Join us Sunday, August 11th, 2-5PM for some local fiddle tunes from Joe Lavariere!
Joe Lavariere Brief Biography:
Born in Hartford I am the son of immigrants from Canada whose primary language was French.
I graduated from East Catholic High School, UConn, University of Hartford and CCSU.
Worked 13 years in the State of CT Employment Service as Manager. Then, upon completion of a Math with Statistics degree, I worked 20 years as data analyst and statistical programmer for CT Dept of Mental Health. Some of my graphs made the newspaper front page.
I learned music and the fiddle with some study at the Hartt College of Music. I have traveled dozens of times to Canada to immerse myself in the traditional music. I sang “Carmina Burana” in a chorale while learning music.
As a dual citizen, I auditioned successfully to participate in the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Contest in 2021 – one of twenty participants selected from Canada.
While learning fiddle tunes, I have participated in three fiddle groups in Connecticut and Rhode Island. I have occasional jobs in French-Canadian Festivals, Elderly residences, and play monthly at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (Ct Historical Society) in Hartford, and twice monthly at Charlie’s Pizzeria in East Hartford. I presented a program for Lifelong Learners at Middlesex Community College exploring my musical journey in detail.
I have written several copyrighted tunes, some of which are on web sites in Quebec.
Goal: to revive interest in traditional dancing and dance music among all cultures.