The fresh & exciting dance and music of Highland Soles are rooted in the traditions of Scotland and Cape Breton. Dancer Laura Scott ("a showstopper"--Boston Globe) and fiddler Ed Pearlman (one of America's top fiddlers in the Scottish style) are joined by virtuoso family members -- including Neil Pearlman (one of the traditional music scene's most innovative young artists) and Lilly Pearlman, a talented fiddler, dancer and pianist.
High-flying Highland dance, hard-hitting Cape Breton stepdance, feisty Scottish Highland folk dances and new choreographies with compelling music.
Available for concerts, functions, festivals, dances, demonstrations, schools.
Join our email list (be sure to let us know where you're located).
Questions about performances or workshops? Email us--we look forward to hearing from you!
Fri-Sun, Feb 12-14 - Lilly in Bye Bye Birdie, South Portland High School
Sat Feb 20 - Workshops & performance by Ed for New Orleans Strathspey & Reel Society, New Orleans LA
Sat Mar 13 - Evening ceilidh in Portland, music and dance party for all. Portland New Church, 302 Stevens Ave.
Sat Mar 20 - First Fiddle Fest, day of workshops and afternoon concert; Thornton Academy, Saco ME, open to all ages/levels
Sat Mar 27 - Workshops & performance by Laura Scott, Ed Pearlman, Highland Soles, at DEFFA - Downeast Country Dance Festival, Topsham, Maine.
Wed Mar 31 - Performance by Ed with Lilly and guitarist Owen Marshall, at Blue, 650 Congress St., Portland ME, 7:30-9pm followed by session.
Sat Apr 10 - benefit concert for Maine Fiddle Camp, Chocolate Church, Bath, 7:30pm
Sat May 1 - benefit concert and dance for Maine Fiddle Camp, Blue Goose, Northport ME
June 26-July 2 - Ed teaches at Ohio Scottish Arts School, with Cape Breton fiddler Kimberley Fraser, Oberlin OH.
July 19-23 - Meet the Instruments, summer camp for kids aged 8-12, giving them a chance to try all the instruments and take one home, St Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress, Portland ME
---Ed has invented a very cool device for fiddlers/violinists/violists/mandolin players to figure out the right fingering in all keys. It's called the Finger Finder and has now been patented! -- available at Ed's website or through Shar Music or Johnson Strings or Young Musicians
Private lessons available any time at Buckdancers and Starbird. Also view Ed's teaching website.
Beginning Fiddle class -- for those who haven't touched a fiddle/violin. Next class starts in fall, but ask if interested sooner, sometimes something can be arranged.
Tunelearning & Session Class -- for advanced/intermediate players; learn a tune and have a session. Wednesdays, 6:30pm at Starbird Recital Hall
Beginning Fiddle Second Level, and Intermediate fiddle classes -- Tues/Thurs at Buckdancer's Choice
Winter 2010 -- Highland Soles concert at Portland Conservatory of Music; Scottish dance New Year's Day, Northampton, Mass.; Neil at Blue Dec 30.
Fall -- New York City show by Highland Soles; music & hiking tour through the Highlands of Scotland; workshop by Ed in Forest Hills NYC; SCD dances in Boston and Albany; Lilly solo fiddle performance for Punkinfiddle Festival; Ed's workshops for Boston Scottish Fiddle Club; UNE show, Ed with Zach Ovington; Ed's original music for Strindberg's play "Miss Julie" performed by Ed with harper Maeve Gilchrist. Neil's gigs -- his own Scottish fusion band at Caffe Vivaldi in NYC, plus many dances and other concerts. Summer-- Tour with Maeve Gilchrist to Hooker-Dunham Theater, Brattleboro VT; New World Cooking in Saugerties NY; Bemus Point NY; Nighttown Cleveland; Ohio Scottish Arts School; Pinewoods English-Scottish dance camp; Celtic Week, Swannannoa Gathering, Asheville NC, Maine Fiddle Camp, Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp, Pearljazz concert.
Spring -- Performance & workshops by Ed & Laura at Downeast Country Dance Festival; Maine Fiddle Camp benefit concert; Ed with Imperial Hot Club at Blue; Rockport contra dance; Portland contras, Belfast Scottish dance; Highland Soles 7th annual show at Saco River Grange; Highland Soles at Elysium Folk Arts Club in NH.
