MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards: Douglas Montgomery

Congratulations to Douglas Montgomery who has been nominated in Music Tutor of the Year sponsored by Creative Scotland Youth Music Initiative in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2014. Vote now!

We asked of Douglas Montgomery the following questions.

Tell us about yourself
I love what I do and I do what I love. I have been teaching the fiddle in Orkney for over 20 years, 18 of which have been in the primary and secondary schools around the county. I teach around 100 students each week, am involved in various fiddle bands and orchestras, both in school and in the community. I perform with Saltfishforty and The Chair and I am the musical director of Orkney Folk: The Gathering. I have been a guest tutor at Newcastle University, Blazin’ in Beauly and The Cromarty Fiddle Weekend. I have also led workshops at various festivals such as Celtic Colours, Scots Fiddle Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Shetland Folk Festival, Heb Celt and many more. I am married with 3 bairns and enjoy a game of football when not playing my fiddle.

Why are you involved in Scottish music?
I am born and bred Orcadian and I am very proud of where I come from.This is the main driving force behind almost everything I do. I love Scottish music and I believe it is very important that it is kept alive, respected and developed. It is a very important part of our community.

Any particular career highlights?
What makes me the proudest is seeing my pupils enjoying music as much as I do.
Every week I get a real buzz from seeing my pupils improving and enjoying making music. I am very proud of all my pupils, from absolute beginners to those who have taken part in national competitions either getting to the finals, or indeed, winning them. Seeing my pupils making music for a living or contributing to the community, whether playing at Celtic Connections or old folks homes to Life boat concerts is all extremely rewarding. I am delighted to see that many of my pupils are now teachers and share their skills with the community.

What are your plans for the future?
I am honoured to be a small part of the emerging music scene which is coming out of Orkney. I want to continue to encourage and inspire youngsters to play from the heart and make great music.

Buy a ticket for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 13th December in Inverness Leisure, start time 7pm. You’ll have a great time!