Charlie is the darling at YMI awards
The strath’s own star fiddler Charlie McKerron is ‘honoured’ to have become Youth Music Initiative’s Music Tutor of the Year in the organisation’s 20th anniversary.
The 63-year-old virtuoso, famed for his performances with folk rockers Capercaillie and his own Session A9, has been recognised for his contribution to the next generations who will celebrate and preserve the country’s traditional folk heritage.
Speaking from his Kincraig home this week, having recently picked up his award from Morag MacDonald, manager of the YMI programme for Creative Scotland, he told the Strathy his mother would have been proud.
“Kate started it all,” he said. “My mother, who sadly is not around any more, was a very highly respected teacher in Morayshire, latterly Grampian and was certainly my inspiration.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be in this position to carry on her work and help preserve our musical heritage.”
The YMI programme has been the main funding channel for youth music projects in Scotland for the past two decades.
A recent impact report found that the programme reached more than 360,000 children and young people in all 32 local authority areas of Scotland in 2021, through schools, community music projects and more.
Most of its funding specifically targets areas of socio-economic deprivation. Since 2007, the Scottish Government has invested over £140 million in the initiative.
December’s ceremony at Caird Hall in Dundee confirmed Mr McKerron’s place as top tutor by recognising his workshops for Feisean Nan Gaidheal – which has received YMI funding since the inception of the programme – and Feis Rois.
“The initiative is so important for young musicians’ development and our culture’s preservation,” he explained, “and it is wonderful to be in a position to promote our music by encouraging its development.”
The Trad Awards ceremony was funded by Scottish Government through Creative Scotland, but on Monday as he prepared to set off for another local primary school, Mr McKerron stressed: “It’s a privilege to teach in the strath since officially only eight hours a year of traditional tutoring is budgeted for per child in the educational system.
“Yes, just eight hours a year.”
He and partner and fellow tutor Sandra Mackay have each been teaching YMI sessions in Highland primary schools for around 15 years, with Charlie balancing his touring schedule with time at home teaching music.
The inclusivity of YMI can tease out an interest in music in children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience music-making first-hand:
“Not every child has a talent for music, or even interest, but it is joyous to occasionally see young musicians blossoming into talented players as a result of YMI and Fèisean involvement”.
He has seen his own sons, Seòras and Cailean, flourish through local movements like Feis Spe, his own Bàideanach Suite inspired by the local landscape has featured a host of local musicians as well as the Fèis Spè Monadh Ruadh Cèilidh Band.
A key feature in his work is encouraging youngsters to play by ear, he said, ‘rather than just plonking sheet music in front of them’. And whatever was good enough for Kate McKerron is clearly good enough for her gifted son.
