Born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, just a stone’s throw from the bustling streets of Chicago, Edward Pearlman’s musical journey began amidst a family where the arts were woven into the very fabric of their lives. His father, an artist and dentist, his mother, a pianist, and his siblings, a harpsichordist and a cellist-mandolinist, set the stage for a life immersed in music.
It was in 1979 that Edward first found himself irresistibly drawn to the haunting strains of Scottish fiddling, a passion that, in his own words, “has never really let up.” Within a few short years, he was not only playing for Scottish country dance, Highland dance, and Cape Breton step dance, but he was also arranging music for a theatrical Scottish dance troupe. In 1981, driven by a desire to expose others to the “native speakers” of Scottish fiddling, Pearlman founded the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club, which he helmed for an impressive 18 years.
Early influences on Edward’s musical evolution included the likes of Ossian, Aly Bain, and Alasdair Fraser and Joe Cormier and John Campbell from Boston’s vibrant Cape Breton community. However, he is quick to acknowledge the profound impact of his wife, Laura Scott, a gifted performer, teacher, choreographer, and judge of Highland dance, whose deep understanding of the interplay between movement and music served to enrich his own artistic vision.
In 1991, Edward’s unwavering commitment to sharing the richness of Scottish and Cape Breton music led him to embark on a new venture – a distribution company dedicated to bringing recordings from these regions to audiences across the United States. For over a decade, he poured his heart and soul into this enterprise, before passing the baton in 2002 to focus on his own musical endeavours.
Reflecting on the evolution of the Scottish music scene since his early days, Edward marvels at the growing vibrancy and innovation that has taken root, particularly from the 1990s onward. He speaks of a newfound confidence among younger generations, a willingness to embrace and explore Scottish traditional music without reservation.
For Edward, the allure of Scottish music and culture lies in its emotional depth. As an educator, his mission has been to instil in others an appreciation for the “native speakers” of Scottish music, and the ways in which they preserve and nurture the tradition.
Looking to the future, Edward envisions a continued engagement with music and dance, with plans for new projects alongside his wife. He also intends to delve further into his writing, sharing the wealth of stories, photographs, and music amassed during his numerous music and walking tours in Scotland, as well as the insights gleaned from his years as a music columnist for Scottish Life magazine, now compiled into a book titled “MusicScapes of Scotland: Vignettes from Prehistory to Pandemic.”
Through it all, Edward Pearlman has allowed his love for Scottish traditional music to guide his path, never adhering to a rigid plan, but rather following where his passion leads. It is this dedication and devotion that has earned him a place of respect within the Scottish music community, and which promises to continue enriching and inspiring generations to come.