Old Time Fiddlers Keep Roots Music Ringing in the Whitewater Valley

The group holds monthly gatherings.

Ruth Ballard - president Southeast Indiana OTF.

On the first Sunday of every month, the parking lot at Harrison VFW Post 7570 starts to fill with instrument cases and familiar faces. Inside the hall at 9160 Lawrenceburg Road, a pitch-in meal brings together fans and players. Then, in the afternoon, the chairs pull into a circle and the jam begins. Fiddles lead, guitars and banjo answer back, bass keeps the heartbeat steady, and voices join in wherever a chorus invites them. The room is full of smiles, laughter and toe tapping, and now and then an onlooker or two stands up to dance.

That monthly gathering is hosted by the Southeast Indiana Old Time Fiddlers group—a loose circle of musicians and friends with deep ties to southeastern Indiana, along with some regulars from neighboring Ohio and Kentucky. Most have been playing old-time music for years, often while earning a living in other ways. What draws them back is simple: the chance to share tunes, swap licks, and keep a living tradition going one Sunday at a time.

In many ways, the group exists to preserve and evolve old-time fiddle traditions, connect generations of musicians, and celebrate Indiana’s deep roots in American roots music. Members trace the beginnings of this local circle to the early 1970s in the Whitewater/Miamitown area, when friends started gathering simply because they loved the sound of fiddles and the community that grew up around them. Decades later, those same values still shape the meetings: everyone is welcome, the focus stays on fellowship, and the music is meant to be shared.

Long before there were sound systems or streaming playlists, the fiddle was often the main instrument for dances and social gatherings across Indiana—especially in rural communities where one strong melody line could carry a whole room. In southeastern Indiana, that tradition grew at a crossroads: river towns and small farming communities along the Ohio River Valley mixed musical influences from the Upper South and Appalachia with the melodies and dance traditions brought by German and other European immigrants. The result was a practical, community-centered style of playing—music for barn dances, weddings, and holiday get-togethers, passed along by ear from neighbor to neighbor. That same spirit still shows up today in festivals, contests, and jam circles around the region, where players keep old tunes in circulation while welcoming new musicians into the fold.

Anyone who has wandered into one of the Sunday sessions can describe the sound right away: a steady stream of familiar old-time standards and favorite regional numbers, passed around the circle until everyone has a turn to take the melody or build harmony underneath it. The jam is informal and friendly—part rehearsal, part reunion. Newcomers usually find that if they can follow along for a few tunes, they can join in on the next. And if they would rather listen, there is plenty to enjoy from the sidelines, especially when the singing starts and the room turns into a chorus.

Rose Ballard serves as president, and along with Vicki Abbott, helps organize the monthly jams. Each meeting includes a goodwill collection of at least $2 per person. Those contributions help cover dues to the national OTF organization, along with the cost of renting the room and other incidental expenses that make it possible for the music to continue month after month.

The Southeast Indiana Old Time Fiddlers don’t keep the music confined to one room, either. Players can also be heard around the region at farmers markets, community concerts and holiday shows. They have

shown up at long-running area events such as the Metamora Labor Day Music Festival and the Indiana Fiddlers Gathering at Tippecanoe - places where roots music is part of the landscape. Well known musicians Michael Cleveland, Alison Krauss and Chris Thile all appeared as teens on the IFG stage already displaying their amazing talent.

It’s easy to measure a gathering like this in the number of songs played or miles driven, but the real payoff is harder to put on a ledger. The social networking, community pride and entertainment generated by these afternoons add value that extends far beyond music alone. For longtime players, it’s a chance to keep their skills sharp and pass along tunes that might otherwise fade. For listeners, and for younger musicians who may be discovering the style, it’s a welcoming doorway into a tradition that helped shape American music.

For anyone curious, the best way to understand the SEI Old Time Fiddlers is to hear them in person. The group meets monthly on the first Sunday, from 1 – 6 pm, at Harrison VFW Post 7570, 9160 Lawrenceburg Rd., Harrison, Ohio. Bring something for the pitch-in, bring an instrument if you play, stay for the afternoon jam, and don’t be surprised if you find your foot tapping along with some new friends before the first set is finished.