Winter 2009-- Ed solo & playing for Highland dancers in Las Vegas; solo performances in Santa Barbara CA; launch of Portland contra dance at Empire Dine & Dance; Ed with Laura, Neil, Maeve Gilchrist, David Surette, Susie Burke in a concert tribute to Robert Burns 250th birthday;Ed & Laura at Rockland public library show; Boston Hospitality at New Year's dance, Nashua NH; Ed & Neil at Belfast contra; Ed at Boston Scottish Fiddle Club.
Fall 2008--Highland Soles at SRSNH Gala Concert in Concord NH; Ed & David Surette at Univ New England, and at Concord NH Community Music School; Ed & Lilly at Blue in Portland; Highland Soles at Kaler School program.
Summer 2008--Ed & Neil visit Cape Breton (Neil played with Natalie MacMaster, Kimberley Fraser; Ed & Neil played at Festival of Cape Breton Fiddling, and concert with Carl MacKenzie & Pat Chafe); Ed & Neil perform at Cleveland's night club Nighttown; Ed taught Maine Fiddle Camp; Lilly and Neil each did shows at Blue; Ed's Meet the Instruments camp for kids; Ohio Scottish Arts School; Ed & Neil perform at benefit for Skye Theater.
Spring 2008--Highland Soles 6th annual show at Saco River Grange; Laura & Lilly performed at Modern Feats dance festival; CD release concerts (Neil & Ed) at Iron Horse (Northampton MA), Hooker-Dunham Theater (Brattleboro VT) with Jerry Holland, and in Portland; Boston Highland Ball (Boston Hospitality), Chocolate Church and Lewiston concerts for ME Fiddle Camp; Highland Soles at Downeast Folk Festival in performance, and Laura step dance workshop; Ed & Neil contra dance in Lewiston. Winter 2008--Ed & Neil gigs at Blue, Dogfish, Conservatory solo concert at Woodfords Church, Two Echo in Brunswick; Highland Soles Burns dinner, Hampstead NH, Burns celebration at North Star in Portland, school programs at Levey Day School.
2007 highlights: Highland Soles performs in Concert for Jerry Holland at BU, Boston; Boston Hospitality CD release party; Contra dance benefit for Portland Ballet; Ed teaches Ohio Scottish Arts School with Carl MacKenzie and Mike Vass; Ed & Neil perform at Iron Horse "basement"; Highland Soles at Clan MacGillivray annual banquet; Maine Fiddle Camp; Highland Soles featured at Maine Highland Games; Portland Stage show of Laura Scott's Highland/modern choreographies; Highland Soles 5th annual at Saco River Grange; Highland Soles school program near Worcester MA; performance and dance workshop at Downeast Folk Festival; Neil plays with Frank Ferrel at Blue; Burns dinner in NH, Kaler school program South Portland, Gorham library program; Ed does judging/workshop/performance at NE Florida Scottish Games.
2006 highlights: Sold-out show at Dover-Foxcroft's new Center Theatre; pre-curtain lecture/demo Leahy concert at Merrill Auditorium, Portland; Punkinfiddle festival; Ed & Neil play at Blue; Noonday concert with Scottish, jazz and international music; Ed played Scottish dance at Concord Scout; Bates contra dance; Ed judged 31st US National Scottish Fiddle Championships; Ed taught Ohio Scottish Arts School with Carl MacKenzie of Cape Breton and Anna-Wendy Stevenson; sold-out Highland Soles concert at Saco River Grange; St Pats concert by Highland Soles at St Lawrence Arts Center, followed by sold-out family show; Burns celebrations with local poets in Portland; Burns dinner performance in New Hampshire; pre-curtain lecture for Natalie MacMaster's sold-out show at Merrill Auditorium, Portland.
