Craig Paton
Tutor: Craig Paton
Class: Accordion
Sixteen year old Craig Paton attends Aberdeen City Music School attached to Dyce Academy where he is a student of John Bone from Inverallochy nr. Fraserburgh.
Craig took up the accordion aged nine when he was taught by Ian Anderson at Wilkies School of Music in Perth. A year later he won 2 first positions for Classical and Pipe Music at the NAAFC Musselburgh Festival.
Craig, who also plays piano, fiddle and bass, has been consistently winning competitions around the country, now playing at 1st Diploma level. He has played on TV and Radio and has represented the World Burns Federation at the Scottish Parliament.
Craig retained the title of under 16 champion at the All Scotland Music Festival 2008 for the third time running, where he also took 1st place in the Pipe Music, 1st place in the Classical together with 1st place in the Trios and 1st place in the Bands. He also achieved a hat trick of solo first places at the Highlands & Islands Music Festival 2008 and first place in the bands.
2008 has been a busy year for Craig. In July he performed as a Guest Artiste at the Angus Accordion & Fiddle Festival. In August, then 15 years old, he recorded his first CD ‘Moving Forward’ at Castlesound Studios, which was released in April 2009.
September saw him in Milan at the European Accordion Festival having been invited by Claudio Beltrami, Accordion Manufacturer in Stradella.
In October he was invited as a Guest Artiste to perform at the Shetland Festival.
On 20th January 2009 Craig was one of seven finalists chosen from 15000 children who took part in the World Burns Federation Schools Competitions to attend and perform at the official launch of the Royal Mint Burns Coin and the Royal Mail Burns Stamp Collection. During his visit he was invited to No. 10 Downing Street where he met The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and The Chancellor, Alistair Darling. Craig also achieved 3rd in Aberdeen’s Ishoka Young Musician of the year and is looking forward to playing in Kampala, Uganda in November.
He has enjoyed performing as guest artiste at several of the Accordion & Fiddle Clubs and festivals with his band.