For many years, the Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival has been a yearly gathering of fiddlers, cellists, mandolin & guitar & banjo players, and singers to meet, jam, learn, listen, and have fun. It's both friendly and diverse, and covers many traditional musical styles. This year, it's Nov 2-5, 2023, in Westford, MA.

As a registered attendee, you'll have an amazing choice of 325 workshops, 20 concerts, and 35 jam sessions. Teaching at Fiddle Hell is primarily by ear although sheet music may occasionally be available.

Even though FH is in person, attendees are encouraged to use Whova, an online event system that helps you access agenda details, download handouts, see messages and announcements, visit the virtual exhibits, ask questions about sessions or in general, and (optionally) connect with other attendees.

Whova is optional at Fiddle Hell, but we highly recommend using it on your phone, tablet, or laptop during the Festival. Attendees have used Whova at Fiddle Hell In-Person last year, and at all of the Fiddle Hell Online events we've had, and really like it.

Fiddle Hell is in person on Nov 2-5, in Westford, MA, with fantastic instructors and a great schedule. From a COVID safety standpoint, you may have questions about what we are doing at the event and what we are asking you to do. Here are the answers:

Overall

Fiddle Hell Massachusetts LLC has determined the Covid safety protocols below for the Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival (FH), Nov 2-5, 2023, and may modify these protocols at its sole discretion. We trust our caring community to find the right balance of caution and fun given these safety protocols, and to treat fellow FH attendees with respect.

Before FH

1. Each attendee, instructor, performer, and FH staff member must have received EITHER:
   - the initial Covid vaccines and a Covid booster, OR
   - any Covid vaccine or booster since September 1, 2022

The CDC currently recommends bivalent mRNA Covid-19 vaccines (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, available since Sept 1, 2022) or the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine to protect yourself and others.

2. We ask you as an attendee, instructor, performer, or staff member to test negative on a self-administered rapid Covid test on the morning of your first day at FH before arriving at the registration room. If you are flying or traveling a long distance, you may instead test negative on a rapid test within the 24 hours before your first day at FH. 
3. If you test positive on your rapid Covid test, do not attend.
4. If you have Covid symptoms, do not attend regardless of test results. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
5. If you have been exposed to someone with a known or suspected Covid case in the 10 days prior to FH, do not attend.
6. If you’ve recently recovered from Covid and have been symptom free for 10 or more days without the use of fever-reducers, you may attend with a negative rapid test result on the morning of your first day at FH before arriving at the registration room.
7. We will honor refund requests due to Covid symptoms, exposure, or positive test results. 

On Site in Westford, MA

8. Upon arrival, attendees, instructors, performers, and staff members must:
   - Provide proof of your Covid vaccination status as described in point 1 above (physical or digital vaccine card or photo of it)
   - Attest to your negative rapid Covid test result as described in point 2 above
   - Sign a FH Attendee Waiver form in person if you have not already signed it online
9. The number of attendees on each day will be limited through limits on ticket sales before and at FH 
10. Masks are optional but welcome at FH workshops, jams, and concerts. Free masks (both surgical and higher-filtration N95, KN95, or KF94 masks) will be available at FH to anyone who would like them.  
11. In the main concert hall, there will be a masks-only section for those wishing to sit near others who are also masked.
12. Anyone who tests positive or develops symptoms consistent with Covid during FH will be asked to leave the event immediately and will be entitled to a pro-rated refund.

The instructors are listed at https://fiddlehell.org/staff including their bios. You can view the detailed schedule of concerts, jams, and workshops at  https://fiddlehell.org/schedule .

Once you have bought your Fiddle Hell ticket, and set up your Whova account on the device of your choosing, you can also peruse the sessions and instructors through the Whova Agenda > Sessions and Agenda > Staff menus. If there are sessions you'd like to remember, add them to "My Agenda" in Whova. 

You can attend any workshops, jams, and concerts you like; there are no individual session signups at Fiddle Hell.

Levels are discussed in detail at https://fiddlehell.org/info/session-levels. Our four levels are approximations that you can use as guidelines to help pick your workshops and jams.

Levels indicate two things: the difficulty of the material covered and the pace of the session. L1 (beginner) sessions will have the easiest material and will be at a slow pace. L4 (advanced) sessions will have the most difficult material and will be at a rapid pace. L2 (low intermediate) and L3 (high intermediate) levels are in between.

