Projects
“An entertaining and lively show, which got audience members on their feet and dancing... True talent!”
— The Inverness Oran (Nova Scotia, CAN)
TRIO - Miller | MacDonald | Cormier
Miller - MacDonald - Cormier
TRIO PROJECT
Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald have become renowned across Canada and further afield, for their synergistic approach to traditional Scottish music. Blending Scottish Lowland pipes with Cape Breton fiddle, Gaelic song and step-dance, Ben and Anita join together the threads of Old and New World traditions, while constantly exploring new ways to bring their instruments closer together. Critics have praised the duo as "Playful, poignant, and passionate all at once" — "Fresh, yet totally traditional."
Joining them in this project is Acadian multi-instrumentalist, Zakk Cormier, from Prince Edward Island. A dynamic musician with deep roots in his own Franco-Celtic tradition, Zakk brings his talents as a sympathetic guitar accompanist, as well as the driving rhythms of Acadian foot-percussion.
With their new album, "South Haven", this trio has created a powerful sound, transcending the boundaries between Cape Breton, Scottish, and Acadian traditions. Their live show has captivated audiences across the globe, from British Columbia and California, to Austria and Denmark.
DUO - Ben & Anita
Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald
DUO PROJECT
Focusing on intimate performances and workshops, which showcase the deep connection between the pipes and fiddle in traditional music, Ben & Anita are in demand across the globe as both musicians and educators.
Ben Miller
Ben is an American-born player of Scottish bagpipes, currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
His love for the pipes began at a young age, first studying with a local piper, in his home town of Glens Falls, NY. As he grew to discover the wider breadth of the Scottish piping tradition, Ben fell in love with the sounds of the smaller cauld-wind bagpipes. Gravitating to the Lowland pipes, he has made this instrument his own. Ben has developed a unique playing style that draws equal influence from both traditional Scottish piping techniques and the parallel Irish uilleann piping tradition.
Anita MacDonald
Anita is an accomplished fiddler, step-dancer, and Gaelic singer from Little Narrows, Nova Scotia.
With strong roots in her native Cape Breton fiddle tradition, Anita draws inspiration from across the Maritimes and the British Isles, to create a sound that is equal parts new and old. She creates a sound that is constantly evolving, exploring the boundaries of tradition, while remaining firmly grounded in the Gaelic dance-music of her home.