ARTICLES AND AWARDS
THE RECORD NEWS 1985 - SMITHS FALLS, ONTARIO
HEADLINE - Derek's a winner in fiddling competitions
Young Derek Wilson, 15, an SFDCI student has won numerous trophies and awards
for his fiddle playing.
There's nothing Derek Wilson loves more than playing the fiddle. And the
Smiths Falls and District Collegiate Institute student has amassed a collection
of trophies and medals in his brief five-year career that would make the most
accomplished musician proud.
His latest venture at a fiddling competition in St. Liboire, Que., brought
him first place honors in the 18 years and under category. That brings to
29 the number of trophies atop the piano in the Wilson home on River Street.
No small feat for someone who started playing at the age of 10 with the help of
his father Lorne.
"I'd play with no fingers, just the bow. And then one day I asked my
Dad to teach me," Derek said. It's been success after success ever
since. At the age of 11, he entered and won his first competition in
Perth, Ontario.
Today he's mastered over 400 Canadian old-time fiddling tunes, including 40 he's
written himself. "I practice as much as I can, morning, noon and
night before bed, " said Derek.
"It's (fiddle playing) first thing in the morning and the last thing at
night before he goes to bed," said Lorne. And it's not surprising
Derek has shown musical talent. Dad Lorne also plays fiddle.
It's clear Derek would rather spend his days playing the fiddle than going to
school and he sometime entertains future hopes of making the music business his
career. It's a possibility that he and his father are seriously
considering. But for now, young Derek is content to travel throughout the
province, competing, and learning more about fiddle playing.
"One of the greatest things about fiddle playing is you can always learn
something from someone else," said Lorne, "There's always somebody
that knows something more about it."
"If we do not start to educate the younger generation about the culture
and heritage of fiddle playing then there
will not be any culture and heritage left to teach about," said Derek
Wilson, one of Ontario's more
accomplished fiddle players and instructors. Fiddle playing is definitely
a dying art, he claims.
The music played on TV and radio is aimed at the younger generation. They
(the younger generation) are never
given the chance to appreciate anything but rock music, he said.
His earliest interest can be traced back to the Don Messer era. "He
was the king of old time fiddle playing,"
Derek said. Don Messer was with the CBC for many years. CBC
eventually cancelled the show, which was
a main source of exposure for many talents. Although Messer passed away in
March of 1973 his shows can
still be viewed because of the efforts of many of his dedicated fans.
Derek began playing on Christmas Day 1980, by asking his father to show him the
finger positions. He had
tried bowing, which is running the bow across the strings, but had never
attempted anything harder.
Eventually his father taught him what he needed to know. What his father
could not teach him he learned for
himself. Derek played, and won a prize in his first contest 12 and under
in 1981 at the Perth Old-Time Fiddling
and Step Dancing Competition.
Old Tyme Fiddle music players get back to the basics - you play to the best of
your ability, with heart, soul and
emotion in it, explained Derek.
Derek's most major competition took place in 1985 at Woodstock, New Brunswick.
He had to play a waltz,
jig and a reel in the competition open class and won first. So far he has
won 85 competitions. Derek has been
given the opportunity to meet some of the bigger names in the business. He
has met some of Don Messer's band, the Islanders. Members are pianist
Waldo Munro, clarinetist Rae Simmons and Duke Nielson , bassist.
Derek has come in contact with many fiddlers over the years. He began
teaching when he was 12 years old,
but has only been working steadily for the last several months. He has an
average of 25 students at any
given time. They range, in age, from nine to there seventies. His
instruction area ranges from Renfrew, Cobden,
Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, Ottawa and Quyon, Quebec.
"Anyone can play a fiddle as long as they put effort into it," said
Derek. He claims that, no matter what age you
are or what level you begin at, he will have you playing a tune by the end of
one month's lessons. Derek is a
strong believer in the theory "practice makes perfect" and the more
you practice, he says, the better you will be.
He progresses the students to the level they can handle. His schedule is
so tightly booked he can only take
Friday and Sundays off. Even then it is just to work in his store.