Of course, your level may vary by instrument, by style, by technical facility, by ability to learn by ear, and more. Feel free to attend any workshops and jams you'd like, expecting that they will be taught and led at the advertised level(s). Also, feel free to leave any session that doesn't feel right for you and join a different one - or join an informal jam in the hallways. 

There are 20 concerts, 35 jams, and 325 workshops. During each of the four days Nov 2-5, we'll alternate 60-minute sessions with 30-minute breaks. There are also dinner breaks from 6-7:30PM on each day. A few sessions will be 70 minutes instead, with a 20-minute break at the end. In many time slots, you'll find a concert. In most time slots, we'll have a jam, and up to 16 workshops (except during the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Night Concert).

To decide which sessions to attend, look at the style (such as Old-Time, Irish, Scottish, New England, Bluegrass, etc.), the target instruments (such as fiddle, cello, guitar, mandolin, banjo, ...), the instructors or performers, the level of the session, and of course the session title and description. It's fun to stretch out and try a new style or instrument - or just to relax and watch a fun concert.

You can attend any sessions you want without the need to sign up for them. A few sessions may have capacity limits based on room size.

Early bird tickets (10% discount) will be available starting July 3 at noon ET, through Sept 30. Regular tickets will be available from Oct 1 through Nov 1, and during Fiddle Hell if space is available. 

There is an additional 10% discount on tickets for younger and older players (and ASTA members).

Tickets are limited in number, and we suggest buying yours early (which also enters you in more giveaways).

Turn your phone sideways to see the prices below.

Wow! Fiddle Hell is giving away a violin by F. Hell to an early bird registrant for November FH!
 
Sign up in July for THREE chances to win the violin; in August for TWO chances; in September for ONE chance. Other early bird giveaways include books, CDs, strings, Fiddler magazines, and online lessons. Why wait?

We had a special drawing on July 12th for two great seats at the July 26th Big Richard performance (with Joy Adams) at Club Passim, Cambridge, MA.

Franz Hell was a Norwegian who trained as an instrument maker in Elmshorn, Germany. After finishing his apprenticeship in 1919, he returned to Norway, where he worked for a couple of years before emigrating to Chicago in 1921. The instrument is labelled "Franz Hell" and branded "FH" on the neck joint.  

Luthier Jess Fox has just set up the F. Hell violin nicely with a new bridge, sound post, Wittner tailpiece, end button, and strings. The tuning pegs work smoothly, the wood grain is beautiful on top and back, and the instrument is responsive and warm sounding. You have to provide the bow, but it comes in a good suspension case.

Go to the Registration Page. During the registration process, you'll be able to register just one person or several. You'll be asked some questions about each person being registered (email, state, instruments, ...), and will read and check off an Attendee Agreement for each person registered. Credit and debit card payments are accepted.

Credit and debit cards are accepted at our Registration Page. However, it is possible to pay by check by mail before the event, or at the event itself.

Since tickets are limited, first send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with each person's name, ticket category (e.g., Senior), email address, and days desired. This will let us set aside one or more tickets for you - if they haven't sold out.

Then send a check in the mail right away (mail can be slow these days) to Fiddle Hell Massachusetts LLC, PO Box 316, Lexington, MA 02420-0316. Along with your check, remind us again of each person's name, ticket category (e.g., Senior), email address, and days desired. We'll then send you a 100% discount code (specific to each person) to use for online registration at https://fiddlehell.org/register. Each attendee needs a unique email address, and each will need to sign a Liability Waiver online after registering. 

Yes! Thanks to generous contributors to our Scholarship Fund, a number of scholarships (and partial scholarships) are available to those who can't afford the fees. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to describe your request and circumstances 

You don't have to wait for registration to open to send an email.

Your contributions to our Scholarship Fund are greatly appreciated! You can contribute during registration and also at https://fiddlehell.org/online/donations (even if you're not registering).

Registration opens on July 3, at noon ET.

Tickets are limited, and certain days may sell out. 

Register early to:
- Be sure of a ticket for the days you want
- Save 10% on early bird tickets and be entered in our giveaways
- Be able to reserve a room at the Westford Regency if you need one
- Plan your own agenda (with the My Agenda feature in Whova)
- Ask questions about sessions
- See announcements about new sessions and more
- Post to community discussion topics (like instruments for sale)
- Browse through our virtual exhibitors

We have some funds available currently for full and partial scholarships - these will run out as FH gets nearer.

Of course! Kids can attend FH and many have in the past. It's a great chance for them to learn, hear and try out new styles and techniques, have fun, and meet new and old friends.

