Congratulations to Laura Harrington who has been nominated in Production Award: Industry Person of the Year in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2024. Vote for Laura Harrington now!. It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 30th November in Inverness Leisure. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Laura of Laura Harrington the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
I’m Laura and I stay in Aberdeenshire with my husband and our 4 lovely bairns. I’m an islander through and through, starting life off in Orkney then moving up to Shetland when I was 8 years old.
As soon as I reached P4, I started fiddle lessons in school with the wonderful late Bernadette Porter. I had the joy of being part of her youth music group ‘New Tradition’, and later an offshoot of this, Swingin’ Fiddles, and we had the most fantastic experiences over the years. Every summer for me growing up was spent back in Orkney for the Orkney Traditional Music Project (OTMP) Summer School and these experiences very much shaped what I do now with youth projects all these years later!
When I moved down to Aberdeen to study, I joined the Board for Scottish Culture and Traditions (SC&T). After I finished studying, I moved to Skye for 6 years and thoroughly enjoyed my first ‘proper’ job teaching strings in the schools all over Skye and Lochalsh. Talk about a scenic commute to work…! In 2018, we moved back to the North East and with great delight, I re-joined the SC&T Board and I’m now enjoying the role of Vice-Chair. I’m also currently the Secretary for the Traditional Music Forum and a member of the North East Music Forum.
I have a real passion for working with young people and in 2019, launched SC&T Youth with the fantastic Kirsty Campbell. SC&T Youth offers a year round programme of free high quality Scottish traditional music opportunities to young people aged 6-26 and is continuing to grow from strength to strength which is really exciting.
I’ve always enjoyed teaching and have been fortunate enough to have this as a regular part of my career so far. I’ve recently added ‘a new string to my bow’, and have started teaching Scottish traditional fiddle at the University of Aberdeen.
As well as running various projects and teaching, I still very much enjoy performing and playing whenever I can. Getting out and playing music in the community has always been close to my heart and whether this be playing in local care homes, playing for a ceilidh with my band, Hooley, or simply playing tunes at a session, you’ll find me there when I have time!
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
Before I could even play, I remember so clearly the infamous music parties that were held in Rousay, Orkney and I used to watch and listen to Billy and Ingie Jolly, Owen Tierney, Edwin Flaws to name a few – the music they played filled me with such happiness and I couldn’t wait to be able to join in. Once I started playing at the age of 8, my Grandad used to sit with me for hours on his accordion playing the same tunes over and over (got to love a bit of learning by ear!) and the joy of being able to take part and play tunes with other people and know you’re part of something bigger really inspired me even at such a young age.
Growing up and learning to play the fiddle in Shetland is something really pretty special and I have no doubt it is a huge contributing factor as to why I ended up having a career in Scottish traditional music. It was such a treat to have events such as the Folk Festival and the Accordion and Fiddle Festival right on our doorstep – they inspired me hugely each and every single year but it wasn’t just the music, it was the feeling of community, the people, the volunteering, the craic – everything! As soon as each Festival was over, I was always counting down until the next one.
I’m involved in Scottish traditional music, with all of my different hats on, because I genuinely absolutely love it. Whether it be playing, facilitating, teaching or simply listening, music brings together the most amazing community and I feel really privileged to be part of it.
Any particular career highlights?
A particular highlight was, along with my SC&T Youth colleagues, bringing almost 50 young folk down to perform at the Caird Hall for the Trad Awards in 2023. It took me right back to my New Tradition days growing up and the excitement on their faces backstage before going on to perform was wonderful. It was lovely to know the bairns were making such great memories together that they will hopefully look back fondly on in 20 years too!
I’ve enjoyed doing some work with Visit Scotland and a highlight for me this year was being commissioned to compose and perform a few pieces of music for various events around Scotland.
Finally, a very recent highlight for me (I’m still beaming!) is that I shall be starting a new role next week as one of two Festival Leads for the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) which will be happening in Aberdeen in June 2026. How exciting!
What are your plans for the future?
Now that my youngest is in school, I’m going to really enjoy working slightly more sociable hours in the future! Joking aside, I feel lucky every single day that I get to do what I do so if I can continue doing just this, I’ll be delighted. 🙂
Laura Harrington Social Media
Website:
Facebook: @lauraharringtonmusic
Twitter: @
Instagram: @lauraharringtonmusic
YouTube: @
TikTok: @
The 2024 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 30th November 2024 in Inverness Leisure Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Bands performing on Saturday 30th November include Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers, An Dannsa Dub, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award winner 2024 Calum McIlroy and more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.
