British Columbia·Q&A

Vancouver fiddler posts 366 fiddle tunes in 2024, completing New Years resolution

Michael Burnyeat, a Vancouver-based fiddler and two-time B.C. fiddle champion, has wrapped up an ambitious New Year's resolution: uploading a new fiddle tune video every day for 366 days in 2024, a leap year.

On Jan. 1, 2024, Michael Burnyeat set a goal to record and upload a new fiddle tune every day

A red-haired young man in a green sweater and fedora plays the fiddle.
Michael Burnyeat, a professional fiddle player from Vancouver, posted a video he took of himself playing a new tune each day on YouTube. On Tuesday, he posted the last video of the year, completing his goal. (Submitted by Michael Burnyeat )

Michael Burnyeat, a Vancouver-based fiddler and two-time B.C. fiddle champion, has wrapped up an ambitious New Year's resolution: to record and upload a new fiddle tune video every day for 366 days in 2024, a leap year.

On Jan. 1, 2024, Burnyeat embarked on the year-long challenge. He says the project was an opportunity to connect with fellow musicians while sharing the vibrant tradition of fiddle music with young Canadians.

Known for his expertise in Celtic, folk, and country genres, Burnyeat also co-founded the UBC Fiddle Club and the Open Door Fiddlers, a youth group dedicated to preserving fiddle traditions.

CBC's North by Northwest host Margaret Gallagher caught up with Burnyeat to discuss his year-long musical journey.


Why did you set out on this challenge?

It's become actually a semi-common thing with fiddlers to do this challenge. Over the last few years, it's become a little bit more popular, and many fiddlers I follow have done this challenge. I thought I'd give it a try, too.


 

How hard was it to come up with new tunes every day?

Sometimes, it would get a bit challenging. I know a lot of tunes, but you want to switch it up and make sure that you're not playing similar tunes every single day. You want to switch up genres, switch up types of tunes — jigs, reels, waltzes, polkas.

A big thing for me was also to spread the fiddle culture, especially the Canadian fiddle culture, to people online.

Any advice for others on their New Year's resolutions?

I would say just take it a day at a time, and it will eventually become a habit or a routine. And pace yourself. The first hundred days are the hardest, and then you get into the groove.

People on stage showing an award to the audience.
Michael Burnyeat is a two-time B.C. Fiddle Champion (2017, 2018), and two-time Traditional Champion at the Grand North American Fiddle Championships (2023, 2024). (Submitted by Michael Burnyeat )

You also brought in some reinforcements. How did that help?

I did the math — I had about 110 special guests over more than 90 videos. If I was at a musical event and there was a fiddler there, I'd say, "Hey, do you want to come and just film a quick fiddle tune video?" And they always said yes, thankfully. I was able to have many great players, many champion fiddlers, students of mine and musical friends.

How did your passion for fiddle start?

I started with classical violin and then moved to fiddle. I started with a music school in the Kitsilano area, where I'm from, and started playing Irish fiddle. Then I went to the Gavin Lake fiddle camp in 2009 and was introduced to this whole Canadian fiddle community, which I didn't even know existed before.


 

You've co-founded the UBC Fiddle Club and the Open Door Fiddlers, a youth fiddle group. Why was this important to you?

It has been important because it's kind of what was given to me when I was a kid. I'm trying to pay it forward and pass it along, keep the tradition going. There's always a fear that people won't start playing fiddle and then the culture will die out if there's no one playing. There are a lot of older people keeping it up, but they're not going to be around in the next 30 years. We have to get the next generation going.

How would you describe the B.C. fiddle scene?

The BC fiddle scene is definitely underrated. There are a lot of great tunes, and Daniel Lapp is probably the foremost authority on B.C. fiddle tunes. In fact, he's compiling a book just purely about B.C.'s fiddle tunes.

On the West Coast, in Vancouver Island and Vancouver, there's a lot of Celtic influence. But if you go up north to the Prince George area, it's very old-time style. It's definitely a rich, rich tradition here.

What's next for you?

I'm going to be working on a new album, and that's my New Year's resolution for this year: to work on my fourth album.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

With files from CBC's North by Northwest