There is a 10% discount for Teens (13-17) and Kids (12 or under). Teens and kids are welcome at all sessions; the session descriptions should be useful in making decisions about what will interest them. There are also 7 or 8 sessions specifically for teens and kids planned for this year's Fiddle Hell.

Teen (13-17) Attendees
A parent or guardian can purchase a ticket for a teen (13-17). Teens (13-17 years old) are required to have an accompanying, responsible adult (18+) present on the premises of the Westford Regency at the 2023 Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival with them.  The accompanying adult is responsible for the teen’s safe and non-disruptive participation in and/or attendance at Fiddle Hell Festival activities, including following all FH rules and policies whether general or COVID-related. The accompanying adult must be registered at Fiddle Hell as an Adult, Young Adult, Senior, or Non-Playing Parent. The accompanying adult may be the parent or guardian of the teen, or perhaps a musical older sibling of the teen, or the teen's music teacher.

During the registration process, the parent or guardian of the teen will need to agree to the Attendee Agreement for the teen, and will need to agree to these additional terms when checking in at Fiddle Hell during the event. 

Kid (12 or under) Attendees
A parent or guardian can purchase a ticket for a kid (12 or under).  Kids (12 or under) are required to have an accompanying, responsible adult (18+) at the 2023 Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival with them AT ALL TIMES, INCLUDING IN EACH SESSION. Non-Playing Parents are requested to sit in the back of the session room if space is tight.  The accompanying adult is responsible for the kid’s safe and non-disruptive participation in and/or attendance at Fiddle Hell Festival activities, including following all FH rules and policies whether general or COVID-related. Since the kid may be using Whova on a mobile device (phone, tablet) and/or laptop or desktop, to comply with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA), the accompanying adult should ensure that the kid avoids sharing on Whova any personal information, including but not limited to the kid's name, Whova display name (which should be anonymized), address, phone number, revealing chat postings, self photos or other photos of kids under 12. The accompanying adult must be registered at Fiddle Hell as an Adult, Young Adult, Senior, or Non-Playing Parent. The accompanying adult may be the parent or guardian of the teen, or perhaps a musical older sibling of the teen, or the teen's music teacher.

During the registration process, the parent or guardian of the kid will need to agree to the Attendee Agreement for the kid, and will need to agree to these additional terms when checking in at Fiddle Hell during the event. 

Hotel room reservations at the Westford Regency are available only to registered attendees, on a first-come, first-served basis once FH registration opens. Rates are $108/night/room, plus taxes. If you wish to book a room, please call the Westford Regency Inn at (978) 692-8200 AFTER you have bought your FH ticket (you'll receive a room booking code in your confirmation email). Please consider sharing your room with a friend (most rooms have 2 beds, or 1 bed and a foldout couch)! Once the Westford Regency rooms are sold out, the hotel will maintain a waiting list. The sister hotel Boxboro Regency is 15 minutes away and will likely match the FH rate.  There are two other nearby hotels, which do not match the FH room rate. Or just stay nearby with a local friend, or commute if you live close enough.

1. The ticket purchaser will receive a confirmation email from Whova with ticket purchase details. Other attendees whose tickets were purchased at the same time will also get a confirmation email.

2. Please set up your Whova account (see the Whova question for how to do this). This can be done any time after August 4.

Whova is the online event system that helps you access agenda details, download handouts, see messages and announcements, visit the virtual exhibits, ask questions about sessions or in general, and (optionally) connect with other attendees. Whova is optional at Fiddle Hell, but we highly recommend using it on your phone, tablet, or laptop during the Festival.

3. Eventually, each attendee will get an email from Fiddle Hell asking them to sign the Attendee Agreement online. You do need to sign this to attend the event. You can also sign it within Whova on a mobile device at Resources > WaiverForm .

4. Please help spread the word about Fiddle Hell to your musical friends - fiddlers, mando players, cellists, guitarists, banjo players, singers, and more. You can direct them to our Fiddle Hell website, our Facebook group, our YouTube channel (for jam videos), or our Instagram channel.  

5. When the detailed Agenda is available in September, think about which sessions you'd like to attend. You'll see these listed at https://fiddlehell.org/Schedule and in the Whova Agenda.  In Whova, you can add them to My Agenda just to keep track of them.  You can attend any sessions you want without the need to sign up for them. A few sessions may have capacity limits based on room size.

