This fall has been definitely a big change for me. I am attending Grade 8 at Almonte High School with new friends in a new community. At school I have been experiencing new things such as playing a flute with brass band music, and also playing my fiddle in the school band (both the flute and oboe parts). I have been enjoying all this music immensely.
With my fiddle teacher, Cindy Thompson, I am learning many new, challenging tunes such as “The Banks”, “The Devil and the Dirk”, and the hardest of all – “Tullochgorum.” I have also been working on a very hard bow technique called ricochet bowing.
Through the last few months I have attended many great fiddle jams in Almonte, at the Black Swan in Manotick, and various jams in Ottawa.
Last Saturday I performed at a shopping mall in Gatineau Quebec (photos). I had the honor of playing numbers with Peter Dawson and even had a couple solos that I had a lot of fun with. I was performing by Santa’s Castle so it was a given that I had to play upbeat Christmas music, even if Christmas is still a month away!
I look forward to the many musical events through the Christmas season and hope to play at Christmas parties and with my friends leading up to the holiday break.
– Alexander
