Getting to know Samantha Robichaud

At 23, Samantha Robichaud’s accomplishments might belong to a seasoned veteran. The Riverview, NB, fiddler has won more than 200 awards, including the 2010 ECMA’s Fans’ Choice Award. She’s performed at Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry and the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics, as well as for the Queen. Earlier this year she released Collected, her sixth album. Saltscapes talked to Samantha about kitchen parties, Christmas traditions and ice cream.

Q Tell me about your family.
A I have an older brother. When we were younger, I had to go to his hockey games and he had to come to my fiddle competitions. Eventually, he said if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em—and he learned to play piano. He played with me for six years.

Q So there’s music in your family?
A On my dad’s side of the family they have kitchen parties. He comes from a family of nine. The music was always playing. I could play terribly and they’d be so proud of me…. I loved to play with my grandfather.

Q When did you learn the fiddle?
A I was about two years old and saw people playing on TV. I kept asking to play... My parents found someone who would take me at age four. My mother didn’t even like fiddle music. She said, how about piano or ballet? They thought I’d do it for a couple months and be over it, but I fell in love with it. They support whatever I do.

Q What’s Christmas like in your family?
A It’s the one time when people calm down a little and come together. It’s a really cozy atmosphere. We eat lots and play Scrabble. Sometimes we’ll get the songbook out.

Q Do you have a memento from your childhood?
A I have my family’s old kitchen table. My mom found it at my grandmother’s old house—it had a snowmobile on it. She refinished it and it became our family kitchen table. There was a rule in our house: we had to eat dinner together every night. I did my homework there. It was the staple of our home. Now it’s in my home and hopefully it will have a whole new set of memories.

Q What is your comfort food?
A I love ice cream. It’s my favourite food group. We used to get ice cream as a family, including the dog, Missy. She’d get a soft-serve small vanilla.

Q Why did you choose traditional music as your career?
A I don’t know, I must have played it in a past life or something. It’s just in me. I like to play a little bit of everything—Acadian, old-time, Cape Breton Celtic, and my own compositions. It gives me goose bumps and makes me happy.

Q Your new album, Collected, has been called friskier than a moose on molasses. What would you say about that?
A I love it! The whole point of this album was to go back to traditional roots, yet keep it fun, exciting, fresh.

Q What is the highlight of your young career?
A Playing at the Olympics. When I was in Grade six, a teacher had us make a list of things we wanted to accomplish. I said I want to play the Canadian Grand Masters, Carnegie Hall and open for the Olympics. He laughed and said I should be more realistic. I looked at him and said, “Are you serious? I’m going to do this!” So when I got the phone call for the Olympics, it was the last thing on my list. Being a part of something that huge was amazing. For a moment, the whole world was at peace.