6. Get ready to try out new tunes and styles, pick up techniques and nuances, enjoy hearing others play, participate in guided jams, hear great concerts, connect with old friends and make new ones. Whatever your level and musical preferences, you'll find a supportive community and kindred spirits. There will be 13 year olds and 83 year olds, local musicians and attendees from far away, players who perform regularly and those who rarely play for anyone.

Speaking for the Fiddle Hell organizers - and all the instructors, performers, and staff - I hope you'll enjoy the event as it unrolls, and have fun throughout Fiddle Hell. Relax and experience this unique gathering!
- Dave Reiner

You'll need to accept this Attendee Agreement as you register. And each attendee will need to sign this same agreement online later on, in response to an email from Fiddle Hell. Parents, guardians, and responsible adults are asked to sign on behalf of their teens (13-17) and/or kids (12 or under) who are attending.

You can also sign the agreement within Whova on a mobile device at Resources > WaiverForm .

Fiddle Hell is in person in November - but we use a helpful app called "Whova". 

Whova is the online event system that helps you access agenda details, download handouts, see messages and announcements, visit the virtual exhibits, ask questions about sessions or in general, and (optionally) connect with other attendees.

Whova is optional at Fiddle Hell, but we highly recommend using it on your phone, tablet, or laptop during the Festival. The attendees at the last four ONLINE Fiddle Hells have used Whova and been quite pleased with it. We'll assist you with Whova if needed when you're at Fiddle Hell.

Once you've bought your Fiddle Hell ticket, you'll need to set up your Whova account and sign in as described below. This can be done any time after Sept 15.

*** Helpful Links ***
For iPhones and iPads, here's the Whova app you're looking for in the App Store preview: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whova-event-conference-app/id716979741 
Here's how to get apps on an iPad: https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-apps-ipad9b4cea76/ipados 
For Android phones and Android tablets, here's the Whova app you're looking for in the Play Store preview: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whova.event  
For laptops and desktops, no app is needed. The Whova Web portal for Fiddle Hell is at https://fiddlehellwestford.com 
*** End of Helpful Links ***

For smart phones, iPads, tablets or other mobile devices, download the Whova Event & Conference App.
If you already have a Whova account (perhaps from Fiddle Hell Online), sign in with your email address and password, and look for the event "Fiddle Hell In-Person - Fall 2023". You might have to search events for "fiddle" to find the right one. If you don't have a Whova account, sign up with the same exact email address used for your registration as an attendee and a password you create, and then look for the event.

For a LAPTOP or DESKTOP computer, ideally with the Chrome browser, go to www.fiddlehellwestford.com (not fiddlehell.com).
If you already have a Whova account (perhaps from Fiddle Hell Online), sign in with your email address and password. If you don't have a Whova account, where it says "Don't have an account?" click "Sign up here". Sign in with the same exact email address used for your registration as an attendee, and create a new password. On a laptop or desktop computer, you don't need to download any software - the Whova Web Portal is browser-based.

Troubleshooting:
If you are asked for an "invitation code" when you're using an iPad or other mobile device to set up your Whova account, make sure to download the Whova Event & Conference App first and use the App to set up your account. Then you should be able to see Fiddle Hell right away as one of "My Events" or you can seach for it in "Find My Event".

If you are asked for an "invitation code" when you're using a laptop or desktop to set up your Whova account, it's usually because you're using a different email address than the one you gave when you bought your Fiddle Hell ticket. Please try again, using the same email address you gave when you bought your FH ticket. Fiddle Hell staff can help if needed.

Questions?
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Shirts are available now for pre-order here. There are 5 styles, each in a different color. You can pick up your shirts at Fiddle Hell Central (= the Registration Room) anytime during Fiddle Hell. No shipping charge!

A small number of short- and long-sleeved t-shirts will also be available at the Fiddle Hell Store in Westford, for $15 and $19, respectively.

The Fiddle Hell Common Tune list consists of 104 tunes that were suggested by the Reiner Family Band (the original 52) and by Fiddle Hell attendees (the new 52). It's a list of exciting tunes in various styles; most are traditional and a few are by known composers. These are suggested for your repertoire, and often show up in jams or workshops. Of course, many tunes not on the list are also played regularly at Fiddle Hell.

The Reiner Family Band has recorded the common tunes (played both fast and slow) on two 2-CD sets, available in the Fiddle Hell Store (in the Registration Room) for $15/set. These are also available online, with free shipping to US addresses, at the Fiddle Hell Store.

Please help us make Fiddle Hell better by filling out our anonymous survey after the November event at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FiddleHellNov2023

We read all responses carefully!