Crossing Canada on tour every year, it’s no secret that Scott Woods loves the fiddle.
That bond with the instrument inspired this year’s “Love That Fiddle” theme for Woods’ performance at the Shatford Centre June 1.
“Fiddle music in general is quite happy, fun music or dance and party music, but it also represents a simplicity in life,” Woods said.
Fiddle music grew with the pioneers of the country who often used the instrument for entertainment, playing in kitchen bands or at the old school house or church hall.
“A lot of people when they hear those tunes it represents simplicity. A time before computers and cell phones that takes us back, so we kind of celebrate that aspect as well in the show,” Woods said.
He has been playing for years, but the fiddle goes back even further in Woods’ family, several generations on both sides. His dad was a fiddler, and his father before, Woods is actually unsure how far it goes back on his dad’s side.
The family band that Woods plays got its origins in his father’s band which started in 1944.
In the 1950s Woods’ father needed a piano player for the band, enter Woods’ mother.
“All of us joined the band at different stages when we were young,” Woods said.
His sister, who was a school teacher for much of her life is now touring with Woods.
He saw his family members playing while growing up, saying that he “loved that fiddle, even though I couldn’t play it yet.”
As a reward for learning the “boring” parts of fiddling like scales and sheet music, Woods’ dad would teach he and his siblings the “fun” parts like jigs and good ol’ fashion fiddle tunes.
A lot of people approach Woods after a performance saying they didn’t like fiddle music growing up, but now when they listen to it the music brings them back to those times with a finer appreciation.
It’s what keeps Woods coming back to the fiddle all these years.
“Besides being fun music, it reflects different emotions in people because it is nostalgic and sentimental for a lot of people. Lot’s of peoples say ‘I didn’t like it as a kid but it reminds of those times.’ People they’ve lost, grandparents, parents,” Woods said.
Woods recalled one song where an elderly couple in the front row reached out and held hands when he played a song that touched them.
“You get tingles almost when it happens. I think that’s what drives us. We do the same show every night, sometimes 150 shows in a year, and it can become easy to just go through the motions and just do the job,” Woods said. “I think the fact that we get that reaction from the audience, it’s such an emotional music, I think we feed of that and that’s what keeps it fresh.”
Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for children ages six to 12 and kids five and under get in free, showtime is 7 p.m.