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For over 50 years, the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering has attracted old-time music fans to Battle Ground, Indiana for a weekend of concerts, workshops and jam sessions.
This year’s festival is happening June 27th through the 29th at the Tippecanoe Battle Field in Battle Ground, Indiana.
WFYI’s Kyle Long spoke with one of this year's performers, fiddler Stephanie Coleman. Along with her musical partner Nora Brown, she'll be headlining the festival. You might have seen their recent performance for NPR's Tiny Desk. Coleman began performing at the festival as a child.
This interview has been edited for style and clarity.
Kyle Long: I believe you were playing at the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering as early as 9, 10, 11, 12 — I don't know how old you were. You were playing there as a kid, right?
Stephanie Coleman: Yeah, I think I probably went to my first Battle Ground when I was eight years old. Battle Ground was like the thing that inspired me to learn how to play fiddle.
Long: What was it about old-time music at eight years old that spoke to you?
Coleman: I always loved the music so much, and the community is really the thing that is so unique about Battle Ground. I went to Battle Ground all throughout my childhood and only stopped going consistently when I was in college and not living in the Midwest anymore.
You know, it's a small festival and that means that you can have some real nice, intimate time with other musicians and friends. I remember, just sitting around with buds at their campsites, drinking seltzer water when I was a kid and playing tunes. It feels like home that environment of that festival.
Long: As early as 1998, you were featured in Battle Ground’s Young Fiddler's Spotlight. Now, some 25 years later, you and Nora are headliners. Is that meaningful for you? Is it like a full circle moment for you?
Coleman: Oh, it's mind blowing. It's like the greatest honor that I can think of as a musician. I would never have imagined this would be possible. And I'm really, really excited for the festival, and I'm so excited to bring Nora to the festival because I'm like, “All right, you're gonna meet all my old-time music aunts and uncles.”
You know, that's kind of how I think about so many of these people. They kind of helped raise me. Nora knows how important everybody at the festival is to me, and I'm really excited to introduce her to folks, play tunes and be in the campground. It's gonna be awesome.
Long: Earlier this year, you and Nora performed at the Kennedy Center. That was just after President Trump effectively took over the Kennedy Center. He fired much of the board and canceled performances from LGBTQ+ musicians. You and Nora used this performance at the Kennedy Center to express your opinions on what was happening. Tell me about that performance in your decision to use that opportunity to make a statement.
Coleman: That gig was on the books for a long time. I think we booked it six months or a year before the show. Of course, about a month before we were supposed to play, that's when Trump took over the Kennedy Center. We spent a lot of time discussing, should we cancel this show or should we play it?
So we felt like the way we could really have an impact is by playing this show and overtly protesting via our performance. I think that was the most effective way for us to respond to something that we're not okay with the suppression of the arts. One of our signs said, “Creativity at the Kennedy Center must not be suppressed.” Arts, music and theater: All these things are so essential for a democracy. And for there to be this effort by Trump to suppress it, it feels like an emergency that needs to be responded to.
Long: Stephanie, thank you so much for taking a few minutes to share your history with the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering. I really appreciate it. I'm a huge fan of all your music, and I look forward to hearing you at the Fiddler's gathering.
Coleman: Thanks so much.
This interview originally aired on WFYI's Cultural Manifesto.
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