Superstar Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster, her superstar Canadian fiddler husband Donnell Leahy, and their seven (superstars-in-the-making) children are about to hit the road for a tour of Alberta.
It’s an exciting first for them: they’re not bringing a band along. The kids are growing up. All musicians, they are a band in themselves.
“All of our kids will have a feature in the show. Donnell and I are also doing solos and we’re accompanied by just our children,” says MacMaster, when we reach her on their working farm in Ontario. “It’s just us making music together as a family.”
It’s a satisfying moment, she says.
“I mean, for me, from a mother’s perspective, it’s my favourite thing ever in the world,” she says, of playing with her gang.
“We’ll be showcasing the talents of each of us as individuals as well as working together as a family. It’s like a little glimpse into our reality.”
MacMaster easily recalls the days touring when members of the band were still in diapers.
“The kids went everywhere with us because that’s just what we did. And I just felt right about continuing on with music. I didn’t feel like I should quit,” she says. “Eventually Donnell and I started touring together. It just made a lot of sense.
“They were magical days,” she says, then laughs, “I mean, they were also hard as heck.”
She describes that time: homeschool and music practice on the road, hotel pools, the kids joining their parents on stage and then heading to the tour bus with a babysitter to watch a movie.
“Now some of them drive themselves!” she laughs. Their eldest, Mary Frances, is 20. Their youngest, Maria, is seven.
Her three eldest are already performing separate from the family. Mary Frances in particular is a rising star in the Celtic music world.
“It’s a truly beautiful season we are in,” MacMaster says.
MacMaster released a memoir last September, I Have A Love Story. She is currently working on turning it into a symphony performance.
Next the family is off to Scotland for a tour. They are creating a CD from their Celtic All-Stars tour earlier this year. They’re touring the US and hosting a Danube River cruise in the fall.
“Projects and plans, it’s always projects and plans,” MacMaster laughs.
She never stops feeling grateful, she says. And these Alberta shows are bringing an extra level of gratitude.
“It’s all about connection. I appreciate any chance to play for people and I’m just really deeply happy that these shows are with my family.”
The MacMaster/Leahy family is in Grande Prairie, Camrose, Sherwood Park, Red Deer, and Leduc, June 4 to 10. All details and tickets can be found on their website.
MacMaster’s eldest child, Mary Frances, playing “Celticumbia”:
