Excitement in the air in Fredericton for East Coast Music Awards

Music wafts through the air of the Tipsy Muse Café as a group of fiddlers do their part to celebrate the East Coast Music Awards arrival in Fredericton. 

"It's been a while since they've been here and we definitely were waiting," said café owner Krista Touesnard.  

Touesnard — who happens to be mighty proficient at the fiddle herself — organized this "trad" jam session at the cafe. 

It's a drop-in event, this time with musicians coming together to play traditional Celtic music.

WATCH | Musicians jam to celebrate start of ECMAs in Fredericton  

Play on! Musicians gather at Tipsy Muse Cafe in Fredericton to celebrate return of East Coast Music Awards

3 years ago

Duration 1:36

Fiddle players held jam session to celebrate the five-day ECMAs, the first in the capital city in 14 years.

With a return to live events, this year's ECMA weekend is giving music lovers something to bond over, and Touesnard is hoping the invitation will turn the Tipsy Muse into a musical destination. 

"It's a drop in, so any musician, in the trad music or outside the trad music, is welcome to come in and join in," said Touesnard. 

"We definitely expect to grow quite a bit, today being our first day and a lot of musicians just arriving tomorrow and Friday, so by Saturday it'll be hopping." 

Touesnard said people appreciate the chance to get together and enjoy live music. 

"It's been really hard on the musicians ... live music is a huge part of their career," said Touesnard. 

"Being able to get up on stage again, instead of being in front of a camera where you don't have an audience to feed off of, is a big deal for all these musicians."

And some big talent will be making their way to the capital for the show. 

For Touesnard, who is originally from Cape Breton,it's exciting to see what she calls "the local bands" from the island,  especially the Town Heroes.

"... I'm rooting for them," she said.