"Classical training is the best way to learn the control necessary to play fiddle well" "I'll never become more than a passable fiddler"

Could there be a connection? If Artful Codger had had lessons from a traditional fiddle teacher rather than a classical teacher, would he/she have been a better fiddler?

If someone wants to learn to cook Indian food, they don't go to someone who will teach Greek cookery and then think they will be able to cook Indian food - or at least not without 'converting'. Why learn technique which, while related to what you want to learn, differs so much that you will need to re-learn in order to play in the style you actually want to play? Some people can do it (but why add an extra barrier between you and the music) and some people can't. I suspect that more can't than can, but that may be because those who can just sound like good fiddlers so their background is invisible, but those who can't just sound like classical fiddlers who are well out of their depth.