How much French still exists in New England?
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Daniel Boucher
- 29, Male
- Bristol, Ct
- United States
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Daniel Boucher's Discussions
Wow! Qu'est-ce que j'ai commencer?
Started May. 22, 2008
What French events are happening in New England?
27 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Shannon Brown Aug 27.
What is your connection to the French culture?
16 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Maeve Lemoine Nov 22.
Welcome! Bonjour! Amuser-vous!!
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- Everyone on my father's side of the family speaks French as a first language, so before he died I absorbed a fair amount of the Quebec idiom . After his death I was largely separated from my French relatives and hence forgot much of what...
I was raised in a very french household. My father, Louis Beaudoin and mother Juliette Lacourse Beaudoin. Dads grand-parents were from the Laurentians and moved to Lowell, Mass where my father was born. He moved to Burlington, VT when he was 17. T...
L’Apéro
Vive la rentrée!
L’Apéro is back! Come help us kick off the latest season of our favorite social event. Check out the current group exhibit in our gallery, and learn all about the exceptional events that will continue the tradition of ma...
I spoke and read French before learning my first words of English, at around six and a half years old. I never flunked French in high school or College, only because I had an advantage that most Franco-Americans here don't have. Namely, I could WR...
I lhave lived in Vermont, except for a short perior, since I was 5 years old. I was born in Canada, my family is in Plessissville, Victoriaville, St Sophie de Megantic area. One of my brothers moved to Canada after college and has stayed. He was b...
The new start time for the Official Bastille Day Party is 9 pm.
Merci!
Shannon
The Official Bastille Day Party
Celebrate Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité at Boston’s own Bastille, the Liberty Hotel!
From 6pm - 2 am at 215 Charles Street, Boston, MA
Hundreds of Francophiles (and French for the night) are expected to storm the Li...
The St. Albans Franco-American Heritage Festival is the first of four Vermont Quadricential Signature Events taking place this summer at St. Albans Bay and in Taylor Park in St. Albans City on June 18-20, 2009. We hope you can join us for this fam...
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- Relationship Status:
- Single
- About Me:
- Born and raised in Bristol, Ct. First exposed to french canadian music from my father from birth. First instrument was the spoons. Little by little I developed a secret appreciation for my father's music and our culture. At the age of twelve I started taking lessons on violon from a local fiddler Louise VanGorder ( Her and her husband Bob own Fiddlin' Around music store in Bristol, Ct). I took lessons for six years semi focused and distracted by reality with my peers.
During my adolescence is where I actively fueled what has now been an obsession of French Canadian Folk music. I would sneak into my father's small collection of french music and bring it into my room and listen to it quietly. Then hurry and put it back when I would hear him come home from work. I couldn't let myself go noticed listening to my father's music. There was something about it that I just couldn't let him know. It was my secret world.
After countless trips back to Québec to visit relatives I started at the age of 16 to collect my own music. One here, one there. Gas stations at christmas time would have french folk cd's for sale on the register counter everywhere. Le Rève du Diable and La Bottine Souriante were quickly becoming what I was listening to. By the time I had my license to drive and a car I was like most new young drivers with the window's down and the music blasting! There was one difference though...I was the only one crazy about his back ground and culture and putting modern music aside. With windows down my car would be the one blasting La Poule à Colin Yves Lambert Bottine style! Talk about driving music! "Il y'en a tu 'dans?!" Yes I would get a typical stare here and there, but it wouldn't phase me because I was unique! I loved it. I was the franco dork listening to weird accordeon/ harmonica/ fiddle folk music. But for me it was heaven. A world of my own that no one could touch. When I started driving myself to Québec, I discovered Archambault in St.-Georges de Beauce. It was a giant chain music/book store that I found lots of Québec folk music in! Thank goodness for the credit card because I would buy a years worth of music in one shot at New Year's time from then on. That's where I started to discover so many great young groups that were forming in Québec. My obsession took off with each year of investment. I built a collection of over 300 albums of just french folk music in no time. It became a poison to me. But a good one! At the age of 18 I parted from my music teacher to see what I could accomplish myself... What I learned from her was great fundamentals of the instrument. What I learned myself was a love of french Canadian Folk music that naturally came out of me. Gradually I became better and better. I tried to learn tunes that I exposed myself to but often times would be discouraged by not being able to identically recreate that music. I found a comfort zone in being unique and composing my own tunes because no one could tell me if I was right or wrong. Tune after tune was pouring out. To this day I have composed close to 15 tunes.
January 2007 became a tragic time for me. A stringed instrument players nightmare. Not only do I play fiddle, but I am a stereotypical canadian who is a carpenter by trade. Exposing me to many dangers from day to day. The second week of January of 2007, as cautious as a person as I am, I put myself in danger of my utility knife. The assailant- my right hand, the victim- my left index finger. (My left hand being my fiddle playing hand.) In a blink of an eye my life had been changed for ever, atleast in the world of a stringed instrument player. My left index finger was now deemed functional, but not for precision needed in playing the violin. It took me 3 months before I picked up my instrument to try to play again. What a challenge. Quickly it was coming back to me but with a little extra work. My middle finger on my left hand took on the extra work of playing not only the task of the middle finger playing the violin but the task of the first finger as well. Now 2 years later and no one can really tell the difference in my playing. In fact, I play better than I did before my set back. It was eye opener for me, you can never be too careful in life. For some it is by far worse a situation,...for me...it was just a finger.
I've been very lucky in my journey since my former teacher and playing music with my father, who plays accordeon and harmonica. I've come to meet great musicians and every year has been more and more enjoyable for me musically. I've made connections well into Canada as well. My face is becoming recognized as well as my music now. I'm approaching my far fetched fantasy dream of being part of the french folk scene...
but I am as normal as the rest...
with common problems... :
-I don't always wipe the rosin off my fiddle.
-Sometimes my bow is tightened too much.
-Sometimes there isn't enough rosin on my bow and it squeaks.
-...Sometimes I play a little out of tune.
Mes amies....
"C'est la vie"
"On vie seulment q'une foit"
Daniel Boucher's Photos
Daniel Boucher's Blog
You might be of French Canadian decent if....
*Here's something from my music page. All true, and just for laughs!*
If you are of French Canadian decent but feel as if you have no memorable traditions passed down from your family, i’ve provided a check list of some traditions for you to see how many you find yourself still doing today.
*Inspired by a franco friend that says she has no traditions that were passed down in her family* (don’t overlook even the smallest of things) Enjoy!
You might be of French Canadian decent if… Continue
If you are of French Canadian decent but feel as if you have no memorable traditions passed down from your family, i’ve provided a check list of some traditions for you to see how many you find yourself still doing today.
*Inspired by a franco friend that says she has no traditions that were passed down in her family* (don’t overlook even the smallest of things) Enjoy!
You might be of French Canadian decent if… Continue
Posted on May 22, 2008 at 3:05pm — 3 Comments
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John Guay said…
- We're not going to make the jam. Have been without power since last Friday AM. it came on about 30 minutes ago but that happened last night also, hope it's for real this time. We will reschedule. John
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