bio🎻
q (they/them)
formerly q.r.i.s.tina (brooke) bachand
nonbinary westcoast artist 'q' is a consummate performer who is clearly at ease on stage , & they are known for their powerful fiddle & vocals . their contagious energy and love of Folk and Celtic music is always at the forefront as they captivate audiences with energetic and spirited performances which showcase their propensities for fiddling and song & story-sharing.
once a teen fiddle star , in recent years , q has blossomed & grown into their (nonbinary) gender identity and life's purpose & is singing rebel ballads and obscure folk covers (self-accompanied & a capella) interspersed with rip-roaring fiddle tunes to help heal the masses. their sets will equally inspire as they will bring you to tears or have you clapping along (& stomping your feet) !
q studied classical violin , however it's their fiddle skills that always truly shone ; with beautiful tone and passionate delivery. q has received numerous regional and national awards, trophies and scholarships for their fiddling over the years; including full scholarships to study Irish fiddle at ceili camp (harrison hot springs) and cape breton fiddle at the gaelic college (cape breton). in addition , q studied song & vocal technique at the irish world academy ; graduating with first class honours from the university of limerick , ireland , with an MA in traditional irish music performance (with fiddle as a primary focus) ! interestingly , q also holds an MSc in infectious diseases & public health from VU Amsterdam ; for which they lived and conducted research in kasese district , Uganda ! ! !
“liquid-clear vocal ... masterful fiddling ... beginning with the clarity , if not majesty , of Q's vocal strengths ... the stage is set for what's to follow as they shake the Celtic tree ” - Eric Thom, Penguin Eggs
in addition to their performing prowess , q is a popular and sought-after fiddle teacher ; having taught privately as well as at workshops, music camps, festivals, schools and universities in canada, the usa and europe. a few highlights include week-long instructional camps such as goderich celtic roots college and the leahy music camp (ontario, canada) and workshops with bachelors and masters students at university of limerick, ireland .
♥ contact them to set up a lesson in-person or onlne today ! ☺️
Q & Quinn bachand
beginnings as siblings
Considered two of the most outstanding young musicians to emerge from Canada's West Coast , Q & Quinn performed in small halls and at major Folk and Celtic festivals across Canada, the United States and Europe, and have been featured on national and international print, radio and television media !
With a youthful head start towards acquiring their vocal and instrumental prowess, the Bachand siblings' (then 'brother & sister's') release of Relative Minors in 2008 and then the critically acclaimed, Family in 2011, served notice of the arrival of a fresh-faced, Canadian-based, Celtic powerhouse duo ! Q&Q realized their third album Little Hinges, so titled for its sonic resemblance to the adage, “big things swing on little hinges”, in 2015 .
The pair earned national and international accolades and touring opportunities with the likes of Ashley MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster, as well as the titles of Top Traditional Group and Top Duo at the Irish Music Awards; receiving three Canadian Folk Music Award nominations and two Western Canadian Music Award nominations .
