Coast String Fiddlers

GORDON STOBBE (fiddle) Gordon’s musical interests lie in the field of traditional music, especially in the wide variety of North American fiddle styles. He plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar, & clawhammer banjo. Gordon hasdeveloped a teaching program at Musicstop’s Canadian Conservatory of Music in Halifax, N.S. He is a repeat instructor at many fiddle workshops & fiddle camps across Canada & the U.S. He is a composer on fiddle & has many recording & publishing projects to his credit. His CD, “Small World” was nominated for Best Roots/Traditional Solo Artist at the 2003 East Coast Music Awards. He is a regular contributor to Fiddler Magazine. Gordon currently performs with a number of groups including the John Gracie Band, Razzamatazz For Kids (children’s band), the Gordon Stobbe Trio (traditional fiddle styles of North America), the Mighty Oak String Band, (old-time string band music of the early 20th century with traditional twin fiddles) & two dance bands made up of various members of the above bands. He plays festivals, concerts, conventions & other musical venues.
[www.fiddlebooks.com]

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MAIRI CAMPBELL (folk choir) one half of “The Cast” with partner David Francis have a deep love of traditional music of all kinds, but reserve a particular place for the work of Robert Burns, the fiddle music of Scotland, and Scotland’s rich ballad heritage. They are polished, relaxed and engaging performers, with a deep knowledge of their material and its sources. Mairi Campbell was born in Edinburgh and after studying at the Guildhall School of Music in London her interest in Celtic music brought her back to Scotland. She and Dave formed a duo in 1991, and in this context she performs her own songs alongside traditional material. She has played viola with the innovative Kreisler String Orchestra in London and has spent some time in Cape Breton studying the music and dance of the island.

Again this year Mairi Campbell will be delighting us with her compelling interpretation of the Scottish tradition both the old and new in folk choir. She has been musical director and arranger for a community folk choir based in Edinburgh for the past 6 years. She was also awarded Scots singer of the Year in 2007. Recently her and Dave’s version of “Auld Lang Syne” was placed in the feature film of “Sex and the City”. She lives in Edinburgh with her husband and co-writer Dave Francis, and they have three albums to date, and two daughters. They are mightily involved in the current Scottish trad scene. For more information on the folk choir in Edinburgh, see: …
[www.footstompin.com/artists/alphabet/pv/the_cast]

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IAIN FRASER (Trad Band) is in constant demand as a performer, teacher & workshop leader. Iain grew up surrounded by music and now tours regularly throughout Scotland and North America with a large repertoire that ranges from older 18th century tunes to new compositions inspired by his family and surroundings in his adopted home in the Scottish Borders. His particular interests include exploring the great rhythmic & emotional capabilities of the fiddle as well as the relationship of the fiddler with dance & older styles of fiddle music. He has earned a reputation as a soloist with a large repertoire of fine Scottish tunes & is actively involved in promoting the learning & preservation of traditional music. Formerly Principle fiddle tutor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow, Iain now is manager of musical programs in the schools in the Borders. He released his CD “Touchwood” with Christine Hanson in 2002 & has completed a tune book in 2006 entitled “Scottish Fiddle Tunes-60 Traditional Pieces for Violin”. Iain will be collaborating with Harris Playfair this year in Trad Band for youth.
[www.iainfraser.com]

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HARRIS PLAYFAIR (Trad Band) was born in Lerwick, and still maintains a strong connection with Shetland and its musicians. In 1980 Harris attended the Royal Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow where he trained in classical piano then postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he graduated with a Diploma in Advanced Musical Studies gaining an award with distinction for his programme of all 20th Century piano.

In 1990 Harris started a career in teaching, first in Orkney and subsequently in Kelso in the Scottish Borders as a member of the High School music department. His exploration of many styles of music from big band, rock, and jazz ensembles has led Harris to establish several youth bands which combine these styles and traditional music in a modern form. His projects include “Ceol Mor” … Scotland?s junior answer to the Unusual Suspects folk big band, which had an extremely successful debut performance at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in August and more recently as musical director to the exciting young borders band “Junction Pool” whose debut CD has been described by Mike Harding of the BBC 2 Folk & Roots Website as “An ear-opening volley of musical fire from the rising Borders-based big band, fusing folk with all the juicy bits from jazz and funk, to great effect.” He joins Iain Fraser this year in the directing the Trad Band for youth.
[www.junctionpool.com]

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When not fishing, PETE CLARK (fiddle) divides his time between teaching and performing. He is a fiddle tutor on the Scottish Music degree course at the RSAMD (Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama) in Glasgow and teaches a weekly fiddle class at the famous Taybank music pub in Dunkeld. Twice a year (May & September) he runs his own “Dunkeld Bridge Fiddle Week” courses at the Taybank. Pete has been a guest tutor at fiddle camps throughout Scotland and beyond.

