When I was 2 years old, my Mom took me to a concert put on by some local youth fiddlers. They played a set of Celtic tunes, and I was absolutely enthralled. It had such an energy to it, and as soon as I heard it, I became determined to learn how to play like that, someway, somehow.
Fast forward 18 years: after starting to play violin at age 3, I dedicated myself to learning how to play Celtic music. I’m now 21, and can say with certainty that the Celtic style has greatly influenced my sound. I find myself even subconsciously adding Celtic style ornaments to my playing, which gives it a loose, energetic feel.
What style of music gets your heart pumping? How can you go about incorporating more of that energy into your own playing?
Check out one of my fiddling idols, Natalie MacMaster, for an idea of how Celtic style fiddle sounds. Natalie is from Cape Breton in Canada, which has adopted the Celtic style for its own.
