From the Archives:

Audio from April Verch in Concert, April 15, 2016, will be available streaming here Friday, Jan. 28 – Friday, Feb. 11.

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April Verch blends the traditions of roots music and step-dancing with her own artistic voice and vision in a high-energy show that puts her award-winning fiddling and songwriting talents out front.

To listen to April Verch is to be immersed in tradition. To watch her perform is to be transported. While best known for her deep expertise in the distinctive Ottawa Valley fiddle and step dancing styles, there is far more to April’s story. Be it regional Canadian roots, American old-time, 50’s Country, Scandinavian folk music, or something original that sounds as though it’s been around for a century—the one common thread is her love and reverence for the music and traditions that have been passed down to her.

Born in the heart of the Ottawa Valley in northeastern Ontario, Verch was trained from birth in the specific rhythms and melodies of the region, giving her music a sense of intuition and ease that could only come from a lifetime of experience. Growing up bouncing between weekend festivals and listening to her Dad’s country band play for dances, she assumed that this is just what life is. “I thought that everyone played the fiddle and step danced,” says Verch. And that worked just fine for her. She loved it all—the energy, the music, and the stories that were woven into these age-old community traditions.

Even now, after more than two decades leading her own band and with 14 albums in her name (two of which were nominated for JUNO Awards, among other honors), there is nothing that fulfills Verch or gives her more joy than playing and sharing her music with the world. “It’s like the reward for everything else,” she says. Verch never forgets the roots of her music, that connection to the people out there in the audience or on the dance floor, to the community sparked by a good song.  “It’s about joining together to celebrate everyday life, through music. We’re all in this together.” And so she presses onward: diving deep into musical tradition, bringing people together and forging connections, and sharing her insight and genuine love for the music she plays so well.