Over the years, Pete has been privileged to work with a great diversity of artists. Last year he toured with a new trio line up, “Three Men in a Boat”, featuring accordionist Gregor Lowrey and pianist Jamie Jauncey. Recently he has been working with guitarist Jack Evans and cellist Ron Shaw.

Much of his regular playing is for ceilidh dancing with The Benachally Ceilidh Band. He also on occasion plays for the RSCDS (Royal Scotttish Country Dance Society). Aside from and teaching and playing, he helps organise the annual Niel Gow Festival in Dunkeld & Birnam. Pete’s recordings include six “solo” recordings, details of which can be found on his web pages at:
[www.musicinscotland.com]

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CATHY RECKENBERG (fiddle) comes from Powell River on the Sunshine Coast of B.C. She started violin lessons in kindergarten after seeing some children playing violin on Sesame Street. She studied violin at the University of Victoria and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and also has a degree in education. She now teaches music and strings in the elementary schools of her hometown, and teaches violin and fiddle after school. She has taught and performed in Canada and Scotland, inspiring many young musicians in both classical and traditional music. Cathy enjoys performing at events of all kinds locally, being serenaded at recess by her students, and dreams of one day appearing on Sesame Street.

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MICHELLE BRUCE (cello) is the co-founder of the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra Association (SCCOA) and founder and past music director and of the Coast String Fiddlers. Her other contributions to music on the Sunshine Coast included conductor of the SCC Introductory Orchestra and Intermediate Orchestra, Concertmaster of the SCC Symphony Orchestra, and Coast String Fiddler Association director for 5 years.

Michelle has been a private teacher of violin, viola and cello for 17 years and is an Active SAA member and has Suzuki Violin Teacher Training from Pre-Twinkles to Volume 7. She has been involved in fiddling as coordinator of fiddling trips (highlight trip was to Iqaluit, Nunavut).and has instructed at many fiddle camps: Smithers Northwest Fiddlefest, BC Fiddletreats in Gavin Lake, Sunshine Coast Celtic Camp in Roberts Creek and BC Fiddle Workshops in North Vancouver with the Sabir Sisters. She is currently living in Quesnel and teaching privately 25 students, Metis fiddle at Ecole Baker and Red Bluff Lhtako Schools, instructor of Adult Fiddle Class and member and player with the Quesnel the Old Time Fiddlers.

Michelle’s goal in life is to inspire people to play this incredible instrument and to encourage music to bring people together with this universal language.

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HAMISH NAPIER (piano) Originally from Strathspey, Scotland, Hamish Napier plays piano, flute, whistle and sings. An experienced music tutor, he teaches at Scotland’s National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton High School, and on three music courses in Glasgow: the BA Applied Music Course at Strathclyde University, the BA Scottish Music Course at the RSAMD and as well as the Traditional Music Course at Stow College. He has also taught at several Celtic music festivals and courses in Canada and Europe including: several Feisean music camps throughout Scotland; Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival; Haapavesi Folk Music Festival, Finland; Goderich Folk Festival, ON; Calgary Folk Fesrival, AB; and the Pacific Institute of Piping & Celtic Performing Arts, BC. At 27, Hamish has recorded on over a dozen Scottish traditional albums, with leading Scottish musicians such as Donald Shaw, Martyn Bennett and Eddi Reader. He has collaborated with many of Scotland’s finest folk musicians, performing at major UK folk festivals, and appearing on national TV and radio. For seven years he toured through the UK, Europe and North America with award-winning Scottish folk quartet Back of the Moon. Hamish is currently studying jazz piano at Strathclyde University.

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TARA MACLEOD (dance) Tara was born on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, however she has called the Sunshine Coast home for most other life. Tara was a competitive Highland dancer for 11 years, winning numerous medals and trophies throughout B.C., Washington state and Scotland. Tara now passes on her experience and knowledge of dance to students ranging in age from 4 years to adult at the Coast Academy of dance and Danceworks Academy, teaching both Highland dance and Ballet to beginner and experienced students alike. Tara is a certified member of the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance. Tara and her dancers have preformed, along with the Coast String Fiddlers, at many annual Robbie Burns Dinner functions held throughout the Sunshine Coast and the lower mainland. Tara is looking forward to teaching at the 2009 School of Celtic Music.

