📷 Photo by Alan Donaldson
The Button Boxes and Moothies Festival 2025 lit up Aberdeen this November with exactly the kind of warmth, music, and community spirit that makes traditional festivals so special. As someone now in my fourth year studying Performance in Traditional Music, specialising in the concertina, I’m used to lively sessions and gatherings — but this festival stood out as something truly unique. From the moment I arrived, it felt like the entire building was humming with energy, curiosity, and the shared love of free-reed instruments.
This year, I also had the privilege of hosting two workshops: one on Scottish session tunes, and another on accompaniment techniques. Teaching is still a fairly new step for me, so being given the trust and space to lead at such a well-loved festival was both exciting and meaningful.
Workshops That Turned Into Conversations
My session-tunes workshop explored how to navigate fast, tune-heavy sessions with confidence — breaking down phrasing, stylistic details, and some classic Scottish repertoire. The accompaniment workshop focused on building texture, supportive harmony, and rhythmic ideas without overshadowing the melody.
But what really made both sessions special was the atmosphere in the room. People came with open minds, great questions, and a real eagerness to exchange ideas. Instead of feeling like I was standing at the front of a classroom, it felt like we were all part of the same musical conversation, contributing from different experiences and styles. That collaborative spirit ran through the entire weekend.
One little highlight for me was performing on the same programme as Allan MacDonald. His influence on the Traditional Music course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is well known, so seeing my name alongside his felt like a gentle full-circle moment in my time as a student. It’s always grounding to realise how connected the tradition is, and how special it is to share spaces with the people who’ve shaped it.
📷 Photo by Barb Briggs
A Festival Held Together by Great Organisation: Frances Wilkins
A huge amount of the festival’s success has to be credited to Frances Wilkins, the Director of the festival. Her organisation, vision, and attention to detail were at the heart of everything that made the weekend run so smoothly.
Frances managed to bring together an impressive line-up of artists, facilitate workshops, manage venues, coordinate schedules, and ensure that every performer felt fully supported — and she did all of this with calmness, clarity, and genuine warmth. It was obvious how much dedication went into creating an environment where musicians could thrive and audiences could feel at home.
Her passion for free-reed traditions and her commitment to encouraging players of all levels shaped the tone of the entire event. Every room was set up thoughtfully, every transition felt seamless, and every artist I spoke to mentioned how supported they felt. It’s no exaggeration to say that Frances’s work held the whole festival together and allowed the rest of us to simply enjoy making music.
Concertina Conversations and Female Representation
Another massive joy of the weekend was spending time with fellow concertina players Sandra Kerr, Eva Carroll, Méabh Mulligan, Alex Wade, and Frances Wilkins. They are all incredible musicians, and having the chance to talk technique, share tunes, and reflect on our different musical journeys was genuinely energising.
Seeing such strong female representation in the free-reed world was uplifting. Traditional music has been evolving steadily in that direction, but moments like this, make the change feel real and visible. It created a sense of belonging and excitement for the future of the instrument.
Aberdeen’s Musical Heartbeat
Throughout the festival, Aberdeen’s local traditional music community shone brightly. The city’s musicians — box players, moothie players, fiddlers, and multi-instrumentalists — brought a distinctive North-East character to the weekend. Whether it was polished on-stage sets or hallway sessions, you could hear the depth of the region’s musical identity everywhere.
The festival felt rooted in the city’s tradition while welcoming influences from all over.
📷 Photo by Barb Briggs
A Welcoming Festival From Start to Finish
The real magic of the Button Boxes and Moothies Festival was its openness. Whether someone walked in with decades of experience or a brand-new instrument, there was a place for them. The kindness and encouragement across workshops, performances, and sessions made the whole weekend feel like a gathering of friends — even among people who had just met.
For me personally, the festival represented everything I love about traditional music: teaching, learning, performing, connecting, and celebrating the instrument I’ve dedicated my studies to. I left Aberdeen feeling inspired, encouraged, and grateful.
A Weekend to Remember
As I head into the final part of my studies at RCS, this festival will stand out as a highlight of my year. It brought together community, creativity, and tradition in the best possible way. And it reminded me — once again — that music grows strongest when shared.
A huge congratulations to Frances Wilkins for bringing this unforgettable weekend to life, and to everyone who played, listened, learned, or simply joined the journey.
Here’s to the next gathering of button boxes, moothies, and the wonderful people who play them.
