CARTHAGE — New England Celtic Arts will present Cape Breton performer Andrea Beaton at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center.

One of Cape Breton’s most promising young fiddlers, Beaton comes by her music honestly. Listen to her play, the power of her bow, the drive and swing of her timing, the crispness of her attack. She’s making a name for herself in dance halls, concerts, ceilidhs, and festivals. Like the compelling tradition she represents, her reputation is growing, spreading beyond the island.

Beaton seems destined for great things. She’s the youngest of generations of Beaton musicians. Her father, Kinnon, is one of today’s most influential Cape Breton fiddlers, and you can hear some of his timing in Andrea’s playing. Her mother, Betty Beaton, is one of the great piano accompanists of her generation, contributing to that remarkable Beaton timing. Her paternal grandfather, Donald Angus Beaton, was one of the strongest and most popular players of his generation, and you can hear some of his power in her playing. Her paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Beaton, is a strongly rhythmic piano player, with a great love of the music. Her uncle, Buddy MacMaster, is the most revered fiddler on Cape Breton island. Her cousin, Natalie MacMaster, is an enormously popular entertainer. And so it goes, back and across the generations.

Cape Breton is an extraordinarily musical place, and Andrea is increasingly in the forefront of her generation. Her music is at once her own and deeply rooted in the tradition associated with the Mabou Coal Mines. And, like her father and grandfather, she is a composer in the tradition, adding fine new music to the island’s repertoire.

Beaton grew up surrounded by music and dance. She was playing a little at 10; at 13 she took lessons from Stephanie Wills, a very fine traditional player. But it was some years later, when, missing home while doing a two-year course on Prince Edward Island, that she began playing in earnest. And it seems she never looked back.

There is a pre-show jam session 45 minutes prior to curtain. Audience members are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam with the artists for a few minutes.

Skye Theater is on Winter Hill Rd., off Rte.2 in Carthage. For reservations, call 207-562-4445. Ticket price is $15 at the door. For more information, visit www.necelticarts.com.

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