Get to Know The Fitzgeralds!
While at The Barn this past fall to record their Digital Concert at The Barn, Tom, Kery & Julie Fitzgerald sat down outside The Barn for a few moments with Artistic Director Brian Finley! Before a looming rain cloud reached The Barn, these musicians talked about their experience in national competitions, their previous performances at Westben, & the dynamics of playing in a family band.
For the full conversation be sure to read the earlier blog about The Fitzgeralds (click here) & tune in to their Digital Concert at The Barn Saturday, March 13th at 8:00 pm on YouTube & The Digital Venue!
“We grew up in a musical family”.
Tom: We grew up in a musical family, our parents both played music. They both studied music at Westben University. They would kind of learn the same instruments we were to help us along. Our parents were kind enough to take us to Fiddle and Step Dance contests, they were our main upbringing in music. We were competing probably from the time we started playing until our late teens every summer and that’s how we really grew our craft.
Kerry: We’ve competed in a whole bunch of contests our whole life. One of the bigger ones, the Canadian Grandmasters Fiddle Championship we’ve all competed in and been top ten finalists. Julie here is a two-time Canadian Grandmaster Champion, Tom here is a one-time Canadian Grandmaster Champion, and I am coming up next.
Tom: She’s holding out for it.
Kerry: Waiting (they all laugh). We’ve all won a few step dance competitions as well, The Ontario Open. Honestly, the most fun part of the competitions was the jamming, the late-night jamming, which was often in a barn much like this, so this really feels like home, where we grew up playing.
Julie: Playing outside has been very fitting for the style of music we play. As Kerry said the jam sessions have always been a big part of our playing and it’s also a social thing for us. We would always play music together but at a certain point, you get tired of playing with your siblings.
Tom: Really?
Julie: I know, go figure (laughs). At these competitions, these jam sessions would involve all different families from across Canada. You would trade tunes and pass tunes down just by learning them by ear in the jam sessions. We’ve made a lot of friends this way and learned a lot of tunes and worked on playing fiddle together a lot.
Brian: You have played at Westben before and people absolutely adore you guys and we love having you here! What is that Westben experience like?
“It’s just a really magical place.”
Kerry: We have performed Westben twice before, twice in “real life” with an audience and it’s just a really magical place. How often do you play in a barn outfitted with comfy theatre seats? It just kind of makes the performance feel more natural. Something about playing a wooden barn while playing three violins, the wooden instrument. It ties in with our tradition of the Ottawa Valley fiddle and step dancing which originated in an informal setting - well in lumber camps - and probably a lot of barns, barn dances were a big part of that Ottawa valley music too.
Kerry: The fiddle and step dancing in particular just feels really appropriate to play at Westben. It’s also a pretty amazing view from the stage to see peaks of light coming through The Barn boards and to walk out to see trees and the hills. We’re more rural people at heart.
“ you can kind of read each other’s minds”
Brian: What are the challenges and strengths of playing music together as siblings?
Kerry: There is definitely an extra sense you have among siblings I think, because you have done everything together, you can kind of read each other’s minds. As much as its' difficult sometimes playing together and you go through a lot together. (Kerry opens her hands to the rain).
Julie: Many storms. (laughs)
Kerry: You have everyone’s backs and you know each other’s limits are and it’s just a really comfortable setting.
Tom: At this point, we have done this for so many years we know where everyone’s boundaries are!
Kerry: Playing in the rain might be a boundary.. (the trio laughs).
At this point, the team starts to scurry underneath the covering of The Barn away from the storm.
Be sure to catch all of the magic, recorded prior to the rainclouds, in The Fitzgerald’s Digital Concert at The Barn. This concert premieres Saturday, March 13th at 8:00 pm and will remain available after it becomes LIVE for you to enjoy at your convenience!
