MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards: Eunice Henderson

Congratulations to Eunice Henderson 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 Eunice Henderson the following questions.

Tell us about yourself
My name is Eunice Henderson. I am a Shetlander and have been employed by Shetland Islands Council as a full-time travelling, itinerant Traditional Fiddle Instructor since October, 1991. In addition, I oversee and coach an extremely successful and energetic young fiddle group – The South Mainland Young Fiddlers – which rehearses and performs regularly: my role is leader, instructor and accompanist.

I was brought up in Shetland in a very musical family, with my father being a well-known Unst (Shetland’s most northerly isle) Fiddler and my mother an accordionist and piano accompanist. It was inevitable that I would learn to play the fiddle and I was encouraged – at a young age – to take fiddle lessons with Dr. Tom Anderson.

Why are you involved in Scottish music?
My parents were very much involved in the Folk and Scottish Dance Band music scenes, and it was not uncommon to find myself sharing a tune in my parents’ house with the likes of Mark O’Connor, Graham Townsend, Byron Berline, Sean McGuire, Rodney Miller and many more world-renowned musicians.

Following Tom Anderson’s death in September 1991, I began work teaching traditional fiddle on a full-time basis in schools the length and breadth of Shetland, and I am gratified that Tom knew I had chosen this career path before his death.

Since 1991, I have endeavoured to provide my fiddle students with the same musical opportunities afforded myself. We have participated in several trips to Norway to perform and each year we are invited to support both the Shetland Folk and Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festivals.

For a number of years I have tutored at the annual Orkney Traditional Music Project. This event is held in August and is co-ordinated by Diane Kelday. Fellow tutors include Kirsten Harvey, Ian Lowthian and Amy Henderson. My role involves teaching Shetland and Norwegian fiddle tunes to a wide range of age groups. I particularly enjoy attending this event and have developed very close connections with all involved.

In 2006 I was approached to offer classical and fiddle workshops at the ‘Ringing Strings’ event in upstate New York, U.S.A., together with my friend and colleague, Gill Simpson of Dundee.

I act as co-ordinator and compere for a recently established event in Shetland – Shetland Showcase, staged in Lerwick and running weekly from June to August. The event aims to provide an opportunity for visitors to Shetland to hear music from the isles played by a variety of musicians but it has become very popular with locals alike and regularly attracts performances from Bryan Gear and Violet Tulloch, Maggie Adamson and Brian Nicholson, Vair and Hom Bru. In addition, the event has provided an opportunity for my students to participate, which has involved researching new material, as well as providing an occasion for the students to perform to an international audience at home, boosting their confidence and becoming one of the highlights in our calendar.

I am a member of the Shetland Musical Heritage Trust, which holds Tom Anderson’s musical assets for the benefit of the Shetland community.

I am a band member of local traditional music bands, Birls Aloud and Ceilidh Pukkels. We play at numerous local events and in 2012 Birls Aloud was recorded for B.B.C. Radio Scotland’s ‘Take the Floor’ programme at an event held in Lerwick’s Town Hall.
In addition to my career in instrumental tuition, I work as a co-presenter for “Shetland’s Larder” – a very popular B.B.C. Radio Shetland programme which was nominated and short listed in Best Radio Food Programme at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Media Awards in 2013. I am often called upon to participate in cooking demonstrations and like to be involved in Shetland’s Food Festival.

Any particular career highlights?
My fiddle students have consistently achieved excellent results at Shetland’s Young Fiddler of the Year Awards, which has attracted judges such as Aly Bain, Judi Nicolson, Ian Hardie and Chris Stout over the years, to name but a few. In 2014s event I was ecstatic that 5 of the 6 individual class champions were my students and overall, my students triumphed by winning 12 of the 18 event places.

After successfully supporting Aly Bain, Ale Moller and Bruce Molsky in an event in Shetland in November, 2013, The South Mainland Young Fiddlers were approached to take part in the Up-Helly-Aa ‘Fiery Sessions’ concert, with the event streamed live over the internet to a world-wide audience. Our dynamic performance was spotted and we were invited to participate in this year’s high profile Sidmouth Folk Week, an event staged annually in August in Devon. Here we shared the stage with artists such as Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, Jarlath Henderson and Ross Ainslie.

We have greatly enjoyed becoming involved in many diverse music projects, too, undertaking a day workshop with British- based Flamenco guitarist Eduardo Niebla, performing his own composition – ‘On My Way’ – on the stage in Shetland’s music venue, Mareel.

What are your plans for the future?
At present, the South Mainland Young Fiddlers group is preparing for a trip to Orkney In November, 2014 to play with members of the Orkney Traditional Music Project, with two concerts being staged in the county.

In 2015 – in collaboration with Debbie Scott, fellow Shetland instructor, performer and highly respected composer – we will launch a series of workshops aimed at youngsters entitled ‘Scandi Fiddle Sessions’, with the intention that the players involved will take part in the 2015 Shetland Showcase event.

I aim to maintain my current energy and drive, ensuring that Shetland fiddle music maintains its elevated position in the music world, while continuing to encourage and assist young musicians to attain high standards, so that they continue to enjoy playing the fiddle long after they have left school. It is also my ambition to continue to develop and support musical initiatives and community events in Shetland and beyond.

It gives me great joy to teach children, many of the parents of whom were also students of Tom Anderson.