Waterbury Center teen fiddler joins touring trad ensemble
January 25, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout UPDATE: Tonight’s Farmer’s Night concert at the State House mentioned below has been canceled due to weather.
A Waterbury Center teen musician is part of the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group that will perform around Vermont, travel to Nova Scotia in April, and take part in the Young Tradition Festival in Burlington in early May.
Young Traditions Vermont Touring Group at a December rehearsal in Shelburne. In front is Emma Taylor McCallum of Waterbury in overalls. Courtesy photo
Emma Taylor McCallum, 17, is a classically trained violinist who began studying traditional fiddle in 2019 when she moved to Vermont with her family. One of her teachers was renowned Vermont folk musician Pete Sutherland, a former Young Tradition Vermont artist leader who died Nov. 30. Emma currently studies voice and classical violin with Emma Back of Burlington, as well as Pam Reit of Vermont Suzuki Violins.
Previously its own organization, Young Tradition Vermont in 2022 became a program of the nonprofit Vermont Folklife Center. Young Tradition programs foster knowledge and appreciation among young people to learn, perform and teach traditional music and dance.
The Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group is an ensemble of 22 traditional teen musicians, singers, and dancers. In the coming weeks, the group will perform selections from their traditional music and dance repertoire throughout Vermont, then embark on a cultural tour to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia for 10 days in April under the direction of the year’s artist leaders Dominique Dodge and Andrea Beaton.
According to the group’s Facebook page, an upcoming performance date is Feb. 26 at the Brownington Ceilidh Club, 6-8 p.m. In addition, two group members – siblings Fiona and Emmett Stowell, a fiddler and keyboard/banjo player respectively – will perform at this week’s free Farmers’ Night concert at the Vermont State House tonight at 7:30 p.m. in a tribute program to Sutherland.
Emma will be with several group members performing in Saratoga, New York, next month as part of the same tour.
While in Cape Breton, the group will visit colleges and collaborate with other teens with similar interests. The cultural exchange will include learning Gaelic language, instrumental music, dances and songs. The itinerary includes performances in schools, arts centers and on radio and television, ending with a recording session.
Emma, who enjoys travel, says she is looking forward to the experience. "There has never been a time in my life where I did not have a song stuck in my head. I am quite excited to explore new kinds of music,” she said.
After its return, the group will participate in the Young Tradition Festival May 4-7 in Burlington with a tribute program honoring their mentor and former artist leader Pete Sutherland.
A violin student for seven years, Emma is a previous recipient of the Green Mountain Swing scholarship established to support the development of young musicians; she also teaches in Waterbury Center and online.
Young Traditions Vermont Touring Group fiddler Emma Taylor McCallum of Waterbury. Courtesy photo
A home-school student, Emma is a junior and dually enrolled at CCV. Her summer plans include touring around New England with the traditional youth choral music group, Village Harmony.
Find video recordings of the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group on their YouTube page.
To support its efforts and travel, the group is raffling off a handmade wooden Vermont Folk Rocker rocking chair. It also has created a “Virtual Seat on the Bus” campaign that offers followers a chance to receive recordings, videos and photos from rehearsals, performances and the group’s travels. Donations to the group are tax-deductible through Vermont Folklife. More information is online here.