the old time fiddle music of Western New York. I (finally) met up with Prof. James Kimball at Geneseo last week, and he will truly be a great source of information. He was able to answer a few questions that I had and also was able to point me in some new directions that I had no previously thought of. He was also able to help me compile a list of local players that follow in this tradition of old time playing. I have learned a lot, it is surprising to me to learn just how many different traditions and songs were popular in New York. There are also some books that I have picked up that have interviews with New York musicians.

Though I have learned much, there is still more to do. I still need to decide specifically what I want to include in the thesis and begin researching those things in deeper detail. As of right now, I have a very broad overview of everything that I want to do, but taking some time to narrow it down will be my next step in research.