Thank you, Mr. Chairman and honourable members.

I have just turned 14 years old and I have been playing the fiddle for six years. I'm honoured to be here representing young fiddlers and speaking on something that is truly my passion. I love playing the fiddle and sharing music with others.

Fiddling is an important part of our society. It is found throughout our country's past. It is special because it recounts our history and our peoples. Fiddle music is still very much alive today.

I want to relate a little bit about my own experiences playing the fiddle as an example of how this music can impact people and their communities. My mother grew up in Nova Scotia, so I have musical roots in the Maritimes. I've been inspired by my cousin Megan and kitchen parties at my grandparents' home. Many, many people have inspired me through music. I really don't have the time to name them all, but I am fortunate to have had great teachers and mentors. I wish to thank them all. They have taught me about the importance of fiddle music, and they are wonderful musicians who represent our Canadian fiddling tradition. They have opened doors for me and given me great opportunities.

I hope I can carry on the tradition that is being passed down to me by my instructors through the years: Beth Bartley, a wonderful performer from St. Catharines, Ontario; Karen Reed, a Canadian fiddle champion who now lives in Kitchener; Cindy Thompson, another Canadian fiddle champion who is a great mentor and friend; and Denis Lanctot, who was inducted into the Canadian fiddle hall of fame last year.

I began performing fiddle music in the Niagara region, in St. Catharines, and I started playing in the Niagara Old Tyme Fiddlers Association. At the start, I acquired many mentors, mostly fiddlers in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. I brought the average age down to about 60. I joined a band with two of my mentors, Cassandra Swan and Mike Mattie, and they renamed the band Alexander's Old Time Band. Seniors really enjoyed our show and our music—their day's pop music.

I now live in the Ottawa Valley, which has a rich history of Celtic, country, and valley fiddle music. The Ottawa Valley has the Heritage radio station and Renfrew's Valley Stage to keep our history alive. In the valley there are weekly jams and gatherings in pubs and homes. As a matter of fact, I go to a jam session every Wednesday night. I drink my ginger beer and play until my bedtime of 9:30.

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