Drew spends the summer fiddling around
Some might find it undisciplined for a mathematics student about to enter a master’s program at the University of Sherbrooke to spend the summer fiddling around. But don’t worry. Cookshire Eaton’s Courtney Drew wasn’t just fiddling around. She was fiddling circles around the competition. Get it? She’s an accomplished fiddler!
From a musical family (dad on drums, mom on keys, brother on guitar), Drew surfaced at a young age as a fiddler with a special gift. She began studying classical violin at the age of seven. At just 15 years old, she was invited to join Canadian fiddle champion and bandleader Scott Woods on tour.
In previous interviews, Drew always described her fiddle playing as a pastime, with her focus on school. Maybe her proficiency in math has something to do with her ability to divide her time between music and her studies.
She always manages to find some time to practice, and teach, and even compete in fiddle competitions.
“It was a good summer,” Drew said, referring to six different fiddling competitions she participated in, four of which where she walked away with first place in her age category.
“I don’t know about next summer,” Drew said, expecting her master’s program to take up a lot of her time. Since she had a more flexible schedule this summer, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity and fiddle around as much as possible.
She attended four competitions in Ontario, one in Vermont, and was invited to the Canadian Grand Masters fiddling competition in Abbotsford, B.C.
Drew was one of two participants from Quebec. She placed 15th out of 33 of the top fiddlers from across the country.
According to Drew, the competitions are a good opportunity to travel and meet other fiddlers. It was her first time visiting B.C. so she and her mom went a few days early to take in some sights.
“You see a lot of the same people from contest to contest,” Drew said. “You get to know each other, and you can jam through the weekend,” she added.
While at the Grand Masters competition she caught the ear of well-known composer and fiddle judge Calvin Vollrath, who will be playing in Sherbrooke this Friday evening at Le Parvis. Drew has been invited to join Vollrath on stage for a tune or two.
While Drew has a full academic schedule, it is unlikely her fiddle will gather dust. She has been known to pull up a chair on occasion at local traditional music gatherings, join in at late night jam sessions at the Festival du Traditions du Monde, and lend her talents to various local fundraisers including the Rainbow Cloggers spring end-of-year show and Musécole’s Canadian Kitchen Party, held last fall.