Patti spoke with us about her career highlights, first learning to play, and the importance of having a local festival like Harvest Sun.
Can you take me through your musical journey? What inspired you to start playing the fiddle?
I started with the Suzuki method at the age of four. My parents always had Fiddle music playing in the house and car, and at age six, I was able to play my first fiddle tune. My mom asked my Suzuki teacher if he could give me some old-time Fiddle tunes, but at that time, there was no room for that in the program. So, they found another teacher who allowed me to continue with my technical training and also let me play fiddle tunes. My dad was a bit of a fiddler, and my grandfather on my mom’s side was an accordion player from Scotland.
Can you talk a bit about your style of fiddling? It’s very high-energy, upbeat, and almost poppy at times.
I started playing for dances in my teens and credit my style to that. I seem to swing everything I play and that all stems from playing to make people dance. When I was growing up and going to competitions locally, we always had fiddling and jigging contests. I took up jigging, and my mom also made me learn how to dance as a very young child. I think that all contributes.
You’ve been a big part of Manitoba’s fiddle community for some time now, what are some of your favourite career highlights so far?
When I was young, I was fortunate to have met and played with some of my idols like Reg Bouvette, Marcel Meilleur, and Graham Townsend. Graham produced and played on some of my earlier records, and Reg and I recorded an album together when I was 16.
As for career highlights, I’m just happy to be able to be making a living doing this!
Well, Jeremy Rusu is a huge part of my show. I call him my “secret weapon.” He plays accordion, piano, and guitar in the show, and loves to entertain. Because our music has no lyrics, we chose a repertoire that has a story to tell and engage with our audience that way. And of course, you can expect to want to dance!
Why do you think a festival like Harvest Sun is essential to have in Manitoba, especially for those in the folk music scene?
A small town festival like Harvest Sun is wonderful for artists who enjoy experiencing a tight-knit community. The artists are close to the audience, and there is plenty of opportunities to meet and visit, talking to old friends and making new ones. I loved it my first time and can’t wait to come back!
What are you most excited about in regards to playing Harvest Sun?
The thing I appreciate and am most thrilled about is that Harvest Sun is in my home province. Often times, artists have to travel far and wide for work and being able to show the locals what we do is a lot of fun.
Catch at Patti Kusturok at The Harvest Sun Music Festival in Kelwood, MB - August 16 -18th.
Follow Patti on her website, and Instagram.
Be sure to check out @harvestsunmusicfest on Instagram on June xxxth, as Patti takes over our account for the day!
Janet Adamana is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief of Sound, Phrase & Fury Magazine - a Winnipeg-based digital publication dedicated to promoting independent artists and industry professionals from all over the world. More than just about inciting hype, she interviews/writes to capture an artists’ essence and their greatest passions to ignite meaningful connections between fans and really great bands.