Perlman, an author, banjo and guitar player, teacher, and music collector, draws on interviews with 150 fiddlers and others from Prince Edward Island, Canada, as well as archival records and other sources, to trace the culture of traditional fiddling on the island from the turn of the 20th century to the present, focusing on the central role of fiddlers at dances and celebrations, how they learned their skills and music, their values and attitudes, and how they relate to each other, their communities, and their environment. He also provides background on the island and discusses the role of radio and recordings, types of events, the conditions of the work, the pay, instruments and accessories, issues related to illness and aging, challenges faced by female fiddlers before modernization, stereotypes about fiddling, playing styles, the role of accompanists, contests, types of social and solo dances, and the decline and revival of fiddling on the island. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)