Dear friends and fiddling fans,

February and March have been very busy. In Feburary, I began recording in Québec for a new French-Canadian fiddling CD, “Grooviolon,” produced by Pascal Gemme of Genticorum. Pascal and I met last summer at Champlain Valley and American Folk Festivals and found ourselves kindred musical spirits. Our collaboration has been immense fun and a great inspiration!

Working with Pascal, guitarist Max Cohen, fiddler André Brunet, pianist Rachel Aucoin, accordéonist Sabin Jacques, choreographer and stepdancer Marie-Soleil Pilette, bassman Stuart Kenney and percussionist Matt Kenney, we have almost completed the project, which is due for a June release. Playing with these fabulous musicans has allowed me to mine the depths of my Franco heritage. Very satisfying!

Begun in 2004 in Québec at Dénis Fréchette’s Studio Chemin No. 4, my Grooviolon CD is dedicated to Dénis, who passed away last June. The last track is a duet – just my voice and Dénis’ piano. The sad irony is that the lyric for ”A Place Called Beautiful” was shaped from the words of friend Martha Pellerin in her last week of life. Dénis’ spacious piano speaks a poignant farewell for not only Martha, but himself.

Pascal, Marie-Soleil, Jeremiah and Genticorum guitarist Yann Falquet also join us for the new French Accent Camp (Week IV, Aug 17-21) at Old Songs Community Center in Voorheesville NY, just west of Albany. Fiddle & Strings (Week I, July 6-10), is for ages 6-18. I’m teaching this and Novice Adults (Week II, July 13-17), with Jane Rothfield and Max Cohen. (Week III, July 27-31), is Fiddling Demystified for Strings, with me, Renata Bratt and Max Cohen teaching.

March 26-27, I’ll be at the Massachusetts String Teacher’s Conference in Boston, sharing a sales table with fellow teacher and publisher Julie Lyonn Lieberman. I’m promoting my Fiddling Demystified instructional series for string teachers.

March 28, Old Songs in Voorheesville NY hosts a three-fiddler concert with me, Jane Rothfield and George Wilson, accompanied by guitarist Allan Carr and pianist Selma Kaplan. Jane and George will bring their banjos along and I’m sure there will be a song or two. I’ll include a few sets from my new CD and we’ll harmonize for each other – should be a BLAST! You’ll hear tunes from New England, Cape Breton, Québec, Scotland, Ireland, and the Appalachian fiddle and banjo tradition. Tickets are available at Old Songs Community Center.

In early April I travel again to Montreal. This time I’m coming up to play for Marie-Soleil Pilette’s Sans Temps Dance Troupe Benefit April 9. We’re also scheduling a photo shoot with Dana Whittle and leaving plenty of time for jamming!

Coming up in April is a three day tour to Maine with guitarist Max Cohen. Three concerts and two fiddle and guitar workshops take our duo from Orono to Bowdoin, Hampden and finally Gorham. Download a PDF of the tour flyer and pass it on to your Maine friends who love French-Canadian fiddling and great fingerstyle guitar! Donna and Max have a duo pagewith more about their work together.

• Friday April 17 – UMaine, Orono, 1-4 pm, FREE -  Buchanan Alumni House, McIntire Room. Sponsored by Franco-American Centre,lisa_michaud@umit.maine.edu
• Friday April 17 – Bowdoin, 8 pm $15 – Pam Weeks’ house concert,pam@pamweeks.com
• Sat. April 18 - - Bowdoin, 1-4 pm $25 ($35 for both concert/workshop) – fiddle/guitar workshop -pam@pamweeks.com
• Sat. April 18 – Hampden – 8 pm $15 – house concert - lizmarcotte@aol.com
• Sun. April 19 – 61 Middle Rd. Gorham,2 pm $20 – Jonathan Cooper’s Acoustic Artisans – fiddle/guitar workshop,jcooper@maine.rr.com

Hope to see you at a fiddling event or perhaps at one of our summer camp weeks. à la prochaîne . . .

Photo left 3/5/09 – with Chanterelle in the schools.
Photos of the Québec recording sessions below by Donna Hébert & Liz Marcotte.
View of the St. Lawrence from Rachel and Sabin’s window. We recorded at their home, which fronts on the north shore of the island in Montréal (and is actually for sale!).  Max Cohen in front a music staff and G clef. This was one of many ice sculptures we saw in St. Côme. Can you sing Brrrrrrrrrrr? Pascal Gemme in locomotion at Studio de la Côte Jaune, St. Côme – feet, hands, floor! Sabin Jacques (accordéon) and Mark Busic (engineer) take a break between sessions. Rachel Aucoin is lost in the music. Playing with her and Sabin brought me right to the heart of my French-Canadian heritage. Bliss! Mark Busic engineered the first sessions in 2004 at Studio Chemin No. 4 and I’m so pleased he is able to finish the project with me now.   Max and I edit tracks at Rusty Annis’s Shoestring Studio in Belchertown MA.