Kinnon Beaton has been playing the violin since 1968, a time when some worried that the music might be disappearing. Kinnon grew up in Mabou, Inverness County, listening to his parents (Donald Angus and Elizabeth) playing at home and for dances at the hall across the road. Fiddler and composer Dan R. MacDonald lived behind that hall and John Morris Rankin lived beside it; both frequently visited the Beaton home. Kinnon has taught workshops in Cape Breton, the U.S. and Scotland. He was first recorded on the family album The Beatons of Mabou, released by Rounder Records in 1978. He has played for countless dances, concerts and festivals throughout Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., composed more than 900 tunes, published four collection books–including his latest, A Fourth Book of Tunes by Kinnon Beaton, in October 2017–and recorded six albums. Kinnon is almost always accompanied by his wife Betty on piano.