Jerry Holland

[BagpiperDon]

I just received an email from a local Scottish heritage club I'm a part of about the performance of a local Cape Breton fiddler, Susan McCroskey Burke. I disregard a certain number of the emails from this orginization because they don't pertain to me, but as I have had the pleasure of playing/performing with Susan I took a closer look. I read that coming up on November 1st, Susan will be doing a tribute concert to Jerry Holland. After looking online and confirming, I had not known until now that Jerry Holland died this last July from cancer.

I experienced Jerry's playing a number of times at Masters of Scottish Arts during Winter here in Seattle. The first time he was a part of the showcase I had what I consider to be the blessing to meet him after the performance -- I was developing a track I wished to record including one of his compositions and I wanted to talk with him about using it.

The man I met was extremely humble. I was grateful for the opportunity to talk with a musician of his calibre and accomplishment. His response was even greater appreciation and being flattered that someone/I wanted to talk with him and admired his work -- so much so that I thought the guy might just fall over, literally. He treated me as though it was more of an honor to connect with someone/me than it was for me to get to draw up his wealth of knowledge, time, and creativity. In the years following when he performed again at MSA, I spoke with him again to state that I appreciated the direction he had provided me with respects to his music when we spoke before, and he responded wanting with greater interest to know how my efforts had developed since we last spoke and gave further gentle encouragement.

I say and remain that I feel it was a blessing to have met the man because I feel he gave me a great lesson in humility in how he treated me. While only having very little interaction with him, he will remain in my memory a gentlemen and a gentle man, and for this to me he is a hero, and as a musician an inspiration.

Jerry, say hi to Martyn and Gordon for me.


For more information on Jerry Holland and his work, go to...
http://www.jerryholland.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Holland_(fiddler)