What We Do at Woodbox Records

PERFORMANCES

Festivals, Live Shows, Events

RECORDING

Live, Studio, Field Tapes

PUBLISHING

Sheet Music, Tune Books

PROTECTING TRADITION

Collect & Archive History

TEACHING

Workshops, Private

& Group Lessons

Press for Woodbox Records

CBC Radio - North by NorthwestDaniel Lapp with Margaret Gallagher

00:00 / 21:22

Listen to Daniel's CBC Interview discussing the origins of the label

Please join our mailing list!

ABOUT WOODBOX RECORDS

Woodbox Records began in 2024 in Victoria, British Columbia to release and promote

the 150 year Fiddle tradition of BC, Canada's most westerly province.

It was started by Daniel Lapp who was born in the Cariboo in central BC

and has spent 4 decades touring as a musician and teaching the

BC fiddle tradition to hundreds of folks all over the world.

Since 1989 Daniel has collected over 3000 original BC

fiddle compositions by over 300 composers.

"Put 'er in the woodbox" is an old expression from the Canadian

prairies as told to Daniel by the late, 7 time BC Fiddle Champion, Bob

Montgomery. There was a time when everyone had a 'woodbox' on their

back porch and in there you might keep milk, eggs, firewood, meat etc.

But also, a violin has been known to be called an 'old wooden box' ;)

Woodbox Records Releases

Keep your eye on this page to read about current and upcoming

album and book releases on Woodbox Records

Max Francis

13 yr fiddle sensation and current BC Champion Max Francis is releasing his first collection of original songs on Woodbox Records on March 2, 2025.

The album and tune book is available for download now on Bandcamp:

https://maxfrancis.bandcamp.com/album/home

FRANCIS, Max_In the Dark MasterMax Francis

00:00 / 02:13

Daniel Lapp

Daniel's first fiddle album in over 20 years and packed with all original tunes will be released on Woodbox Records in the spring of 2025.

The album features guitar wiz, Quinn Bachand (Jeremy Kittel, Brishen).

Return here for more info....

Jacob's Golf Bag RagDaniel Lapp

00:00 / 00:15

Leonard T. Sexsmith

Woodbox Records will be releasing the

1950's & 60's field cassette tape recordings

of Prince George welder, LT Sexsmith

playing his stunning original compositions.

Look for this exciting album and accompanying tune book in the fall of 2025.

Tabor Mountain HornpipeLeonard T. Sexsmith

00:00 / 01:02

The BC Fiddle Orchestra

On April 25, 2025 Woodbox Records will release the 6th BC Fiddle Orchestra album that was recorded in 2021 in Alix Goolden Hall, Victoria, BC. The album features 30 teens (and younger) from Canada's first 'youth fiddle orchestra' that began in 1994.

Tumbleweed Rag_D.RomaniukBC Fiddle Orchestra

00:00 / 03:25

Upcoming Woodbox Events

A history of BC Fiddle Tunes

After a tour of Scotland with the Vancouver band, Spirit of the West in 1989, Daniel Lapp returned to BC

driven to unearth original fiddle tunes from the place of his birth. He started in Prince George, the town he was born in and the home of the BC Old-Time Fiddling Association which began in 1969. It is here, in central BC, where dozens of fiddlers from across the country met in the late 1940's and 50's searching for work in this booming northern logging region, 500 miles north of the Pacific Ocean. Regular fiddle jams, dances and eventually annual contests spawned a new era of interest in this art form. Inspired by the community engagement others saw happening in Prince George many other branches soon formed across the province, many of which are still operating today. All of this has lead to a renaissance of fiddle music in BC and now,

55 years later, is home to one of the most unique and vibrant fiddle cultures found anywhere in the world.

The typical BC repertoire, however, has always been drawn mostly from fiddle traditions outside the region,

that of famous fiddlers recordings from the prairies, the maritimes or the Grand Old Opry in the USA. What

archivist/musician Daniel Lapp discovered in 1989 though was a hidden trove of 'original tunes' that had

rarely been played live or shared with others - unique tunes written in British Columbia by fiddlers living in

the province. Within a few short weeks, the collection included 300 tunes by a dozen composers. Now, 36

years later, the collection has over 3000 tunes by over 300 composers. The collection is still unpublished

and it's the goal of the label to start promoting this largely unknown fiddle genre.

Woodbox Records is releasing its 1st project by 13 year old west coast fiddle sensation, Max Francis' in

March 2025. This release is part of 'THE MATCHBOOK SESSIONS: Releases of Young Talent Lighting New Fires'.

The 2nd release will be a recording of the BC Fiddle Orchestra from 2021. Recorded in Alix Goolden Hall with 30 youth this will be the 6th full length album released by the BCFO since it was formed in 1994.

The 3rd release is set for the spring and will be Daniel Lapp's 1st fiddle album in over 20 years. It is titled 'Legacy' and will be part of the 'THE HARDWOOD SESSIONS: Releases of Current Artists Carrying the Torch'.

It will feature the talented guitarist, Quinn Bachand.

Over the summer the label will release the complete collection of 1950's original home-made cassette recordings by deceased Prince George fiddler/composer, Leonard T. Sexsmith as part of 'THE KINDLING

TAPES: Releases of Field Recordings By Artists Who Started the Fire".