Shona Mooney is the 2006 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. She began playing music with her parents in the band O’er the Border and has gone on to feature prominently in The Shee, Borders Fiddles and has toured with the Scottish folk orchestra, The Unusual Suspects. As a result of winning the award, she gained the opportunity to record her debut solo album ‘Heartsease’ for Foot Stompin’ Records which combines traditional Borders material with contemporary self-penned tunes inspired by the Borders landscape, culture and people. Currently she lives in Hawick and works for the Scottish Borders Council as their Traditional and World Music Development Worker.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Shona’s first instrument was a tiny second-hand fiddle, bought in a junk shop in Peebles. She now plays her Great-Grandfather's fiddle which he played in te orchestra for the 'silent' movies in Sheffield. During her childhood she moved house 11 times throughout the Borders towns including Newstead, Newtown, Westruther, Maxton, Eildon and Lauder. She began taking lessons with the prominent Borders-based fiddlers Lucy Cowan and Iain Fraser before joining the vibrant traditional musical scene fostered by Harris Playfair and John Mabon at Kelso High School......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
In 2001, Shona set off for Newcastle University to become part of the first intake on the BMus in Folk and Traditional Music. Her tutors included such great fiddlers as Catriona Macdonald, Chris Wood and Aidan O’Rourke and a great deal of her study time was spent researching Borders music. Much of Shona’s repertoire comes from her father’s research into Borders piping and she intends building upon this work by searching out more Borders melodies and interpreting them and integrating them with contemporary influences. Shona then graduated with first-class honours from Newcastle University in 2005 and that same year appeared on a Scottish tour with The Unusual Suspects...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Particular highlights for her have been to perform alongside Capercaillie stars Donald Shaw and Karen Matheson at the BBC Proms in the Park, to be chosen to appear on Howard Goodall’s How Music Works for Channel 4 and to perform alongside the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a piece called Conflict and Resolution by David Heath.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Reviews;
“bringing a breath of fresh Borders air to the crowded record shelves with her first album.”
(Scotland On Sunday)....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
”Mooney brings an arranging and compositional vision as well as fiddling skill to her music.”
(Rob Adams - The Herald).....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
”5 star review ...she is also a truly terrific player, marrying traditional fidelity and contemporary flair, a beautifully rounded tone with ultrasensitive phrasing. “
(Sunday Herald - Sue Wilson).....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
”With Heartsease, Shona has first of all given us a striking and superb fiddle album, and second, a fiddle album with a difference: one that, while retaining her instrument's necessary dominance, proves to be so much more.”
(David Kidman - FRoots).....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
”..a striking debut from a rising star.”
(Alex Monaghan Living Tradition )
We are staying in Sterling at the Uni - can you email me your mobile #? I will be borrowing a friends UK mobile who lives here - probably the best way communicate although I am bringing my new web book computer with me. Love to come to your show, I know the unusual suspects, but I suspect we might be a wee bit bagged - you never know though.
Arrive on Aug 7, not sure what time but I think in the morning (Glasgow) Games @ North Berwick n Aug 8 and Perth on Aug 9 - it's all listed in my myspace events. Frantic here, trying to get lesson plans in order, pack, leaving on Thursday for Concert with SFU on Fri, Judging Highland games Sat, then teaching at SFU's pipe and drum summer school next week. Yikes!! Glad you are over the lag!
Heya, oh definitely i think a glock duo is just what the folk world is crying out for! I definitely think you should play lead though being the professional and all...i will plonk along behind with some tasteful riffs!
The Shee's Set at Big Session Was Fantastic. Drove from Kelso to see a load of scottish musicians, well worth it. nice to see the borderers out in force (:
Do you like fiddle music? Are you a fiddler? Then join us in the Fiddle World - sometimes called the Facebook for Fiddlers!
http://fiddleworld.ning.com
It's free to join and we're always looking for new members...see you there
FÁILTE Shona, thanks for your friendship. Hope you get a chance to listen to some of our tunes ... there are some new LIVE ones added to give a flavour of a live concert ... hope you enjoy :-)) Sláinte, traditional music on Uilleann Pipes & Fiddle @ www.neffbros.eu
HEY SHONA,
Thanks for the add... Like our profile said, we have a cable TV show called Media Factory Show in northern Connecticut. If you have any promo/home videos to send out, we'd love to air them on the show. You can view Media Factory Show TV at our web site at
www.netshows.us We hope you become a fan.
Musically,
Peter and Chic
also at the Netshows web site!!!!!
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