In England they have folk music, in Scotland we have music, where there isn’t the firm distinction and it’s often hard to see where one supposed genre ends and the other starts.

Our fellow clansman, Alasdair, describes himself as a consummate performer. A fiddler he is, but one who has performed on film scores, featured on over 100 TV and Radio shows in the UK and US and played along side such diverse groups as The Waterboys and The Chieftains.

He performs solo, in duets and with his group Skyedance. I have the pleasure in owning their Live in Spain CD and you can almost feel the atmosphere in the Spanish crowd. On top of all that he also directs the 100 member San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers Orchestra.

Alasdair has been a major force behind the resurgence of traditional Scottish fiddling in his homeland and the U.S., inspiring legions of listeners and learners through his recordings, annual fiddle camps, and concerts. He has represented Scotland internationally through performances sponsored by the British Council, and has been awarded touring support by the California Arts Council, with the ranking of "highest priority for inclusion on the roster; considered 'model' in stature."

He was born in Clackmannan, then Scotland’s smallest county and started to play the violin at the age of 8, encouraged by a whole family of musicians. In 1973 he won the National Mod violin contest and now lives with his wife and two sons in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California, operating his own Culburnie Records label and making frequent trips to Scotland and beyond, for numerous engagements. This year alone they include many in the US, over 20 in California alone, one in New Zealand (early 07), Ireland, England and performances at Aberdeen, Skye and most incredibly the little Ryhnie Church in Aberdeenshire.

For more information have a look at the following websites alasdairfraser.com & culburnie.com.

He is certainly a musician Scots and Frasers can be proud of.