The genial leader of the band is Bobby Brown. In his hometown of Dennyloanhead, Scotland, Bobby’s formative years were steeped in Celtic music – his mother was a well-known soprano, his father played the fiddle, and other family members were into pipes and drums. Bobby started piano lessons at age 6 and continued until he immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada, at the age of 16. Starved for his native music, Bobby befriended pipers and drummers in the local pipe band. And shortly after began taking accordion lessons. Before long, Bobby made his way down to Toronto and was introduced to Stan Hamilton and Bobby Frew and from there joined The Flying Scotsmen band as second accordionist in 1961. In 1974 he formed his own band, The Scottish Accent, and soon after formed a second group, The Cape Breton Symphony Fiddlers (now retired), for a television series on folk music. Bobby and his two groups have performed at concerts and dances throughout the Celtic world, have toured Europe and Canada several times and have many recordings to their credit, including “Celtic Fire in the Music”, a double CD collection celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary.
*Kathleen Fraser-Collins at the keyboard provides the rock-steady beat needed for good Scottish dance music. She was born in Ste. Anne de Prescott, a Scottish settlement near the Ontario-Quebec border. Kathleen started piano at age 5 and played in bands since the age of 12, as well as serving as a church organist during school years. Kathy has degrees from McGill (music) and University of Toronto (education), and has taught music for over 30 years. She switches with ease between piano, accordion, bass or saxophone and she sings too, especially light classics or folk songs. Kathy took up Scottish Country Dancing, but the hectic playing schedule pulled her back to the stage. She has been playing with Bobby’s two groups since the early 1970’s. Piping is her latest passion and she has joined a local Grade 4 pipe band.
*Laird Brown’s early years in Toronto were rich in Celtic culture, dancing and music. He danced for a few years, both Country dancing and Highland. Laird started piano lessons at age 9 and played other instruments in school. He soon became proficient in piano, French horn, trumpet and drums. As a youth, he was actively involved in high school drama productions and sang with The Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir. In the late 1980’s Laird became a member of The Scottish Accent, taking his place as second accordionist beside his father, Bobby Brown. Lately Laird has been assisting Bobby in the everyday running of the band and also acts as co-producer on their CDs.
*Fred Collins began his drumming career in his hometown of Dundee, Scotland, joining the boy’s brigade at age 12 to learn pipe band drumming. He continued to play with the boy’s brigade, pipe bands, dance bands, as well as his regular band, “The Gie Gordons”. After coming to Canada at the age of 20, he played with the Toronto Scottish Pipe Band and then the 400 Squadron Air Force. He also joined The Ed Brydie & The Four Scots country dance band and played with them until his return to Scotland. When Fred finally came back to Canada, he became a member of Stan Hamilton’s Flying Scotsmen and in 1981 started playing with the Scottish Accent band. Fred’s association with Bobby, which began through Stan’s band, now spans over 40 years. He currently tutors drummers and enjoys playing the bass drum in the same Grade 4 pipe band as Kathy.
*Don Wood started playing Scottish Country Dance music in 1966, while still attending high school. He was very active during his schooldays playing guitar, bass guitar and piano, in a rhythm & blues band, as well as accompanying his father, an enthusiastic fiddler from Nova Scotia, on piano. As a teenager, Don joined the Stan Hamilton band, playing bass. He was the youngest member of the band at that time. In 1974, he joined Bobby Brown & the Scottish Accent band, playing either bass, piano and guitar for both Bobby’s groups. Don has also been involved with country and folk groups. Don & Bobby’s friendship, which also began through Stan’s band now spans over 40 years.
*Rob Wolanski has music degrees from York University and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. As a freelance musician, Rob currently plays for The Hamilton Philharmonic (Principal Bass), The Canadian Opera Company (section bass), and he works regularly with other groups such as Opera Ontario, Chamberworks, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Orchestra and Elora Festival Orchestra. Rob also was bassist for the Toronto production of the Phantom of the Opera. When he isn’t playing, Rob is teaching double bass. He joined the Scottish Accent in 1986, playing bass and guitar and he has toured with Bobby’s two groups. Besides playing Scottish Country Dance music, Rob is also comfortable on the dance floor.
*Warren Beesley has been playing drums since age seven and began taking guitar lessons at age ten. He has played with Bobby Brown since 1987 as a drummer, a vocalist and occasionally as a guitarist. Warren also toured extensively with the Scottish Accent band, singing at concerts and playing with the band for dancing. He sang with a 50’s style a cappella quartet called The Synthetics with two future members of The Bare Naked Ladies. The group won the National Rising Star contest at the CNE in 1987. Warren enjoys writing and recording original songs in his home studio, and playing private and corporate functions with a local rock band. In 1991 he earned a diploma in Business Administration and now owns a successful trade show company.
*Chris Reesor started studying the drums at age four and started marching in bands at age seven with the 9th Toronto Boys’ Brigade Band. Chris went on to join the Fort Henry Guard serving in various capacities including Lead Drummer. After completing six years with the Fort Henry Guard, Chris joined the 48th Highlanders of Canada and is currently the Regimental Drum Major, a post he has held since 1997. A professional percussionist trained at Humber College, Toronto, Chris was the principal percussionist of the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra for 18 years and was a founding member of the Toronto Wind Orchestra. He is currently employed by Yamaha Canada Music and has been playing the snare drum with the Accent band since 2003.
Roger Moniz began playing the Double Bass in public school in grade 5. Though he had wanted to play French Horn, he was tall for his age and the Bass was chosen for him! It wasn’t until he discovered J.S.Bach in high school that he really fell in love with the Bass. He studied privately at first with Viiu Varik and then at the University of Toronto. After graduation, he detoured through the worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, jazzy cabarets and Broadway musicals. It was doing a musical, where he first met Kathleen Fraser- Collins who, in 2000, would introduce Roger to Bobby Brown and the world of Scottish Country Dancing. Roger is a full time musician, currently based out of Napanee, Ontario. In addition to playing with Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent, he is Principal Bass of the Etobicoke Philharmonic and the Quinte Symphony, as well as section bass with the Kingston Symphony.