Two years.
Evidence of meeting #31 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was music.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #31 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was music.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5 p.m.
Vice-President, Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association
Two years, yes, and it's one year to submission. As soon as you announce this national fiddling day, we look forward to having that as one of the flagship events for the celebration of the 150th.
5 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
For instance, just imagine if fiddlers from across Canada could be invited to participate in an event all across the country, which becomes integrated with various music shows in various categories. Just think of all the unifying activities.
5 p.m.
Vice-President, Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association
Yes. With the upcoming 150th, I envisage a couple of things. One is exactly what you said—having location events all across the country under the umbrella of the national fiddling day but giving some structure to it, because we want to make it uniquely Canadian. With technology today, everything we do is generated around the world.
Let's take that a step further. We give it the structure of a national fiddling day. We add to it some key components that are uniquely Canadian. For example, we play two or three of the Canadian signature fiddle tunes everywhere across the country at the same time, on the same day. Then we add the components of uniqueness, the ethnicity, the varying styles. You would get the Celtic music of Cape Breton. You would get the musique folklorique du Québec.
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gord Brown
Thank you, Mr. Sheppard.
Thank you, Mr. Nantel.
Mr. Dion, you have five minutes.
5 p.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will give my five minutes to Mr. George.
Alexander, would you like to play something? If I'm satisfied with it, I will vote for the bill.
5 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
5 p.m.
A voice
Pressure.
5 p.m.
Musician, As an Individual
Orange Blossom Special?
Do you think I can pull that off?
5 p.m.
A voice
Play a set of jigs.
5 p.m.
Voices
Hear, hear!
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
I thank you for coming, both of you.
Alexander, thank you for letting me play your fiddle. I was the only kid in my town who took violin lessons. There was only one guy to take them from, and he was a fiddle player. Right now I live in a town of about 3,500 people. Unless I'm teaching, there's usually not a violin teacher in town.
You explained the difference between the violin and the fiddle. You also said that you take classical lessons, or that you go to a school where you take them?
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Do most of the kids you take violin lessons with also fiddle?
5:05 p.m.
Musician, As an Individual
Not really; I have a couple of friends who play fiddle, and it's just been more the adventure of it. They want to have more freedom with their music. I have 21 people in my class who play an assortment of violas, cellos, and violins, and about four people play fiddle.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
I found the same thing with most of the kids I met who were taking violin lessons—very few of them fiddled.
What was it that caught your ear or caught your interest so that you also fiddle?
5:05 p.m.
Musician, As an Individual
I started fiddling. What really happened was that I was inspired by my cousin, so I wanted to fiddle. I started with six months of Suzuki training. I didn't like it—I wanted to learn fiddle tunes—but those six months of Suzuki training taught me how to hold the instrument properly and everything, and all the techniques that go along with it. Once I'd fiddled for four years or so, I got interested in classical music, and when we moved to the Ottawa Valley I wanted to audition for Canterbury just to build a better foundation of my knowledge of the instrument in general.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Do you think there is anything we can do to help more violinists get an itch for the fiddle? If there is something we can do, should we even bother? Should we just say to each his own?
