About OOTFA

Preserving Oregon's Old-Time Fiddle Tradition Since 1964

In 1964, a small group of Oregon fiddlers gathered in Waldport with a dream that was as simple as it was bold: make sure this music never dies. Not preserved behind glass in a museum — but alive, played with joy, and passed on to the next generation.

More than sixty years later, that dream is thriving. What began with twenty-two charter members has grown into a statewide family of hundreds of households, united by a shared love of old-time fiddle music and the community it creates.

“To Perpetuate and Promote Oldtime Fiddling and Oldtime Music” — OOTFA’s founding motto, 1964

What Is Oldtime Music?

Oldtime music is America’s original folk tradition — fiddle tunes passed down through generations, played by ear and from the heart. It’s the music of Appalachian mountains and Oregon Grange halls, of Irish reels and Louisiana bayou tunes, of Saturday night dances and Sunday afternoon front porches.

“Fiddling” describes a style, not an instrument. Unlike classical violinists who read from sheet music, fiddlers play by ear and memory. They take liberty with each tune, adding extra notes, personal bowing techniques, and their own interpretation. Every fiddler develops their own voice — and in Oregon, those voices range from preschoolers to people in their nineties.

You don’t need to read music. You don’t need a degree. You just need to love the sound and want to be part of something real.

Our Story

It started on the Oregon coast. In 1964, fiddler Cliff Buker looked around and noticed something: neighboring states had fiddle associations, but Oregon didn’t. That year, in Hillsboro, the Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers’ Association was born.

The association grew fast. By 1965, members needed a way to stay connected, so Buker started a monthly newsletter and gave it a name that’s stuck for six decades: The Hoedowner. Oregon was organized into districts — eventually ten — each with its own officers, jam sessions, and local flavor.

From those early days, OOTFA has been about more than music. It’s about the potluck dinners after the jam. The mentor who patiently teaches a beginner their first tune. The friendships that form when you spend every Saturday making music together. The standing ovation at a nursing home when a fiddler plays a tune that brings back someone’s childhood.

“Every weekend and often during the week, fiddlers gather somewhere in Oregon to play for each other and for the public — at county fairs, in parades, in schools, at weddings, at funerals, in nursing homes, at campouts, and wherever an opportunity arises.” — From the Oregon Encyclopedia, by Lew Holt, past OOTFA president

What We Do

OOTFA is organized into ten districts across Oregon, from the coast to the high desert, the Rogue Valley to the Columbia Gorge. Each district is its own musical family — electing officers, hosting monthly jams, scheduling performances, and welcoming newcomers.

Here’s what being part of OOTFA looks like:

Monthly jam sessions in community halls, Grange buildings, and churches across the state — where beginners sit alongside fifty-year veterans and everyone is welcome
The annual State Convention, where fiddlers from every district gather for a weekend of music, fellowship, and friendly competition to crown Oregon’s champion fiddler
Public performances at county fairs, parades, schools, nursing homes, weddings, and community events — sharing the music wherever people gather
Fiddle camps and workshops for all ages, where experienced players mentor the next generation
The Hoedowner, our monthly newsletter since 1965, packed with district news, event calendars, and stories from the fiddle community
Youth scholarships supporting young musicians in their musical journey

A Living Tradition

Fiddle music in Oregon is a blend of many traditions — the mountains of Appalachia, the bayous of Louisiana, Scandinavian folk tunes from Minnesota, and melodies that trace back to Ireland, Scotland, and England. Many of the tunes we play date from the 18th century and earlier. But this isn’t museum music. It’s living, breathing, evolving — shaped by every fiddler who picks up a bow and makes it their own.

The age of the fiddler makes no difference. At any OOTFA jam, you might hear a ten-year-old playing alongside a ninety-year-old, both grinning, both completely in the moment. That’s the magic of this tradition: it belongs to everyone who wants to be part of it.

Learn More About Our History

If you’d like to dive deeper into the story of old-time fiddling in Oregon, these articles are well worth your time:

“Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers’ Association” — An entry in the Oregon Encyclopedia by Lew Holt, past OOTFA president and editor emeritus of The Hoedowner, documenting the founding and growth of the organization
“Fiddling” (1977) by Linda Danielson — A study of the nature and origin of fiddling traditions in Oregon
“Fiddling: The Missouri Connection” (1991) by Linda Danielson — Tracing the migration of fiddle music from Missouri to Oregon

See OOTFA in Action

Music scholarships help young fiddlers carry the tradition forward

You’re Welcome Here

OOTFA isn’t just for fiddlers. We have guitarists, banjo players, bass players, mandolin pickers, singers, and dancers. We have members who’ve played for decades and members who are just learning their first tune. We have people who come for the music and stay for the friendships.

You don’t have to be old to be an old-time fiddler. You don’t have to be an expert to sit in on a jam. You just have to show up — and we’ll take it from there.

Ready to be part of the family?

Whether you’ve played for fifty years or you’re picking up a fiddle for the first time, there’s a place for you.

Join OOTFA Find Your District Donate

Contact Us

Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers’ Association
36989 Deadwood Drive, Lebanon, OR 97355
Cindy Crane, President
Phone: (530) 574-6176
Email: ronandcindycrane@gmail.com

Six Decades of Heritage

From twenty-two charter members in 1964 to hundreds of families today, OOTFA has been the heartbeat of Oregon's old-time fiddle community. Our members carry forward a tradition that connects generations — grandparents teaching grandchildren, experienced players mentoring beginners, and friends gathering every month to share the music they love.

All Ages, All Skill Levels

At OOTFA, talented fiddlers range from preschoolers to people in their nineties and beyond. We offer fiddle classes for kids and adults, youth scholarships, and jam sessions where beginners are always welcome. You don't have to be old to be an old-time fiddler — you just need a love for the music and the desire to be part of something real.

Music Across Oregon

With ten districts stretching from the coast to the high desert, there's an OOTFA community near you. Our members perform at the Oregon State Capitol, at county fairs and parades, in schools and nursing homes, at weddings and community celebrations. Wherever people gather, OOTFA fiddlers bring the music.