Hot Fiddle concert assists Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing

By Dina Mendros

If you love good music and want to support a worthwhile cause at the same time, look no further than when Hot Fiddle performs in a concert on Saturday July 12 at the North Windham Union Church. The free concert will benefit the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing which provides housing repairs to seniors, veterans and people with disabilities who live in Raymond, Windham and Standish.

Daniel Strange and Ashley Liberty of the 'Hot 
Fiddle' band will perform at a benefit concert
for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center
for Housing at the North Windham Union
Church on Saturday, July 12. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Hot Fiddle is made up of Daniel Strange and Ashley Liberty, and sometimes with the accompaniment of their children, son Harrison, 12, and daughter Summer, 9. Both children play the violin, like their mother, and will play at the July 12 concert; Daniel plays jazz keyboard.

While the family lives in Miami they are no strangers to the area. Strange, who teaches music at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, grew up in Windham; Liberty, a performer, grew up in Gray; and the whole family returns for most of the summer every year to visit and reconnect with family and friends.

Hot Fiddle has performed in concerts at North Windham Union Church in the past and proved to be very popular, performing to full or nearly full houses. However, the last time they performed there was in 2019.

It was a “no brainer” to ask them back to for a benefit concert for the Fuller Center, said Jim McBride, the treasurer, board member and co-founder of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing.

“They’re phenomenal musicians,” he said, “and have been local favorites for many years.”

The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing was founded in 2019 and it’s mission is “to help aging adults, veterans and people with disabilities to age in place safely,” said Diane Dunton Bruni, a founding member, board chair and president of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing.

The organization, founded by representatives from Raymond Village Community Church, Faith Lutheran Church, North Windham Union Church, Windham Hill UCC, Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church and Saint Joseph’s College “has helped 73 families in Windham, Raymond and Standish,” Dunton Bruni said.

Volunteers have logged more than 4,000 hours replacing decks, flooring, and steps, building ramps, cleaning yards and more in the community.

“The proceeds from the concert will help purchase material for projects,” she said.

Dunton Bruni said she’s looking forward to the Hot Fiddle concert.

There will be “something for everyone really,” said Strange, as they don’t perform one specific genre.

“It was important for us to make sure that there was no genre identifier,” he said. “That everybody who just enjoys a great show is going to be able to hear something that they’ll appreciate and something to be very excited about and recognize.”

Liberty said they started playing together when they were married.

“We began with a lot of classical music and slowly but surely branched off into many styles,” she said. “It’s really fun because they do have Vivaldi on the concert and we also have ‘I’ve Got Rhythm’ on the concert and we have Dan’s original music on the concert.”

When McBride asked them to perform the concert, “we were totally game for it,” Strange said, especially because of “the great work that obviously the Fuller Center does for the community and the North Windham Union Church is special for us. We were married there. I was the minister of music there from 2006 to 2007, so there’s a lot of ties.”

Strange said he and his wife are more than happy to perform in Windham. Over the years, he said, “Maine has continued to support us, and it’s our way of saying thank you. We’re excited to see everybody, and we’re pumped for the show as always.”

Liberty agrees.

“We love playing our music for people because it’s lively and it connects (people),” Liberty said. “It’s just a special thing to be able to share music between audience and performers. It’s what music was made for, making that connection.”

Hot Fiddle will perform at the church starting at 7 p.m. July 12 with the lobby opening at 6 p.m. and doors opening at 6:30 p.m. North Windham Union Church is at 723 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. The cost to attend the concert is free, but the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing asks for a suggested donation of $15; pay by cash, check or PayPal. Seating is general admission.

For more details about the concert, call 207-387-0855 or go to the website sebagofullerhousing.org. <