Bio

FRANTICALLY ATLANTIC (Don Rigley and Michelle Daigle) is a musical duo based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Our instruments include fiddle (violin), vocals, hammered dulcimer, Irish bouzouki, bodhran (Irish drum), tin whistles, guitar, concertina and spoons. In our combined history we have served up our bill of fare in the Maritimes, Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, New England and Ireland. Our digital album “FRANTICALLY ATLANTIC” was on the “Top 60 Albums of Atlantic Canada List” of 2017 through East Coast Rising, CIOE 97.5 FM. Our self-titled album “Frantically Atlantic” was nominated for the 2018 Music NB Awards in the category of traditional/roots artist of the year ||| artiste traditionnel/roots de l’année. Our CD features six original and six traditional tunes. You can find our album at: https://franticallyatlantic.bandcamp.com/releases

Residency Project

Throughout our Artist-in-Residency project, students will be introduced and taught about New Brunswick Heritage through Movement, Dance, Song, Visual Art and Drama. During the entire program all students will have the opportunity to be creative and express themselves. Students will be given this opportunity as they learn traditional dances, create actions to go along with folk songs, draw experiences that they particularly enjoyed as part of an “experience quilt” and dramatize folk tales. Students will gain an appreciation and understanding of Folk Music. Don and Michelle will showcase their talents and perform for the students so as to set a positive and creative tone for the project. Don and Michelle will demonstrate their accomplishments as performers through storytelling, song, and giving the students a preliminary understanding of the following instruments: Tin Whistle, Guitar, Bodhran, Fiddle, Hammered Dulcimer, Banjo, Bouzouki and Spoons (to name a few!). The culmination of the proposed program will be a concert and exhibition of what the students have learned. Don and Michelle will work closely with the teacher on the design, execution and culmination of the entire project. We see the working relationship between the teacher and the artists as a very positive experience and hope that the teacher will gain tools that he or she can use in future classes. Students will be introduced to the music and dance that was popular in 19th century New Brunswick. Students will learn about the many personal opportunities that individuals in New Brunswick’s past had for music making and are now able to compare and contrast it to the opportunities that they have in today’s culture and society. Students will be immersed in New Brunswick’s and Atlantic Canada’s 19th century culture and history. They will sing folksongs and tell stories from that time period as well as learn and perform dances. The culmination of the project will be to talk about all of our Atlantic Canadian friends and where they come from.

Teaching Experience

We have over 20 years of teaching experience in the education system.