Cody Bauer

Cody Bauer (he/him) is a fiddler based in Knoxville, Tennessee, playing bluegrass, old time, Western swing, and Irish styles. “I originally became interested in playing fiddle through my mother's side of the family,” Cody explains. “I stayed with my cousins one week when my parents were out of town. My cousins had just begun the process of learning traditional instruments. I was most captivated by the fiddle. I asked for a fiddle for my birthday and began lessons at the age of twelve.”

Thanks to the variety of fiddle styles in Cody’s repertoire, he performs frequently, both as a solo artist and with various bands. He is also a Field Office Coordinator for Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM), managing youth traditional music programs in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, and often teaches private lessons himself.

With his Emerging Traditional Artists Program award, Cody hopes to study with knowledgeable musicians and dive deeper into the unique characteristics of bluegrass, old time, and Irish fiddling styles. He also would like to purchase a new instrument from luthier Ron Stewart, to use for his performances.

“Both bluegrass and old-time music are very communal forms of music,” Cody says. “People gather on front porches, community centers, churches, bars and restaurants, concert halls, and of course festivals to play tunes for hours and days on end. The music brings people together in various contexts.”