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HEATHER CATTANACH For decades people of all ages have traipsed into her home to cultivate their musical aspirations. Heather (ARCT), teaches classical piano, music theory, music history, is music director at St. Bart’s Anglican Church, and conducts the Sunshine Coast Introductory Orchestra and composes. She spends much of the rest of her time accompanying and directing the Coast String Fiddlers. In her travels with the Coast String Fiddlers, which included trips from Iqaluit to the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland, Heather has slept on more community hall floors than she cares to remember and has survived weeks with only a few hours sleep, fortified with chocolate and coffee. She has played pianos good, bad and terrible on vast, ornate stages as well as in corners with barely enough elbow room. Despite these hardships, she has continued to bang out chords with enthusiasm. Passing on the accompanying tradition, she has taught at the Sunshine Coast School of Celtic Music since its inception and also at Gavin Lake Fiddle Treat.

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MAIRI RANKIN (fiddle) is a native of Mabou, Cape Breton. She has been playing the fiddle and step-dancing for nearly 15 years. Her extraordinary skills have entertained audiences across Canada, the USA, Denmark, and the U.K. She has performed as a solo artist and with such renowned groups as Cuillin, Natalie MacMaster, Ashley Mac Isaac, Mary Jane Lamond, and “Spirit Of The Dance.”

She’s recently added acting to her repertoire having completed an adaptation of Alistair MacLeod’s “Island” with Nova Scotia’s Eastern Front Theatre (she also provided the score for the play.) She has also released her first solo recording entitled “First Hand.” As well as two recordings with her group “Beolach”.

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GORDON GUNN (fiddle) has been described as “as one of the most exciting and innovative fiddle players of the times.”

Born & brought up in Wick, Caithness, Gordon was taught by the highly respected violin teacher Margaret Henderson who taught many pupils in the north including Addie Harper snr & jnr. Whilst working with Session A9, Gordon also tours with his own band that includes Session A9′s Brian McAlpine on keyboards and Orkney’s Phil Anderson on guitar & vocals. The guys are currently in the studio working on a follow up recording to their highly successful first album “Shoreside”.

Gordon is also a respected fiddle tutor, composer and session musician. His compositions have been recorded by many artistes including Session A9, Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain, Ingrid Henderson, American fiddler Rodney Miller and “McGregor, Brechin & O?Headra” to name but a few. As a fiddle and group work tutor Gordon regularly teaches for Feis Rois. He has also taught workshops for Glasgow Fiddle Workshop, The National Centre of Excellence in Trad Music in Plockton, Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin, Edinburgh Fiddle Festival, Orkney Trad Music Project, various Feis and has also taught in the USA and west coast of Canada.

Gordon is in demand as a session musician and has worked on many album projects including Aidan O’Rourke’s “Sirius”, Bruce MacGregor’s “Lochness”. Future projects include a new writing collaboration with George Gunn, gigs with Blair Douglas Band, collaboration with cellist Christine Hanson, touring with Session A9 and gigging with The Gordon Gunn Band on completion on their new album.

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CHRIS COOLE (guitar) Since falling in love with the sounds of traditional country music as a teen and cutting his teeth as a street busker for ten years, Toronto native Chris Coole has found a distinct place in the North American roots music scene. There are very few players who have been able to cross back and forth between the bluegrass and old-time camps as seamlessly, having performed and recorded critically acclaimed albums in both arenas.

In the old-time music world, Chris is known as one of the top clawhammer banjoists in the genre. From his early releases with Arnie Naiman, he has established himself as a highly musical stylist and composer of new music that manages to sit comfortably with the old tunes and songs. He then played and recorded two albums with fiddler Erynn Marshall. Chris has taught banjo and guitar at workshops across North America (Augusta Heritage Centre, Midwest Banjo Camp, Dusty Strings)

On the bluegrass side of things, Chris is known as the guitarist, singer and songwriter for The Foggy Hogtown Boys, one of the most successful bluegrass units this country has ever produced having recorded four critically acclaimed albums. Chris has recorded 9 collaborative albums (Arnie Naiman, The FHB, Erynn Marshall, The Banjo Special) and has been a side man on over 75 recordings (Jim Cuddy, Jenny Whiteley, Ron Hynes, Sylvia Tyson ect.).

