Cape Breton Piano: Betty Lou Beaton

Betty is from Judique and plays in a flowing, dense syncopated style. She frequently accompanies her spouse Kinnon Beaton, and has played for many other over the years.

She is also known to be an excellent and patient teacher of aspiring chorders. She has taught for several summers at the Céilidh Trail School of Celtic Music in Inverness.

The way Betty tells it, she started playing piano when her older sister left for university and someone else was needed to chord for her brother, Buddy MacMaster. She made her living for many years as an elementary school teacher. She recently retired from that and now works with Kinnon at the family clothing store in Port Hawksbury.

An excellent example of her work may be found on the CD "Saturday Night Lively", featuring Kinnon and Betty Beaton.


To Home of Piano in Traditional Cape Breton Music
To Cape Breton Piano: Some Players Past and Present
Disclaimer: I am not an expert in the history, theory, or playing of Cape Breton Style piano accompiament. I am an eager student. If you find errors, lies, damn lies, ommissions etc etc etc within these pages, please do call it to my attention!

Le gach beannachd,
Roger Lane Reid
ro@rreid.net