New England Celtic Arts will host Colin Grant with Jason MacDonald and Adam Young at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in South Carthage, Maine on Sunday May 3rd. There will be a pre-show jam session starting at 6:15. Audience members are encouraged to bring instruments and jam for a few minutes with the performers.
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 step dancing in addition to the fiddle. 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. Always comfortable before a live audience, Colin never declines an opportunity to take to the stage; whether being accompaniment for other musicians, 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 five summers, the show has been winning rave reviews from local critics and visitors alike through over 200 performances at the Louisbourg Playhouse.
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 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.
Colin has toured Canada, France, and China with award-winning Acadian group Blou. He also tours regularly with the energetic Halifax based band Pogey. Colin’s self-titled CD release on October 8, 2006 has been his most ambitious project to date. 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.
Cape Breton singer/song writer, Jason MacDonald, will join Colin on stage.
“Jason’s voice captures your heart with his outstanding singing, and one can notice his songwriting abilities. What appeals with this album, is that every song is radio playable because it reaches out to such a broad audience. Judging by the quality of this Album, Jason is bound for stardom and no doubt will become one of Canada’s musical treasures,” said John Gavin in the Atlantic Seabreeze.
Skye Theater is located 3 miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Rd and US RT. 2 in South Carthage. Ticket price is $10.00 at the door. Call New England Celtic Arts at (207) 562-4445 for reservations and directions. More information is available at: http://www.necelticarts.com.
