If you follow Airdrie’s dynamic music scene, you’ve most likely heard Talia Beckie and her fiddle. She has collaborated on multiple projects and albums and performed at major festivals.
Her style of fiddling is precise, graceful and deeply emotional, reminiscent of bluegrass legends Allison Krauss and Stuart Duncan. As a child, she took piano lessons, but she didn’t like it, so switched to the violin.
“I really was obsessed with horses, so the only reason I chose violin was because it had horsehair on the bow,” says Beckie.
Beckie fell in love with the instrument and took classical music lessons. She eventually joined the Calgary Fiddlers.
“I learned to play country, bluegrass and other styles, and how to perform and have a stage presence,” Beckie says.
When she was 17, she began playing at open mics in Airdrie where she met Steve Jevne, a local musician known for his mentoring and collaboration.
“Steve saw me play, and a few days later he called and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to be in the studio recording and we really need a fiddle player. Can you come in the next hour?’” Beckie recalls.
She had never recorded before, but she jumped at the opportunity.
“Steve was the first person to show what playing in a more professional setting could look
like,” Beckie says. “He was the one who got me into that world.”
However, after graduating from high school, she began a biomedical engineering degree and had little time to play — that is, until a medical internship took her to Ireland.
“I brought my fiddle with me, and was playing in pubs two or three times a week,” Beckie says. “It reminded me of how much I missed music and how much I loved playing.”
After finishing her degree, she still felt drawn to music. Jevne invited her to the Country Music Alberta Awards in 2024, and that’s where she met Kyle McKearney, whose Americana roots-inspired music won several awards.
“I had my fiddle on my back in its case, and I went up to him and said, ‘Hey, Kyle, I really like your music. I live in Airdrie, too, and I’m a fiddle player.’ I left it like that,” Beckie remembers.
A week later, he called her and asked if she’d like to record on his latest album, To the River. He sent her a song and asked her to make a video of her playing it.
“He’d never seen me play, and I just knew that this could be my big break,” Beckie says. “I spent 30 hours perfecting the song before sending it back.”
McKearney liked it and invited her to join the band. A busy schedule of local gigs, cross-Canada touring and recording with McKearney has challenged her, she admits.
“I didn’t go to music school, but I’ve learned so much working with Kyle and the band,” Beckie says.
“Sometimes, I pinch myself. I still can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Though she’s had a Country Music Alberta Awards nomination (2025/2026), and is preparing to tour with McKearney for his next album, Beckie stays connected to her roots. Recently, she spoke to a group of Airdrie high school music students and gave them this advice:
“Go to the open mics. That’s how you’ll meet the people in your community, and, through those people, you’ll meet other people, and, if you stick to your word and work on your craft, you’ll get calls.”
Though her day job is in the medical field, her dream is to make music her full-time gig.
“I’ve always believed this is where I belong,” Beckie says. “I feel so extremely fulfilled when I’m making music with people I respect and who push me, musically.”
