January 7, 2025
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.
Trae formerly taught as an adjunct professor among the faculty of the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Program at East Tennessee State University. During his time in Tennessee, Trae delved into Southern American traditions as a fiddler and clawhammer banjoist. Yet Trae’s continued passion for the music of the Great Lakes marks him as one of the few remaining practitioners and tradition bearers of the region’s musical trove. He was awarded the title of Michigan State Old Time Fiddle Champion in 2022, 2023, and 2024. His project www.michiganfiddle.com aims to help preserve and promote Michigan’s fiddle traditions.
Trae’s performance career has included a wide variety of venues such as historical sites, workshops, festivals, camps, outdoor education programs, schools, libraries, television, radio, and many dances.