Peri Leighty: fiddle and voice
I first picked up a violin the winter before I turned four, studying with a violinist named Sasha Mikhlin at the Levine School of Music. We started out studying the Suzuki method, known for teaching students to learn by ear, as though learning a new language, and to play socially, listening and responding to the other people playing with them. After an initial battle with that most dastardly of ditties, Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, I rediscovered my love of music, thrilled by what could be done with four strings and a bow.
When I was about seven, I started going to Suzuki summer camps, where among the traditional classes taught by musicians like Dr. Terry Durbin and Dr. Isaac Stern, there were classes to encourage young students to branch out. One of these was a Scottish fiddle class taught by Melinda Crawford. Here, I learned about bagpipes, imitative ornamentation, crosstuning, and overall, the freedom and joy of Celtic music. Eventually, Miss Crawford mentioned that she knew an Irish fiddle teacher who lived near me, a Mitch Fanning, who ran a couple of sessions in local pubs, and nonchalantly postulated that I ought to send him her greetings.
I went to a session, shy, but willing to give it my best go, and delivered my message. I found out quickly that while people are friendly in classical music, the folk community looks out for everyone. Not only Mitch, but many others, including members of the Bog Band, at the time younger than I am now, watched over me and encouraged me to start tunes and learn to make sets.
I'm now a longtime member of the Bog Band, and study and compete in both Classical and folk music.