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Craig West
Craig was born in Red Deer, and was raised southwest of Sylvan Lake. Even though I am totally blind from birth with the help of my parents, I have always been given many opportunities to learn and play music. At 11 years old, I began studying the violin, first taking lessons in Red Deer. When I was in high school, I went to Edmonton and Calgary for lessons once a week. I completed my Diploma in Music Performance from Mount Royal College (now called Mount Royal University) in 1995, and went on to complete my Bachelor of Arts at University of Calgary in 1999. I also had the privilege of studying at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts in the summers of 1995 and 96. Though I am classically trained, I have branched out into a number of musical genres, including Celtic, traditional old time fiddling, Bluegrass, and Gospel. In 2000, I released my first fiddle CD, called West Country Fiddle. In 2001, I released a classical CD, with piano accompaniment, called Spring. In 2002, I released my second fiddle CD, called Bluejeans and Gingham. My wife Angie and I were married in 2002. And in 2009, our twin daughters were born. Music is my living, as I play at nursing homes, seniors' lodges, weddings, funerals, and many other functions. Angie plays the piano, and we play together and often include our daughters who are now 8 as part of our act. I taught myself how to play the guitar and have learned a few classic country songs and old time songs to play and sing for the seniors. My repertoire is constantly growing, which adds to the challenge! In recent years, I've started playing with several bands. With these groups I've been doing more corporate gigs.