Just Us Folk

At this time of year, when giving presents to the music lover in your family, there can be a wide variety of choices. Instruments, accessories, instruction books or lessons are all available. Books about musicians are another possibility.

May I suggest I Have a Love Story by fiddler Natalie MacMaster?

While not an autobiography or memoir per se, it’s a collection of stories that tells of her life growing up in Cape Breton, how she’s toured around the world and raised a family with her husband, and fellow fiddler, Donnell Leahy.

It all started seven years ago when Natalie was overwhelmed by all the bad news around the world and closer to her roots in Cape Breton.

“I was thinking, ‘What kind of world do my kids have to live in?’”

She also thought about all of the good things she’s experienced. It was then she realized what a love story she possessed.

“We all have such in-depth stories, and mine is no different.”

Natalie felt an urge to write down her stories, which she did on her phone, and then showed what she had to Donnell. He encouraged her to turn the stories into a book.

Since she started raising a family 19 years ago, Natalie has always been asked how she manages to balance a career and a family.

“I knew people were curious, and I felt this pull to share love in an effort to raise folks up. Let’s look at life through a different lens,” she said.

She contacted a publishing company she knew to pitch the idea of a book, and they were immediately onboard. Natalie then spent three years writing it all down just using her phone.

For an artist who released her first album at the age of 16 and has toured with folks like The Chieftains, Carlos Santana, Alison Krauss and many more, remembering all the details of your life can be a task. So Natalie had to have help in researching her own life to determine the details of where she’d been and who she played with.

“So when you read the book, I’ve got all the information,” she said.

The world Natalie MacMaster grew up in in rural Cape Breton is very different from the one her seven children are experiencing. But as we all know, every age has its own challenges.

“It was different times in many, many ways, and we all know that,” she said. “Some of it’s better and some of it’s worse. You just have to navigate that.”

Natalie and Donnell home-schooled their kids and drew upon their respective musical upbringings to teach them fiddle and step dancing. But as the children’s interests expanded to other instruments, the couple looked for instructors for piano, guitar, accordion, drums and more.

“I can teach them fiddle, and I can organize the rest,” Natalie said.

The plans for a book tour to promote I Have a Love Story have gone through a variety of scenarios. What’s currently in the works is a series of symphony shows in Canada and the U.S., presenting music and excerpts from the book. Various book signings will also take place in Cape Breton, Halifax and Ontario.

“It’s a whole new world now!” Natalie said.

For more on Natalie MacMaster and I Have A Love Story, go to https://natalieanddonnell.com.