"Fiddling takes up all of my time,"he said. But
his hard work, efforts and time sacrifices are rewarded. Many of his
students have gone on to win competitions.
"I never thought I could go this far," he said. "My
students and I are like a big music family."
Derek Wilson has a dream. He wants to follow in the foot-steps of music
legend Don Messer.
The Smiths Falls, Ont. man believes it so strongly that last summer he packed up
his family and moved them lock, stock and barrel to Prince Edward Island.
"I want to pick up where he left off. I feel there's a demand for
old-time music,"says Wilson, who started playing the fiddle at the age of
ten.
Wilson's goal is to make inroads in the same way the Messer did over 50 years
ago. During the past ten years, he has travelled to the Maritimes, sharing
his fiddling style. During earlier visits to P.E.I. the reception was so
good, he decided to move to Charlottetown to be closer to Messer's stompin'
grounds. "I truly believe if you want something you have to go after
it. You can't sit back and expect it to come to you".
In the time since his arrival, Wilson has been busy sharing his fiddling style.
At first he worked as a busker last summer until a local talent scout referred
him to city hall administrators in Charlottetown. Soon he was playing for
festivals and cruise ship receptions. "I kept plugging away and
business grew". In between gigs, he started giving fiddle lessons.
Presently he has fifteen students. He also plays on a regular basis with
his band, The Backwoodsmen, and is currently working on a radio show that he
hopes to launch in early February on CJRW.
Playing the reels and airs that Messer was known for, they're attracting
interest from Islanders. Wilson received thundering applause from the
enthusiastic audience when he performed Orange Blossom Special during the launch
of Urban Carmichael's new album, Scatter My Ashes.
His early interest in music was inspired by his father who taught him everything
he knew about the old-time canadian fiddling style. This particular style
carries on the work of Messer, who in his early years had brought his fiddling
style to Atlantic Canada. Throughout his youth, Wilson performed at folk
festivals, dances and fiddling contests in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.
In total he's won over 145 awards for his work.
In short, he wants to rejuvenate fiddling to P.E.I. the Don Messer way.
"That is to find the bones to the music and put the meat on it".
Redmud Hoedown Volume One by Derek Wilson, is a self produced collection of
traditional jigs, reels, polkas and hornpipes, along with a few from his own
pen. The fast-stepping album includes many old-time favourites such as
Princess Reel, Nova Scotia polka and Lord McDonald's Reel.
If you ever get a chance to meet Wilson take the time to sit and talk with him.
The Ontario-born fiddler has a very interesting story to tell. He was only
ten when he first reached for the fiddle and the bow and by the time he was
eleven he was attending house parties, fiddle contests and barn dances.
Wilson says the driving force behind his fiddle is the music of Don Messer.
"I became inspired from listening to my dad play his music. It has a
different beat. It's more mellow, that's what drew me in".
Ever since he heard the music he has dreamed about returning to the heartland of
Messer's music. "I wanted to keep the home fires of old-time music
burning," he says. Since his arrival to P.E.I. he has been performing
at house parties and community concerts, as well as given private lessons.
After receiving many requests for his music, he decided to release his first
album. Wilson bought his own recording and duplication equipment.
And, with some help from his friends, he made his own album.
You and a guest are invited to join us for a fun filled, casual evening
featuring our fall program preview, and a special guest appearance by
Luba Goy of THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FARCE,
Norma Lee MacLeod of NEWSWORLD
The CBC COMPASS NEWS Anchor Team,
and REGIONAL NEWS Celebrities.
The marriage may be made in heaven but the music was something down to
earth.
Thank you for helping us celebrate.
Thank you for helping introduce Theo to the music that is so much a part of
what we are.
Thanks for being there!!
Your Gift of Music is much appreciated
Anna + Theo Santing
Just in town today & didn't realize you were living here now.
A few weeks ago (in Smiths Falls) I purchased one of your
tapes and was really impressed with your playing.
Keep up the good work!
Dennis Staples (Sr)
now mayor of Smiths Falls
Designed by Derek
Wilson
This webpage was last modified
July 7, 2006