By David Steinberg /
Journal Staff Writer
For every 100 singer-songwriters who tour, there's probably one who gives workshops along the way. Kate MacLeod is that one. And she does it because she enjoys sharing her knowledge.
MacLeod offers five different workshops, ranging from fiddle playing for classical musicians to the techniques of songwriting. She was to have given a workshop on Celtic-style fiddle playing Wednesday in Albuquerque.
“I do like to demonstrate fiddle music for classical violinists,” MacLeod said in a phone interview from Assonet, Mass.
“I studied classical so heavily when I was young and spent decades figuring it out for myself. So I try to get classical people into the fiddle workshops. It helps them to understand more.”
She will be in concert Saturday, May 3, at the Outpost Performance Space.
MacLeod will be singing and playing fiddle and guitar and will be joined by bass player Robert Dow and backup singer Mark Hazel.
“I will probably do some of the songs I've never recorded,” she said.
Because MacLeod is part of a trio, she said she'll select a certain set of music that goes particularly well with that ensemble. She's written hundreds of songs, most of which have not been recorded. Her voice has been compared to Emmylou Harris' and Nanci Griffith's.
MacLeod's songs lean more toward traditional American music but she mixes in a contemporary sound.
A longtime Salt Lake City resident, MacLeod hasn't seen much of the Utah capital for quite a while.
“I finished raising three kids about a year or so ago. So now I'm free, and I'm making the most of it. I'm free to play music,” she said.
“I had to hold back for years while I was overseeing the family. I wasn't free to develop the music career. It's been about 18 months since I stopped worrying about it and decided I was free.”
Besides soloing and fronting a trio, MacLeod also performs in a duo with Kat Eggelston.
She understands the reality of playing music isn't just about the joy of it but about the practical side.
“You need to have regular money coming in. So you have to be able to do a lot of things,” MacLeod said. “So I'm playing in several different configurations, and I'm a studio musician.”
Because she's concentrating on touring, she's cut back on playing with ensembles back home, including a klezmer Gypsy band.
MacLeod began writing songs as a teenager, and she blames songwriting for getting her into the music business.
“And it was really the songwriting that got me back into performing because a lot of people in my region have been singing my songs before I ever made a recording,” she said. “It was wonderful. …Now I'm trying to figure out how to get my unrecorded songs out to the public.”
Kate MacLeod
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3
WHERE: Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale SE
HOW MUCH: $17 general public, $12 students and Outpost members in advance at the Outpost or by calling 268-0044 or at the door
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