The Fiddle Project
If you like old time fiddle playing, this ensemble is for you! The group is open to students who play violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, accordion, and mandolin and have at least 2 years of experience on their instrument.
Led by violinist and fiddle player Wendy Dane with assistance by violist and mandolin player Cory Winters, and guitarist David Holland, rehearsals are weekly in the evenings with concerts each semester.
Wendy Dane
Director of Strings (Suzuki, Fiddle)
Wendy Dane began performing violin & guitar at the early age of 12 in a variety band with her two brothers. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Music, she continued her education obtaining Kindergarten through Grade 12 Instrumental Music Certification. Wendy has completed Suzuki Association of the Americas registered teacher training for Violin Books 1-8. She has been referred to as a ‘Master Teacher’ by one of the East Coast’s leading advocates for childhood education. Wendy has initiated string programs in public and private schools, has taught students from preschool through college levels, and is in high demand as a guest clinician at various string workshops.
As a freelance musician, Wendy performs numerous musical styles including classical, jazz, bluegrass and Celtic. Ms. Dane won her division of the Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Contest in 2000 and 2007. She maintains an active playing schedule.
Moving from Wisconsin, Wendy and her husband Peter are excited to be living and working in Arkansas along with their three big dogs: D’Artagnon, Brownie-Red and Jeep-Wrangler.
Cory Winters
Violin, Viola, & Fiddle Instructor
Cory Winters began his musical studies as a violin student with the public school orchestra program in his hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He went on to attend the University of Central Arkansas, where he studied violin, viola, and composition. His composition teacher at UCA was Dr. Paul Dickinson.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Music in 2010, Mr. Winters continued his education at Belmont University. He studied composition with Dr. William Pursell and Dr. Mark Volker, earning an Master of Music in 2012. Cory’s musical influences include Irish and American folk music, shape-note singing, blues, country, and a variety of art music.
He currently resides in Van Buren, Arkansas, and teaches violin, viola, and composition lessons at the Community School of the Arts Fort Smith. In addition to his musical interests, Mr. Winters is an avid reader and enjoys studying history, musicology, and astronomy.
David Holland
Guitar & Ukulele Instructor
Guitarist David Holland hails from Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he works as a performer, teacher, and composer. He holds a B.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith; and a M.M. in Guitar Performance from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he studied jazz guitar with Dr. James Greeson and Mr. Ben Harris. He has also studied classical guitar with maestros Juan Mercadal and Rene Gonzalez at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
David teaches jazz and classical guitar as adjunct instructor at The University of Arkansas Fort Smith and at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK. David performs regionally with his jazz trio The Unit, The Tabitha Graves Quartet, and his bluegrass band The Crumbs.
David debuted as a classical composer in 2016 with a performance of his setting of Ruth Krauss’s children’s book, The Carrot Seed, for string quartet and narrator, presented by the Fort Smith Symphony’s Story Book Strings. In April 2018, The Crumbs appeared as guest artists with the Fort Smith Symphony, performing a score David orchestrated especially for Fort Smith’s bicentennial concert.
He lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas with his wife Kara (a sculptor and painter) and daughter Kalliope (a Muse).