Editor’s Note: In late February, Canadian fiddler Edgar Millar, who epitomized the spirit of rural and small-town music, lost his final battle against cancer. In tribute to this departed musician, here’s an updated excerpt from Island Toes A’Tapping, a book by Jay Scott Kanes.

WILMOT VALLEY, Prince Edward Island, Canada -- Retired farmer Edgar Millar became a different type of musical artist, a craftsman. Edgar’s gone now, but symbolic plywood violins and musical notes still decorate the entrance to his driveway.

Born in 1928, Edgar always liked music, but farm work kept him preoccupied. “As a child, I heard my uncle play the violin at home,” Edgar said. “That got me interested.”

Finally, he learned to fiddle at age 55, so it’s never too late. Once ready to mothball his barn-work overalls, Edgar also turned violin-maker. A converted granary near his house became a workshop.

What’s the secret to create a treasured instrument? “Start with good wood and put time into getting the measurements right,” Edgar advised.

Delicate fiddles require tender crafting. “The completed back-wood weighs only 110-120 grams,” Edgar said. “The top, being softwood, is even lighter, 75-80 grams. Strings are important too. Different violins sound better with different types of strings.”

Manufacturing each instrument easily consumes 200 hours. “Material alone would cost at least Cdn $400, depending on the wood,” Edgar said. “Even the finish is a big job.” Typically, he applied 11 coats of stain, sealer and varnish.

When not manufacturing, testing or tuning, Edgar taught fiddling at a community school in Kensington, a nearby town. “I got people started,” he said. “Usually, I had about 12 students. They caught on well. It surprised me how much they learned within a few nights.”

In the Prince County Fiddlers, Edgar played violin or harmonica, often teamed with Trudy Corbett (vocals, guitar, fiddle), Mary Cousins (keyboard, guitar) and Roberta Parkman (vocals, keyboard).

Yet Edgar wasn’t necessarily his family’s most musical member. A younger sister, Astrid Jean (Millar) Johnson, from Margate, PEI, sang with the Isle-a-Chords and the Harmony Airs. For more than 40 years, she has taught music and played organ, piano and accordion. As the owner of a tour service, Astrid uses her music to please bus travelers.

Edgar’s brother Gerald plays harmonica and mandolin. His nephew, David Millar, formerly in the band Jericho Road, has mastered banjo, mandolin, violin and guitar. The maker of several violins himself, David later enlisted with another group, Rocky Road.

When joining a celestial band on its much higher stage, Edgar should recognize countless talented musicians from PEI who arrived ahead of him. Probably they’ll gather around to ask for new violins.

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