IF ANNE Lederman had her way, it wouldn't be the beaver on our nickel, it would be a violin. The York graduate, fiddle virtuoso and adjunct faculty member says "trad" music has had as much to do with shaping Canada as the fur trade.

Unfortunately, if you mention traditional Canadian fiddle music most people probably think of Don Messer's 'old tyme' style. But the tradition is actually much broader, and largely unknown. For instance, there are distinct Métis, Quebecois and Newfoundland styles to name a few, while post-war European immigrants have added their own musics such as Klezmer to the mix.

"I've got a broader definition of trad music than most people," says Lederman. "It's not just Celtic. It's music from other cultures too...Ukraine, Poland."

Her early passion for folk music while growing up in Manitoba, started her on a lifelong quest to know her country's musical traditions, knowledge she's now passing on to York students in her musicianship course, and Klezmer and Celtic ensembles.

"These musics give us a sense of who we are. I think someone who grew up in a place where music traditions are strong, like Cape Breton, never has to ask 'What is a Canadian?' The answer's right there in the tunes."