Muriel Johnstone

I have been lucky enough to have had an extraordinary life in traditional Scottish music and dance.  What started as a hobby as a child has developed into an incredible life-style of playing, teaching, performing, recording and composing.  On top of that, I have travelled extensively, visiting places I only once dreamed of seeing; and the icing on the cake has been meeting so many wonderful people, and some great characters!

 Over the years, I have enjoyed some wonderful musical liaisons with many talented musicians. Many of them are here at Summer School and I am looking forward to making music with them this week.

 It is hard to say which part of my work I enjoy most but composition ranks very highly.  Many of my dance tunes have been commissioned to provide music to honour people in our world of Scottish Country Dancing or for specific dances but I have some other ideas in the pipeline - if only I could get a long enough spell at home to get on with it!

 I would find it impossible to pick out my most memorable moment (maybe the concert in Old Parliament House, Canberra), favourite place (still the west coast of Scotland), strongest influence (possibly my mother), greatest excitement (making the leap of faith into playing without music), biggest disappointment (Book 38 recording - first time round!!) or funniest experience (too many of these!), but I think there is a book to be written with a special chapter describing how, along the way, I have met and wrestled with many strange and wondrous piano-shaped objects that resolutely refuse to help you sound like the musician you are supposed to be! Another chapter will be devoted to beds I have tried to sleep in!

Keith B. Smith

Scottish fiddler Keith Smith is internationally well known for concerts, recording and teaching of Scottish fiddle music.  He features in many Scottish Country Dance recordings with Scottish pianist Muriel Johnstone (www.scotscores.com).  He also plays with singer songwriter John Barden (www.john-barden.de) and with Scottish band Hoogie (www.hoogie.co.uk). His home is in Ardnamurchan on the West coast of Scotland.