HALIFAX — Three years ago, Rodney MacDonald was mixing door-knocking with live fiddle performances during his second election campaign in his Cape Breton riding.

An established musician with a reputation that bordered on celebrity, MacDonald's strength as a performer likely won him points on the political stage.

But that was 2003, and MacDonald was a popular local politician campaigning at home.

Now, as he stares ahead at his first campaign as Conservative party leader, the 34-year-old premier of Nova Scotia is aware of the challenges as he tries to fiddle his minority government into a majority.

"Anything's possible,'' MacDonald says when asked if voters will see him with a fiddle under his neck between campaign stops.

"But this will be a different campaign for me, because this time I'm doing at as a leader. I want to reach as many people as possible, and I may be doing speeches from a podium and speeches from someone's back porch.''

A young, relatively new face to provincial politics, MacDonald will be spending much of the next month introducing himself to voters. Before politics, the married father of an eight-year-old son was a gym teacher.

While he was named into then-premier John Hamm's cabinet soon after winning his Inverness seat in 1999, an expert says he may not have a high-enough profile give voters an idea about what kind of leader he will be.

"He hasn't been the leader for that long, so there's a sense that people have to get to know him a lot more,'' says Jennifer Smith, who teaches political science at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

"There's always a plus side to being youthful and popular, and I don't think he has a lot of baggage. Watching him in office thus far, he strikes me as having a fairly good personality for the hustings.''

Fresh off a successful winter campaign to lead the Tories, it's a task MacDonald says he'll enjoy.

"People don't want to hear rhetoric,'' he says. "They want the straight goods and they want to know what people stand for.''

MacDonald says the government's recent throne speech and budget map out his party's plans for the province.

They include regulating gasoline prices, controlling post-secondary tuition, increased spending on health care and schools, more money for highways and tax cuts.<

He also defends the millions in spending announcements his government has made in recent weeks, which critics have called blatant electioneering. MacDonald believes his opponents will have a hard time criticizing how that money will be spent.

"We've put our vision forward for the future,'' MacDonald says. "I believe that it's important that the people of the province have the opportunity to judge my leadership and my premiership.''

A few facts about Rodney MacDonald:

Age: 34

Birthday: January 2, 1972.

Education: Bachelor of Science in physical education from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.

Early years: Second oldest of four children to Alex Angus and Elizabeth Ann MacDonald. Played hockey and took up music. Went on to become an accomplished fiddler; nominated for two East Coast Music Awards.

Career: Taught for Nova Scotia's Strait Regional School Board and the Mi'kmawey school at Chapel Island, N.S.

Politics: Elected in the provincial riding of Inverness in 1999. Re-elected 2003. Was minister of tourism, culture and heritage; minister of health promotion; and minister of immigration. Elected Conservative party leader Feb. 11, 2006. Sworn in as premier Feb. 24

Family: In 1994, married Lori-Ann Gillis. Their son, Ryan, is eight years old.

Quote: "We've put our vision forward for the future. Given the fact that I have not been elected by the people of the province, I believe that it's important that the people of the province have the opportunity to judge my leadership and my premiership.'' _ Rodney MacDonald on the timing of the election.