By Mike Caputo
But don't ever refer to his Scottish fiddle-playing performances and competitions as merely a hobby.
"I don't think anything I do is a hobby, because when it's a hobby you just dabble with it," Pasqua said. "I have been immersing myself in teaching, I have been immersing myself in Scottish music and I have been immersing myself in composing music."
"I got away from the habit of dabbling in anything," he added. "The more I approach all these aspects in my life aggressively, the more I am rewarded for it."
Upon graduation from the Florida State School of Music, the
half-Scottish, half-Italian Pasqua spent time performing in Italy. Instead of pursuing a career on stage, Pasqua decided on teaching. For six years Pasqua, 29, has taught strings at his alma mater, Hewlett High School.
But within the last two years, Pasqua has rekindled his desire to be center stage.
"I went to one fiddle festival in New Hampshire and once I got there and I saw the enormity of how many fiddle players are out there and doing interesting things," Pasqua said, "that just turned me on."
That was only two years ago. Pasqua went on to win the New England Fiddle Championships twice and the Celtic Classic competition once. He then did something that no American had done before: The music teacher became the first American to win the Glenfiddich Scottish Fiddle Championship, a national competition in Scotland.
Instead of waiting for the United States competition, the music teacher decided to compete in the land containing the roots of both the Scottish fiddle and his family. Pasqua, whose mother is a native of Scotland, compiled a CD and sent it to competition officials. At first, competition officials were hesitant to invite a foreigner, especially Pasqua because he had yet to compete within Scottish borders.
Even after he was invited to compete, Pasqua felt mildly out of place when he arrived to the championships held at the 13th century Blair Castle in Edinboro.
"I got a sense of, 'Who is this guy?'" Pasqua said. "'Who does he think he is?'"
The mood in the room changed as soon as Pasqua presented his prowess on the Scottish fiddle. It also helped that he possesses a traditionally Gaelic/Scottish first name: Calum.
"Once they heard me play and heard my first name, they welcomed me with open arms," Pasqua said.
Scottish roots may have garnered initial respect among the judges and competitors, but Pasqua attributes his success to a childhood entrenched in music. Through her participation in Scottish dancing, Calum's mother Mary exposed her son to the tunes of Scotland at a very young age. His Italian father Vincent Pasqua's love for opera also factored into Calum's musical interests.
Tragedy nearly struck the Pasqua family as the days approached the Glenfiddich championships. A life-threatening allergic reaction to a blood thinner put Mary in the hospital. Calum considered canceling the trip to Scotland, but ended up going because his mother said she would feel worse if he stayed home.
Both Mary and Vincent currently live in Atlantic Beach. Calum resides in Lynbrook.
Since his victory, Calum Pasqua has received many offers, including an opportunity to perform on a concert series with BBC Scotland. He also plays the fiddle and bagpipes for a band called Finn's Fury.
For now, Pasqua is already preparing for next year's title defense in Scotland, but also continues to work with the students in his high school orchestras and classes. The music teacher links the recent performance successes to his work in education.
"What I didn't know at the beginning was how much of a better performer teaching has made me," Pasqua said. "I would be nowhere near as accomplished on my instrument if I hadn't been teaching for the past six years."
Comments about this story? Mcaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
