Biography

Edward P. Arsenault grew up virtually next door to renowned fiddler Eddy Arsenault, and had that sound continually in his ear while growing up. He only started playing fiddle in his early 30s, however, after being encouraged to do so by his first wife, Marie Gallant Arsenault, who also helped him learn and perfect his initial repertoire. By the early 1990s, he had become an excellent player and – with his wife Marie ably accompanying him on piano – was much in demand to play for local dances. He had also begun composing tunes and one of his works, The Acadian Reel, had spread Island wide. He had also written several other tunes – such as Moonshine Reel, Mussel Breakdown, and Swingin’ Mémé – that featured distinctive melodies with unusual turns of phrase. Sadly, Marie passed away in the mid-1990s and for several years Edward neglected his fiddle playing. He has since remarried, relocated to his native St. Chrysostome, and is back composing and playing as well as ever. Some of his new compositions include Looking in the Porch, Pigeon on the Steeple, and Harmony Reel.Music scene in St. Chrysostome
Read transcriptHow EP Arsenault got started
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Nowadays, Edward’s usual piano accompanist is his sister Marie Arsenault Livingstone (b. 1951), who has taken up the fiddle herself and turned her hand to composing new tunes. In fact, some numbers listed below feature both brother and sister playing fiddle in tandem.