Martin Scuffins Creative
'Selling' and promoting yourself as a musician can be challenge! The following biography is one that I have provided to festivals and venues at which I have performed in the past:
Biography
'Martin Scuffins is a highly recognised and accomplished fiddle player; Martin’s music contains a rare combination of tradition, improvisation, tenderness, and passion. Born and brought up near Ballarat in Victoria Australia, Martin has spent most of his life developing his unique musical voice which reflects both his Irish ancestry and the fiddle styles of Scandinavia and America. He has a particular fondness for the music of the Sliabh Luachra area of Ireland, the ‘Rushy Mountains’ of Cork and Kerry, his ancestral home. In addition, he has been a keen student of the Hardanger Fiddle Music of Norway for some years. Martin has taken regular lessons in this genre with USA based Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle master Vidar Skrede. Martin’s gentle handling of dynamics and ornamentation, in partnership with his strong sense of tone, give an evocative wildness to his music.
Martin’s well-established musical career has taken him to many festival performances, both through his solo work and while playing with other musicians and bands. He also featured as an on-screen fiddler in the ABC comedy series 'Gold Diggers'
“My understanding of this music and my creative drive to capture its inherent spirit of place in my playing, grows with every passing year. Enjoy the music.”
Martin Scuffins
In addition to fiddles, I also play Clawhammer (5 string) Banjo and Irish Bouzouki.
Sound files are available HERE on SOUNDCLOUD:
VIDEOS
This video includes footage from various performances and recordings, including my performance at The Ballarat Fine Art Gallery in May 2022. Various genres are covered. For you Irish music fans, the Celtic stuff is in the second half of this video!
Here's a tune I composed for Hardanger Fiddle in 2022. 'Skoganggsmadr' can be roughly translated as 'The Forest Walker' (which is also easier to say!) It is written in the style of Bridal Tunes from Norway. The name is a reference to the female troll of Norwegian folklore known as 'Huldra'.
A traditional dance tune played on Hardanger Fiddle
In this video I play this beautiful lament by 18th-19th Century Scottish Fiddler Niel Gow. I am joined by Talia Barrett on Viola who composed the harmony played here. The fiddle I'm playing was made by me and down-tuned to GCGD.
Ok it may not LOOK like a music video, but this is my one and only fly fishing film to date. The music was composed and performed by me and a good friend of mine, the talented Geoff McArthur. It runs for just over 30 minutes, Lots of fiddle, clawhammer banjo and mellifluous mellow guitar playing. Enjoy.
The Hardies Hillbillies are (currently) a four piece old time string band of which I am member. 'Jump the Yarrowee' is our take on 'Jump the Mississippi' by George Jones.
'The Three Fishers" was originally a poem and a ballad written in 1851. The original poem was written by English poet, novelist, and Anglican priest Charles Kingsley. Here I'm playing an Irish Bouzouki I made myself by modifying a Caraya Guitar. If you can't afford a decent Bouzouki, improvise!¬
More videos are available on my YouTube Channel:
Up coming gigs
Please see my 'Notice Board' page for all up coming events and performances.
“Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something then you're more willing to take risks.”
Yo Yo Ma