Trae McMaken doesn't just play a good tune, he creates an atmosphere of story, history, and community.

The Musician

Growing up on the Michigan-Ontario border, Trae imbibed varied styles of fiddle playing including Irish, Scottish, Quebecois, Ontario Old Time, and Michigan Old Time. Trae can not only switch between these stylistic accents, he melds them into a dynamic creolized language of fiddling that reflects the diverse traditional heritage of his home region.

During an over three year stint as an adjunct professor among the faculty of the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Program at East Tennessee State University, Trae delved into Southern American traditions. Though a fiddler, banjoist, multi-instrumentalist, and singer of wide explorations, Trae's continued passion for the music of the Great Lakes marks him as one of the few remaining practitioners and tradition bearers of that region's musical trove. He created www.michiganfiddle.com and www.borderfiddle.com as projects to preserve and promote Michigan's fiddle traditions. Trae brings all this history and tradition and couples it with contemporary energy and experience in his songs and tunes.

Continued here: http://www.traemcmaken.com/index.php/2011/08/30/about-trae-mcmaken

In addition to being an artist, I am a health care professional and enjoy promoting healthy aging through arts.