A Selkirk teen is nominated for three Manitoba Country Music Awards.
Morgan Grace is a 16-year-old fiddle player with strong Red River Métis roots. She began playing the violin when she was four, and hasn’t put it down since.
Grace was raised around music. Even before she came out of the womb, she was surrounded by the songs of her ancestors and the joy their music brings her family. Watching their family friends play the fiddle inspired her to try, and the rest is history.
“Being around it, she just seemed to like that sound, that aspect,” her father Keith Ginther said. “She seemed to have an ear for it.”
When Grace’s family first put a fiddle in her hand, they discovered she played it left-handed instead of the usual right. That adjustment didn’t halt Grace or her development as a fiddle player at all — she learned to play left just the same, and the music started flowing out of her, Ginther said.
“A lot of people comment that she looks bored when she plays,” he said. “It just comes easily and effortlessly. I think it’s because it’s been in her since before she was born.”
Grace has had eight fiddle teachers, each instructing her in different techniques to shape her personal style. Incredibly, she learned the instrument completely through ear — not with sheet music.
“A lot of musicians read sheet music,” she said. “I can’t do it with fiddle.”
So, she listens to each piece over and over, figuring out the notes completely through what she hears. Her favourite pieces to play are waltz. She describes the slower music as therapeutic, beautiful and graceful.
Grace’s first gig was at Selkirk’s Indigenous Days six years ago and she has continued to play at venues since, including Dauphin’s Countryfest, the Métis festival in Batoche, North American Indigenous Games, the Winnipeg Jets Indigenous game and she’s opened for William Prince, a Juno award winning artist.
Her favourite places to play are much smaller, quiet places. She adores playing in personal care homes, something she does once or twice a month in the winter.
“I like seeing how [music] affects them,” she said. “How when these people, they can’t talk or they can’t do certain things, but you can see them tapping their fingers or toes.”
Grace is a cover artist. She’s nominated in the emerging artist, cover/tribute artist, duo or group of the year, and specialty band or artist categories in this year’s Country Music Awards.
“I’m kind of hoping to win something but it’s still great to be nominated,” she said.
Her dad said the nominations are largely because of her following.
“The people that support Morgan and her fans are instrumental in where she is today,” he said.
Grace will be attending the awards with her mom, dad, boyfriend and numerous family members. Coming up, she’ll be playing at the Indigenous Tourism Manitoba gala, Honouring the Languages at Lower Fort Garry, and the Selkirk Métis Local Fiddle Jamboree.
The music awards are on Nov. 4 at the Club Regent Event Centre.
