Background
McKhool was born in Ottawa and raised in a musical household.
McKhool was born in Ottawa and raised in a musical household.
McKhool took violin lessons from age 7, and studied classical violin under the tutelage of Joan Milkson of the National Arts Centre Orchestra from 1977 to 1985, as well as performing with the National Capital String Academy and teaching himself to play folk guitar.
In 1985 he moved to Montreal to study at McGill University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. McKhool moved to Toronto in 1993, studying jazz at York University. McKhool has recorded and performed with several jazz performers and groups including Sultans of String, Jesse Cook, Amanda Martinez, Pavlo, Club Django, Kevin Laliberte, Drew Birston, Kevin Barrett, Jordan Klapman, Ron Davis, Doug Banwell, Adam David and George Grosman.
He has also enjoyed a successful career performing for young audiences, appearing on television shows such as Mr.
Dressup, YTV"s Treehouse, TVOntario"s Crawlspace and the Canadian Broadcasting Company, as well as concerts across Canada. was nominated for a Juno Award. Mckhool has toured throughout Canada, including Baffin Island, as well as performing in England, the United States, Indonesia, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru and Tibetan schools across the Indian Himalayas.
FiddleFire! has been presented live at Toronto Harbourfront"s Cushion Concert series. He also headlined Toronto"s First Night at the Skydome.
The National Guatemalan Network show Quebec Onda produced a special feature including live concert footage from August 2004.
McKhool has worked with notable recording engineers including Jeremy Darby (Live Aid, U2, Pink Floyd, Prince), George Seara (Jesse Cook, Michael Jackson, Sting) and Nik Tjelios (Ken Whiteley, Pete Seeger) In 2004, McKhool co-founded the world-jazz-flamenco group Sultans of String. He created the world’s largest bicycle bell orchestra in 2008, at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto with over 800 bell ringers.
McKhool"s 2008 children"s album Fiddlefire! has been nominated for numerous awards, including: 2009 JUNO Award nominee with Fiddlefire! 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards - Children"s Album of the Year with Fiddlefire! 2009 Parents’ Choice Award with Fiddlefire! 2009 iParenting Media Award with Fiddlefire! 2009 Canadian Children’s Book Centre ‘Best of 2009’ with Fiddlefire! Foreign a list of awards with Sultans of String, see main article: Sultans of String Other awards: 2006 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals - Songs of the Heart Competition Finalist 2006 Parents’ Choice Award for Civil Defense Celebrate! Holidays of the Global Village 2005 Green Toronto Award of Excellence for Earth, Seas & Air Children’s Concert 2004 National Jazz Awards nomination (with Club Django, Trad Jazz) 2004 CIUT-FM Award for Outstanding Musical Accompanist (violin) 1996 Parents’ Choice Award for Civil Defense Earth, Seas & Air.
