I want to play fiddle, why study classical?

As a violinist/fiddler who alternates between playing in rock bands and playing in the symphony, I understand that many students thinking of starting an instrument, but who are interested in fiddle music or rock, may not see the value in learning classical.

However, the advantage of starting with classical studies (especially when supplemented by improvisation time), is that it builds a player who has the foundation to go in any musical direction. Learning how to read music, play in orchestra, and play with technique that allows you to play intricate and fun music, benefits any musical genre you pursue.

And, once playing classical music, most people come to appreciate and love it.

I do think traditional classical studies can lead to some limitations. Traditional study is overly tied to the written page, and when classical musicians move outside of the genre and are presented with a lead sheet, that only has chords, lyrics, and maybe a melody shown, but no specific part to play, they often freeze. So on top of traditional studies, I teach students to understand chords, chord progressions, and how to improvise on a tune.