Tennessee Fiddle Orchestra concert May 5

Jim Wood’s dream of a huge cultural musical legacy is on its way to becoming a reality through the Tennessee Fiddle Orchestra, which will have its first season spring concert May 5 at 7 p.m., at Motlow State Community College’s gymnasium in Nisbett Center. Admission is free.

Most chamber orchestras are made up of first and second violin, viola, cello and bass, but the Tennessee Fiddle Orchestra has first through fourth violins and violas and first and second cellos and basses.

Wood says they have several people who have gotten involved and want to learn to play. ‘We have beginner beginners, who have never played an instrument before,’ he said, ‘but we also have people who are accomplished musicians on other instruments who are learning. They are all mixed in with people of all skill levels. Somehow, it all works.’

The orchestra is also made up of many parent-child, husband-wife and sibling combinations. ‘It’s a family thing,’ he said.

‘My ambition is for the orchestra to get bigger and better,’ he said. ‘I want it to be very accessible for people. I want to present us on a state level and for us to be cultural ambassadors for the state of Tennessee. I want this to outlive us all.

Jim says the group has a real sense of people being in a band, working toward a common goal. ‘That’s hard to accomplish with 70-something people,’ he said. ‘We get a lot done. We shouldn’t sound as good as we do, but we do. We are a true example of synergy.’

Motlow State Community College, which is where the group also holds its practices, has been very supportive of the orchestra.

Jim would like to see Motlow become a cultural center. ‘There are a lot of cool things going on there,’ he said. ‘I’m a big proponent of community and junior colleges.’

The concert will feature them playing a variety of music, including western swing, a Bob Wills medley, Irish and Scottish tunes, Appalachian and a couple of a old-time fiddle arrangements.

‘We’re going to do a couple of gospel numbers,’ Jim said, ‘and also have three sing-alongs, including the song ‘Keep on the Sunny Side of Life.’ We’ll also have some contest-style fiddle, along with Americana and folksy stuff. It’s a really good mixture.’

‘We want people to come out and see,’ he said. ‘I want to use the concert as a recruiting tool to get more people involved. The first concert was a grand-slam home run, and I think this one will be even better.’