Jess Wedden keeping busy recording music, doing courses, but ‘I really miss performing’

Craig Bakay | Jul 22, 2020

Understandably, having her drive-in concert at the Verona Free Methodist Church with Jon McClurg rained out last Sunday was disappointing to local fiddle phenom Jess Wedden.

“Oh yeah, I felt so bad it was postponed,” she said Monday. “I’m not sure when it will be rescheduled.

“It might be October.”

Wedden, who just turned 18 about a month ago, has, like many musicians, faced a dearth of disappointments due to cancelled concerts since the coronavirus effectively shut down the music industry in April.

In particular, she had been looking forward to two shows with Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter David Francey, who she played with at Francey’s Christmas Show. Those shows are on hold indefinitely.

“I love David,” she said. “One of my favourites to play with.”

And there was the Almonte Celtfest, one of her favorite festivals. As with every other festival this summer, the live version was cancelled in favour of an online version. And she’s posted several videos online, but it’s just not the same.

“Videos work for some things, but it doesn’t make up for performing live completely,” she said.

She does have a drive-in gig scheduled for Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. at the Verona Pentecostal Assembly, again with Jon McClurg.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “After the Free Methodist show was cancelled, I still haven’t played a drive-in concert yet.”

But it’s not like the fiddle has been shuttered in its case, not feeling any love during the pandemic.

“There’s still practising, and making videos, and writing new songs,” she said.

And, there’s something else.

Wedden had considered returning to Granite Ridge Education Centre for another year of high school but another opportunity presented itself.

She’s now signed up with Tara Shannon and Willow Sound Records in Russell, taking online courses and one-on-one sessions with Shannon, much of which focuses on the actual business of music.

“I’m taking three courses and one of them is business,” she said. “It’s about managing your career.

“It’s never-ending when you’re self-employed.

“I thought about going back to high school, but I think this (Willow Sound) is more valuable with what I want to do.”

And she still likes to practise.

You might think that after starting with the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra in 2011, three years of private lessons with Cindy Thompson and collaborations with the likes of Ashley MacIssac and J. P. Cormier, Wedden may have reached a point where practising lost its lustre.

“I still like to practise,” she said. “And write songs, and play with my looper.”

Still, even though she’s more than put in her 10,000 hours, there’s one aspect of music she’s very much looking forward to getting back to — live performance.

She’s used to a life where she averaged 50 shows a year.

“You learn a lot on stage,” she said. “But there’s more to it than that.

“I really miss performing.

“You get into your essence and there’s a feeling that you’re doing what you’re meant to do.”