Ah, well, what can I say, 124, especially with a surname MacNeill. I do enjoy Celtic music as one of the genres I listen to and play, but I really have no actual favorite style of music. Some days I just like one kind over another, and being a demonstrator I am required to play many different genres with some kind of proficiency.

My birth Mum was French and played fiddle-she was from Acadian stock, my adopted Mum, who I lost in car accident on Christmas Eve.(along with my adopted Dad) also played violin (I still have it-it's a Ruggeri-very old, and in terrific shape) and I remember hearing her play some Celtic tunes, although she tended to favor a more swing/jazz style reminiscent of Grappelli...I was only very young when she passed.

There was always music at my home, even the folks who raised me (aunts and uncles) were musicians, and they played a wide variety of styles, so I guess that's where I picked up a love for so many genres of music.

I really love the older country music, like Webb Pierce and Hank Williams, and, of course, tried to mimic Floyd Cramer as much as I could when playing piano, and although I played Celtic stuff at kitchen parties, I really didn't favor it over other styles, like many Capers seemed to do.

Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac are my favorite fiddlers, with the latter having a real edginess to his playing-both are exceptional world class violinists.

What about you? Aside from jazz, do you favor any style more than others?

Ian