Laura Scott is a "spectacularly nimble and graceful performer" (Washington Post); "a showstopper . . . enchanting, graceful and high-twirling" (Boston Globe)
About Ed's solo album Boston Hospitality: "milestone album for the Boston Celtic community" (Boston Globe), "Precious artistic jewel" (TACTalk)
"The hit of the Scottish evening was Portland's HIGHLAND SOLES, whose impeccable traditional musicianship and genial stage presence, allied to thrilling dance numbers (and dizzying costume changes) brought the audience to its feet." (The Franklin Journal)
"On The Edge by Ed Pearlman and Neil Pearlman is a cracking album of tunes on
mainly fiddle and piano. It demonstrates clearly the love that Ed and Neil have
for the music of Scotland, Cape Breton and elsewhere, with Neil's jazz
influences shining through. A real gem." --Ian Green, president of Greentrax Records, Scotland
"I think I’ve learned more from Ed than I have from any of the instructors I’ve had in the past (and they were all awesome too!)" "One of the friendliest most giving instructors – and most available." --from student evaluations, Swannanoa advanced Scottish fiddle course
"I was blown away by the Highland Soles. They were terrific. Their
program was varied and i marveled at the way their members could assume so
many different roles with skill and aplomb! ...That kind of sound and rhythm grips one's senses in
a unique way." --written comment from audience member, 11/30/08
"I continue to
get comments about how magical you all were!" --B. Woodman, director SRSNH
12/9/08
"What a great album!
Great playing and wonderful ideas from both of you. Congratulations!"
--Natalie Haas, cellist with Alasdair Fraser, about our new CD, On the Edge.
"Good luck with the release of the new CD...Boston Hospitality is one of most beautiful Scottish music recordings I have
(and that is saying something as I have a *lot*). --D.Walden 3/18/08
"That alone was worth the price of admission." Audience member after Highland Soles show, Maine Highland Games, 8/18/07.
"It was magic." Louise Dunphy, Celtic radio DJ, Northampton Mass. after Ed & Neil's show at Iron Horse basement 8/9/07
"I just returned from fiddle camp in Tennessee. I
was struck by how much more I knew about the fiddle and about music in
general than the other campers who had been playing for a similar
period of time. I attribute much of that to your teaching. Practice rules, but it helps to have good tutelage." Jack McG.
"Highland
Soles participated in our physical activity day...their presence was a
huge hit! Laura wore traditional dress and her accomplished skills were
wonderful for everyone to observe. Adding to the beauty of the
experience was the music provided by Ed on his fiddle. The music got
the kids in the true spirit of the dance and they were exercising
without even realizing it!" Bernadette Papi, Kaler elementary school,
4/07.
"Best $12 I've ever spent!"..."Spectacular!" ... "That was a real class act." ... "Laura is a true dancer in every sense
of the word." ... "Absolutely
wonderful!"..."What an extraordinary evening--very touched &
delighted"...audience comments
"Everyone was very impressed with Ed - both his
teaching and his playing - and he certainly taught me more about how to
use a bow in 20 minutes than I was able to teach myself in 5 years."
student at Blazin in Beauly, Scotland 10/05
"There's one word for what you & your family do: spectacular." 5/21/05 concert
"You blew us away, on so many levels." 3/17/05 concert
Laura Scott and Edward Scott Pearlman are experienced teachers and judges as well as performers.
Laura has performed with Natalie MacMaster, Alasdair Fraser, Battlefield Band, Joe Cormier, Tony Cuffe and many other great Celtic artists. As a teacher she is well grounded in tradition (member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, and on the Judges Panel of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing) but also loves to push the artistic envelope and meld Highland, Cape Breton step and Highland folk to reflect the vital pulse of Scottish music. She has presented school programs, and taught at dance and music camps such as Pinewoods, Valley of the Moon, Ashokan, and others, in addition to her own school.
Ed is best known for 30 years of performing and teaching Scottish and Cape Breton fiddling. He directed the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club for 18 years, and has taught many workshops and lessons, including Maine Fiddle Camp and the Blazin Fiddles camp in Beauly, Scotland; Ohio Scottish Arts School since 1995; Swannanoa Celtic Week; Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp; Pinewoods; Ashokan. He currently teaches fiddle in Portland Maine. He directed and performed in Boston's Celtic Festival at the Hatch Shell for 7 years, the Scottish Fiddle Rally in Boston for 15 years (CD available on Greentrax Recordings), judged many Scottish fiddle competitions (including four US Nationals) and led workshops throughout the USA and in Canada and Scotland. Ed has also played contra dances (directing Roaring Jelly for 3 years), swing jazz, classical concerts and pit orchestras, klezmer, Hungarian, and other dance music. He has written the music column for Scottish Life magazine since 1996.
