Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2024 list has been announced to celebrate just some of the women working in Scotland.
Launched as part of International Women’s Day 2023, we shine the spotlight on 12 women who all contribute towards Scotland’s cultural landscape through their work. Read the 2024 list here.
We asked Jenna Reid to tell us more about there work, influences and ambitions for the future.
How did you first get involved in the arts and who were your early influences?
Early fiddle and piano lessons in Shetland during my school years were the start of it all. My parents were and still are huge supporters of me and made sure me and my siblings had access to musical tuition.
My mum plays piano and would always accompany us for concerts and competitions growing up and in the early days of recording albums, these took us a far afield as Europe (Dad driving us from Shetland no less!) whilst still in our teenage years. We had brilliant experiences which really shaped my love for performing.
My fiddle teacher Willie Hunter is without doubt my biggest musical influence. Working hard to emulate his playing from a young age and learn so many great tunes from him is one of the parts of my life I count as the most important. His music shaped the way I play and the repertoire I still love to perform today.
Aly Bain, Capercaillie, Runrig, The Wrigley sisters, the Cullivoe Band and many more, all these albums were played at home and I would learn the tunes with enthusiasm.
I’ll never forget Capercaillie and Runrig live shows in Shetland – inspirational.
At a time which has been very challenging for many people working in the arts, how did you use the last 3 years to develop your creativity?
Continuing to do what I love most, teaching, passing on tunes, writing new music and having time at home to do all these things. Connecting with people far and wide, making new relationships and using technology to further this, whether a chat, a live concert, a rehearsal, recording.
Time out from touring and performing in the way we are so used to was a shift and took readjusting but the benefits of having time and head space was extremely fruitful.
Who or what interests you creatively?
I recently released my first children’s book and it was wonderful to see the process of words becoming illustrations and seeing my story come to life. Working with an illustrator was a new experience, so refreshing to step into another world of work that maintains my own creativity through someone else’s eyes.
Searching and finding beauties of tunes from Shetland, enjoying the sense of simplicity within some of the melodies so ancient, knowing the places and stories behind them, connection being at the heart of it and playing the music of my birthplace.
Being alongside someone in the room and playing tunes together brings me so much joy and an immediate reminder that I’m doing exactly what I was meant for.
What are your plans for the next year or so and/or what are your longer term creative ambitions?
To record another album with Blazin’ Fiddles in early 2025.
To have my second children’s book published. The words are complete and the illustrations have begun.
Musically for me it’s writing. I have a long standing ambition to write for voices and chamber orchestra.
To carve a little more time to make creativity a priority and have its place more firmly set within the busy diary of a mummy and working musician.
To enjoy and not let the musical moments pass by too quickly
Find out more about Jenna Reid here.
Read the Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2023 List
Hands Up for Trad are an organisation who work with Scottish traditional music, language and culture. If you would like to support our work you can donate here.
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