Linnea Kenney – Englewood, CO

A Note About My Music

I grew up on a farm on the land my grandfather homesteaded and in the house he and my grandmother built. My dad grew up there too. He and my mom remained hereafter they married. My mom was raised in a musical family. She sang and played the piano. The Allen family would get together each Thanksgiving and have a huge meal. Following dinner, we would all gather round and sing songs that my granddad Allen passed on to my mom, her siblings, and their children. My uncle would play the guitar and harmonica, my cousins would take turns playing the piano, one cousin played the banjo and other cousins would play their guitars as we all sang. We sang and played old time music and religious hymns. It was always a magical time.

My mom sang in the church choir and as we got older she had us join the choir. I went to a small school with a combined grade school and high school students. Our school would put on plays and some were musicals. I auditioned for a singing part in one play when I was in grade school. I got the main character part and still remember one of the songs I had to sing! The whole community would come to see the plays in the high school auditorium.

I took piano lessons and played the trumpet in the junior high and high school bands. My cousin lent me her trumpet to play. I was actually pretty good at not taking lessons. We had some good band teachers who taught us in school. I was in the marching band and we competed in state music competitions. I remember going to CU Boulder for band day where bands from all over the state competed. It was a treat to participate. I tried to teach myself how to play the guitar. I was never very good at it. I took piano lessons but didn’t practice like I wish I would have.

Fast forward to getting married and having four children. My children played a variety of instruments. One or the other played piano, clarinet, flute, saxophone, bagpipes, and the fiddle. Our family loved music and went on family vacations to the Telluride Blue Grass Festival for many years.

When our youngest, Kaitlin, was 6, I asked if she would like to learn how to play the fiddle. She said sure, so I started taking her to lessons. Her teacher taught Suzuki and Texas-style fiddling. She learned quickly and was naturally talented. I loved to hear her play. I took her to many group performances, fiddle contests – including Weiser, jam sessions, and fiddle workshops. I didn’t realize how much I absorbed from Kaitlin’s fiddling experiences. My love of fiddling became deep-seated. In high school, she took lessons from Katie Glassman who taught her Texas-style, jazz and improv. As life takes twists and turns, we lost Kaitlin in 2013 at 21 years of age. My heart was heavy when seeing Kaitlin’s fiddle in its case.

Katie encouraged me to take lessons and give her beloved fiddle some love. In 2018 I finally decided it was time. I did it with trepidation that I wouldn’t be able to play by ear. To my delight with Katie’s thoughtful teaching program she showed me I could do it, even at my age! I love that I can now play the fiddle! I look forward to learning new techniques to improve my playing and enjoy the challenge of learning new songs. The fiddle has become part of my musical soul.

I took Kaitlin to pick out her last fiddle from Lisa and Dick Barrett. Fiddles and fiddlers choose each other. I realize she picked this fiddle not just herself but also for me. Kaitlin’s fiddle no longer sits lonely in its case. I pick it up to practice every day and look forward to hearing the music it can play. It brings me great joy and Kaitlin is in my heart every time I pick up her fiddle to play.

—Linnea Kenney