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Originally from Creignish, Stephanie Wills has traveled the world playing and teaching both
the fiddle and piano in the Traditional Cape Breton style. Stephanie has performed in the past
with the Cape Breton Summertime Revue and Cape Breton Gold. Her piano and fiddle playing are
featured on recent recordings by Brenda Stubbert and Wendy MacIsaac. Stephanie continues to
be a square dance favourite and will help sweep you off your feet if you are lucky enough
to be on a dancefloor when she is playing! Inspired by the legend of her grand-mother, fiddler Tina Jim Angus MacDougall of Creignish Mountain, Stephanie trained under the auspices of Stan Chapman. A most interesting cross-section of influences, such as Theresa MacLellan, Donald Angus Beaton and Howie MacDonald, make Stephanie well-seasoned for her young age. She teaches at The Gaelic College of Celtic Arts & Crafts in St Ann's. She plays piano and fiddle on Margo Carruther's album Tālant nam Bārd. She can also be seen and heard on the video from Fiddler Magazine called "Carrying on the Traditions; Cape Breton Scottish Fiddling Today." where she comps for Brenda Stubbert.
Stephanie Wills- Tradition Continued
[tape only, self-published-- Box 5, Creignish, RR#1, Port Hastings, NS B0E 2T0, Canada, (902) 625-2954 or through mail order stores].
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This tape by a young, self-effacing fiddle teacher was my best discovery of Celtic Colours 98. Not well known outside Cape Breton, she has enormous respect among the musicians there. Stephanie's fiddling captures the older Cape Breton sound as well as, if not better than, most of the other young fiddlers, and she plays brilliantly. I found this album riveting and kept playing it over and over again to the great pleasure of the passengers in my car as I was driving around Cape Breton. Very highly recommended.