Old Dog is Chris’ first solo project. Five new original songs mix with three covers (The Band, John Hartford and Dave Dudley), and a few traditional tunes to create a unique and atmospheric roots music album.

“Of course I wanted Old Dog to reflect my musical journey — discovering this amazing and weird world of old songs and tunes that seemed so far away from my own reality, yet so familiar … getting completely lost in it really … spending the last 18 years of my life playing this rural music in an urban setting and trying to find some personal context in that. I enjoyed working with the great musicians on this album and getting a chance to record some music in sparser settings than I have in the past. I hope that some of the musical instincts I’ve developed from playing bluegrass and old-time come through even though the music on this album gets away from the boundaries of those styles.”

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GILLIAN FRAME (fiddle) is best known as fiddler and singer with award winning Scottish band Back of the Moon but is also very much in demand as a session musician and teacher. Recently she has performed with Deaf Shepherd, The Unusual Suspects and Breabach.

In January 2001 Gillian was the inaugural winner of the Young Scottish Traditional Musician Award and in 2002 she graduated from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with BA (Scottish Music) Honours degree.

As a composer Gillian’s first major work, “Kinship Theory”, was commissioned by the Celtic Connections Festival. Following that she was invited to take part in the prestigious Distil Project. In 2006 she completed a CD Rom called “Glasgow Skyline” with Padraig O’Neill comprised entirely of their own compositions.

Her tunes and arrangements can also be heard on recordings by Back of the Moon, The Bar Room Mountaineers and Queen Anne’s Revenge. She is currently touring with Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers and working as Development Officer for Glasgow Fiddle Workshop alongside her regular teaching commitments.
[www.myspace.com/gillianframe]

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FINDLAY NAPIER (guitar) Singer-songwriter Findlay Napier is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where he studied Scots Song. He has traveled widely as a solo performer and guitar accompanist for many including Margaret Bennett and in several bands including Back of the Moon with Gillian Frame.

His song writing career continued with a collaboration with Nick Turner in Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Napier began working on a project called Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers at first this project was to bridge the gap between the traditional roots of Back of the Moon and the contemporary song and arrangements of Queen Anne’s Revenge. However as the project developed it moved further from traditional material towards the contemporary Indie Folk sound they are known for today. He is credited with initiating and promoting the “Nu-folk” scene in Glasgow today.

His wide teaching experience includes workshops in guitar and Scots song at festivals and he has tutored at various Feisan and workshops throughout Scotland and North America.

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ERYNN MARSHALL (fiddle) A native of Victoria, BC and now a resident of Galax, Virginia, Erynn moved to the South to play more old-time music and organize concerts at the Blue Ridge Music Center www.blueridgemusiccenter.org. She has been playing fiddle for 30 years. In 2006, she published her first book, Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia’s Fiddle and Song Traditions, (West Virginia University Press). This book was the culmination of several years of fieldwork in West Virginia with seventy-five to ninety-five years old singers and fiddlers. Frequent southern trips allowed Erynn to learn elements of Appalachian fiddling directly from older tradition bearers Melvin Wine, Lester McCumbers, Leland Hall, Art Stamper and others who were very generous teachers. Her respect for these mentors emanates from her earnest performances of traditional music.

Erynn Marshall is a regular performer and fiddle instructor at prominent Canadian and US festivals and music camps including the: Swannanoa Gathering (NC), Augusta Heritage Center (WV), Woods Music and Dance Camp (ON) and North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NF). She has an MA in ethnomusicology focusing on Appalachian music (York University, Toronto) and a BMus (University of Victoria). Erynn presently performs with The Haints Old-time Stringband (with bandmates Pharis and Jason Romero). Their new 2009 recording, Shout Monah, has been nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards: Traditional Album of the Year and Ensemble of the year. Erynn’s previous recordings include: Calico (Merriweather Records) and Meet Me in the Music with banjoist Chris Coole (Hickoryjack Records).

Erynn is now working on her new CD Tune Tramp — a collaboration which will feature her performing with old-time musicians across North Amercia. The theme of this album is the distances we travel to make the music we love with the people we love to make music with. For more info on Erynn and her old-time music please visit:
[ww.thehaints.com or www.hickoryjack.com]

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