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beginnings
Raised in Toronto, Colin Grant began his musical career at the age
of 4 at the Royal Conservatory of Music, studying
classical violin in the Suzuki program. By the
age of 10, he began to explore Cape Breton-style traditional music,
taking lessons from Sandy MacIntyre, and at the
Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts, studying
piano accompaniment and stepdancing in addition to the fiddle.
cape
breton
When his family moved to Cape Breton in 1998, Colin immersed himself
in the local music scene, taking lessons in fiddle and guitar from
acclaimed musician and teacher Allie Bennett as
well as performing at ceilidhs, dances, and concerts all over the
island. He soon developed his own style of playing; his clean, lively
sound proving versatile in venues as diverse as the West
Mabou dance hall and the Savoy Theatre
in Glace Bay.
music
Always comfortable before a live audience, Colin never declines
an opportunity to take to the stage; whether being accompaniment
for other musicians like ECMA nominee Luc Tardif,
or giving an energetic solo performance. Starting in the summer
of 2002, he was cast in Cape Breton Lyrics and Laughter,
a revue-style show featuring Cape Breton music and comedy. Over
the past three summers, the show has been winning rave reviews from
local critics and visitors alike through over 160 performances at
the Louisbourg Playhouse.
travels
In 2003 he was accepted into the National Artists Program
(Canada), which brought together young performers and fine artists
to produce a gala show at the Jeux Canada Games
in Bathurst, New Brunswick. In addition to his performances all
over the Maritime Provinces, Colin was part of a group that toured
Scotland and had the opportunity to bring Cape
Breton music to Indonesia for the Canadian
International Seafood Festival in April of 2004, hosting
several concerts and conducting workshops at the Jakarta
Performing Arts Institute.
today
In December 2004 Colin was invited to join Cape Breton band The
Accents for their final production of The Accents
on Christmas, where he appeared in both musical and comedic
roles. He has taught private fiddle lessons with two Sydney music
schools, and currently teaches in Church Point, Nova Scotia, where
he attends Université Sainte-Anne.
tomorrow
With his respect for the traditional sound of Cape Breton fiddle
music, and his innovative approach to arranging and composing tunes,
Colin’s musical style will continue to develop and progress
to the delight of audiences from all over the world.
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