.. WELCOME! I hope you enjoy my music, photos and stories For Shona's additional pages, please see:
writing & photos - http://www.myspace.com/shona_M_mcmillan
art & photos - http://www.myspace.com/delfiniproductions..
.. Music bio"Shona is a self-taught fiddle player who learnt to play by ear in sessions with Edinburgh's Shetland Fiddlers Association. Beginning in her late twenties, she won a scholarship from Alasdair Fraser and SKY TV to America where she played with Willie Hunter from Shetland and Buddy MacMaster from Cape Breton. Travelling on to Canada, Shona guested with the Waterboys before journeying to Ireland with Martin Hayes and learning from: John Sheahan the Dubliners, Steve Wickham the Waterboys and Gerry O’Connor La Lugh."
[Fiddler Magazine 2008]..
.. Cultural interestsShona grew up in the cultural mix of Edinburgh, Scotland's Capital City and the fishing villages of Fisherrow, East Lothian and Kinlochbervie, Sutherland. She has travelled extensively, enjoys different cultures and delivers her own creative projects such as photo exhibitions, literary, media and music events. She plays and composes, performs with her band Suilven and guests with various bands and artists.Freelance, Shona continues to work in the management of business, arts and community projects and is the Director of People and Songs of the Sea (a 14 venue photo exhibition and 21 track compilation album project which she set up to celebrate the heritage of Scotland's fishing through songs and over 3,500 photos). Freelance for magazines, Shona accepts commissions as a photo-journalist and produces cover story features for various magazines in Scotland and Fiddler Magazine in America...
.. Media, writing, photos For magazines and broadcast Shona does interviews and writes on topics from the arts to the environment. Her family's background has also led to her writing on aspects of Scotland's fishing industry. Shona's great grandfather Archie Thorburn and granda' Billy were harbour masters at Fisherrow and her great granny Jean Ritchie was a fishwife. For the Fisherrow Fishwives Choir her gran Crissie Thorburn sang and passed on her love of music to Shona's mum Jean and herself. With a particular interest in her cultural heritage, in East Lothian and Kinlochbervie, in 2008-09 Shona will do a number of photo exhibitions in these areas as detailed below.
SHONA MCMILLAN EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS FOR 2009EDINBURGH EXHIBITION
1-18 May: Leith Library (plus dates for 2010 tbc)
EAST LOTHIAN EXHIBITIONS 2009
21 May: Exhibition and Album Launch (limited)
23-29 May: Musselburgh Library at Fisherrow
1-19 May: Port Seton Library, over 3 Harbours Fest
22 June-9 July: Prestonpans Library, over Gala
10-24 July: Musselburgh Library, over Festival wk
27 July-14 August: Longniddry Library
17-21 August: Gullane Library
24 August-11 September: North Berwick Library
14 September-9 October: Dunbar Library
SCOTTISH BORDERS EXHIBITIONS
12-30 October: Eyemouth Fishing Museum
2-13 November: Duns Library
MIDLOTHIAN EXHIBITION
17-26 November: Dalkeith Library
FIFE EXHIBITION
31 November-30 December: Anstruther
Scottish Fisheries Museum (for 40 yr anniversary)
..
.. Photo Events 2008
.. Exhibition 22.5.08-14.6.08 COCKENZIE & PORT SETON GALA EXHIBITION & FISHING PHOTOS
60-4-60: Sixty images celebrating the 60TH Cockenzie and Port Seton Gala. New and old photos, presented at the library in Port Seton community centre 22 May to 14 June. Extended to July 31st in Prestonpans Library.
.. Exhibition 23.7.08-08.8.08 P3P PRESTONPANS EXHIBITION PAST, PRESENT, POTENTIAL
P3P: 'Pans - Past, Present and Potential. My mini exhibition at the Gothenburg Prestonpans tells the story of the 'Pans through categories: Salt making, Coal mining, Industry, Farming, Fishing, Business, Literature, Music, Art, Social, Sport, 1745 Battle and Environment. On 8.08.08, for one month, my display moves to be the full P3P exhibition on display at Prestonpans library
.. EXHIBITIONS: 2008 & 2009
The Highlands over 50 years: Exhibitions of my photos and Highland Holiday stories. KINLOCHBERVIE EXHIBITION: at the RNMDSF Kinlochbervie, first week of September 2008. DURNESS, JOHN LENNON FESTIVAL EXHIBITION: at the Tourist Information Centre from 10-16 October 2008. HIGHLAND HOMECOMING 2009 exhibition details tbc.
.. Exhibition 19.9.08-20.9.08 COCKENZIE & PORT SETON NB FISHING:
PEOPLE OF THE SEA EXHIBITION 2008
Newhaven to Burnmouth Fishing, People of the Sea will launch on 19 Sept in Cockenzie and Port Seton Old Parish Hall and then move to Port Seton library. NB Fishing will feature my photos with older images on display, submitted from the coastal community eg: Robert Johnston, Bobo to his friends, as shown above. Hi to Shona's music map, click to see more details
Get your own map at hit2map.com