Scott Woods is a Canadian Grand Masters fiddling champion and band leader based in Ontario."Scott Woods". Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association website. Accessed June 2018. He is known for his travelling variety fiddling show.
Early life and education Woods was born in Fergus, Ontario and grew up in Fergus and Courtice."Scott Woods and Band 'Fiddle Up a Storm' Wednesday". Discover Humboldt, 17 May 2018. by Katie Kraus He began learning to play violin at the age of four, and when he was growing up played in his family's band, along with his parents and three siblings. He began competing in fiddle contests when he was eight, and by 1984 he was an Ontario fiddle champion."Mackenzie-Smith talent terrific at annual show". Acton Free Press, Feb 29, 1964, page 5"Old-time fiddling competition a success". Brandon Sun, August 11, 1981
Career In the late 1980s, Woods took over the family band. He continued to compete in fiddle contests and won the Maritime Fiddle Festival Champion Class in 1996, and the Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship in 1993 and 1996."Past Winners" Shelburne Fiddle Contest website. Scott Woods also won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition in 1998 and 1999, as well as finished in the top eleven finalists between 1992-2005, including twelve top three finishes over that period."Canadian Grand Masters Top Three Finalists 1990-Present" cgmfa-acgmv.ca
In 1998 Woods was hired to play the part of Don Messer in a series of tribute shows, "Memories of Don Messer Jubilee", after the series' co-founder and fiddler Graham Townsend died."Fiddle-duddle". The Globe and Mail, Paul Waldie, Dec 18, 2004 He became music director, and continued to perform in this series for seven years."Scott Woods Fiddling Champion Performs June 24, 2008 Southampton United Church". Saugeen Times,
By 2004, the family band had become the Scott Woods Band. In 2006, Woods and his band released an album of traditional fiddle music, Reflecting the Past,"Scott Woods-CD-Reflecting The Past-In Review". Atlantic Seabreeze, By John Gavin, Friday, April 07, 2006 and another album Dancing Fiddles."Scott Woods-CD-Dancing Fiddles-In Review". Atlantic Seabreze, By John Gavin, Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Woods organized a traveling show, in which he often performed with his sister, Kendra Woods-Norris. For many years the show has toured throughout Canada, staging more than 100 concerts each year. The show includes guest musicians, and sometimes members of Woods' family, performing traditional and modern fiddling from a variety of genres."Scott Woods returns to Melfort to Fiddle Up A Storm. Melford Journal, May 22, 2018"Scott Woods' Old Time Christmas". Mitchell Advocate, December 11, 2017"Woods and his band fiddle around in Humboldt". Becky Zimmer, Humboldt Journal, May 18, 2016"Scott Woods' Old Time Jubilee in Tillsonburg Sunday". By Chris Abbott, Tillsonburg News, April 6, 2014 During the shows Woods demonstrates "trick fiddling", including his well-known summersaulting and barrel rolling."Masterful fiddling". Fort Francis Times, Dec 6, 2017. Duane HicksThe Island Fiddler, September 2017, page 10 Step dancers and other performers add to the variety."In the key of . . eh?". Dauphin Herald, May 19, 2015 Each year's show is different.
In 2014, Woods once again MC'd a Don-Messer-themed tour across Canada."Two hours of musical thrills". Castlegar News, Jim Sinclair, Jun. 17, 2014
As well as his regular tours, Scott organizes and performs in a series of Christmas fundraisers each fall for various charities and service organizations."National fiddle champion raises funds across Saskatchewan". Northeast Now, By Clark Stork. November 19, 2017"Christmas Traditions with Scott Woods". Snapd Ajax, December 2017 As of 2017, about $2 million had been raised by the concerts.
In 2017, Woods was Master of Ceremonies at the 67th Canadian Old Time Fiddle Championships in Shelburne."The Shelburne Heritage Music Festival & The 67th Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship of 2017!". The Shelburne Freelancer
In 2018, The Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association also presented Scott Woods with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions in composing, recording, teaching and recording of Canadian fiddle music as well as for his performances throughout Canada, the United States and Europe."Canadian Grand Masters Lifetime Achievement Award Winners" cgmfa-acgmv.ca
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