It wasn’t long after hearing Timi play that we started inviting him to house parties and various performances so that we could continue to share in his infectious music and incredible talent on the button accordion. We are really excited that he is finally coming to teach at Music Camp. We can’t wait for everyone to share in the sheer pleasure that we all experience every time we listen to him play.
Coming from Sherbrooke, QC, Timi grew up in a family of musicians. He learned to play the diatonic button accordion at age 5 and has performed all over Quebec at folk galas, traditional music festivals, and competitions. At 15, he won the prestigious “Champion of 1 Row Accordion” title in the contest “Folklore en Fête” of Thetford Mines, Quebec.
Since then, Timi has explored various musical styles and players. Starting with a purely Quebecois style, he studied the music of accordionists Stéphane Landry, Denis Pepin, and Raynald Ouellette. He also delved into the Irish world by learning the music of Joe Derrane, an Irish American diatonic button accordionist who is credited with re-popularizing the D/C# system. Timi is currently spending more time with Cape Breton fiddlers and pianists who are known for their rhythmic playing and energy. The combined influence of all these styles is what makes Timi’s style and sound so unique and distinctive. His natural talent and ability provides him with the instinctive tools necessary to take the button accordion to new places while maintaining the rich traditions from which both he and the instrument have come.
For several years, Timi toured with the widely recognized Folk Dance Troupe, Mackinaw from Drummondville, Quebec. They performed and toured in Canada, France, and Spain. He is currently working on his first album which is set to be released in the autumn of 2016. We cannot wait to have him here in Lakefield so that everyone at Camp can experience his musical gifts and the rich traditions he’ll bring from his home province of Quebec.