Today we’d like to introduce you to Emerald Rae.
Emerald, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in a musical family and started singing, dancing and playing fiddle at a young age. I got hooked on Scottish Fiddling with I was 9 years old and 10 years later was a US National Scottish Fiddle Champion. I got a degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music. I started performing with I was a kid and have had a 20 year career as a Scottish and Irish fiddler and stepdancer, playing in lots of bands and touring the United States and Canada. Now, I’m going off on my own and plunging into songwriting, backed up by lots of fiddle accompaniment techniques.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a crooked and winding road with lots of twists and turns! But such is the life of an artist. It’s never boring anyway! I’ve signed myself up for extra struggles and trouble by trying to master lots of skills along the way. I often would take a gig when I really didn’t know how to do something essential yet. There has been a lot of learning on the job, that’s for sure. Being a full time musician has significant life balance challenges built in also. Because I’ve been doing this since childhood, it’s really all I know — so I have to be careful not to overdo it.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Emerald Rae: Fiddler & Folksinger – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a fiddler and folksinger — I write songs and back them up with lots of groovy and percussive fiddle accompaniment techniques. In my writing, I take a lot of elements from traditional music and weave them into a contemporary song. The fiddle takes on the role of lots of different instruments, such as bagpipes, bass, guitar, ukulele, etc. It’s a very versatile instrument, and I wanted the music to reflect that in the writing and arranging.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to do lots of traveling, of course. That new record isn’t going to sell itself! So I have to get on the road. I’ve already toured the states pretty extensively. I think I’ve played in 42 states by now with previous projects. So, I’m hoping to focus a bit more on Europe and the rest of the world too.
Pricing:
- EMERALD RAE by Emerald Rae – $19.99 Physical CD / $9.99 Digital Album
- IF ONLY I COULD FLY by Emerald Rae – $19.99 Physical CD / $9.99 Digital Album
- ARTIFACT by Emerald Rae & Somer O’Brien – $19.99 Physical CD / $9.99 Digital Album
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emeraldrae.com
- Email: emerald@emeraldrae.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/esmeraldarae
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emeraldrae
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/emeraldrae
Image Credit:
Photos by Anna Colliton, Graphics by Grace Van’t Hof
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
