Violinist Mia Asano and bagpiper Ally Crowley-Duncan (Mia x Ally), courtesy Hitesh Joshi.

Classically trained violinist Mia Asano and bagpiper Ally Crowley-Duncan getting together to perform in front of your music fans may seem improbably, but it makes perfect sense. Both take traditional instruments to new places, often via their unique covers. The duo, which performs as Mia x Ally met–appropriately–via TikTok during the pandemic on the same chain of “The Wellerman” sea shanty.

Remember? It was all the rage back then. It even landed Nathan Evans a major record label deal.

“We just had this foundation of a mutual respect and admiration for each other as artists,” Crowley-Duncan said Saturday as the pair prepared for soundcheck before a Flagstaff, Ariz. gig.

The two musicians followed each other and digitally duetted on more songs, finding inspiration in each other’s work.

“Ally happened to be coming through Boston for a gig, and I happened to be living there at the time for school, so we met up and filmed a bunch of videos together,” Asano said. “A lot of them went viral and, more importantly, it led to some other live performance opportunities with other friends.”

Those performances proved to be the catalyst for what would be next.

“We just felt this really magical chemistry between each other that’s rare to find with another musician,” Asano said. “We’ve had very similar life experiences playing traditional instruments in a classical setting and then trying to move them into a more contemporary genre.”

Mia x Ally knew they wanted to take the show on the road, but with each headlining her own set rather than performing together.

“The first thought for our tour was for us to get out there as individuals while splitting the emotional and financial burden of getting your act out on the road for the first time,” said Crowley-Duncan, who’s also known as Piper Ally.

Mia Asano and Ally Crowley-Duncan (Mia x Ally).

Eventually they realized there were enough moments in each other’s sets for the other to step in and support each other. Now the pair primarily plays together, with a full band. Crowley-Duncan and Asano also recorded an album together.

The duo, which plays Brick & Mortar Music Hall on March 5, promises a show that blends modern music with that from how the two were musically raised. They may tackle Metallica, Billie Eilish and Vivaldi in one go.

Their instruments aren’t natural complements. Some keys doesn’t work with bagpipes, yet are critical for a violin solo. Crowley-Duncan and Asano had to make some creative decisions to make sure their songs worked in harmony on songs like Eric Johnson’s “Cliffs of Dover” and Lindsey Stirling’s “Roundtable Rival.”

Both musicians both started playing at an early age; Asano at 5. In middle school she started imagining broader horizons for her violin playing.

“I started seeing other contemporary violinists coming out of the woodwork,” she said. “I remember seeing Vanessa May playing the Vivaldi piece I play now in this rock and metal setting with drums and electric guitar, and I just remember thinking it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen.”

Crowley-Duncan started with piano when she was 6 before picking up woodwinds and voice lessons. When she was 12, she was adopted by her step-father, whose family was Scottish. Her grandmother taught her the heritage and culture when she became enamored with the bagpipes. She started taking lessons then.

Both developed a large social media following by posting covers on TikTok and Instagram. That required feeding the virtual machine by posting all the time.

“When Ally and I are at our prime, we’re posting every day multiple times a day, and if we’re not doing that, there’s pressure to be doing that,” Asano said. “The algorithms work in mysterious ways, and there’s a massive demand for it, more than is physically possible, especially when we’re doing other things like we are now.”

The two are still looking for a happy medium. The other challenge is contending with the trolls who thrive on the internet. In the case of Mia x Ally, that’s sometimes from within the fan bases of the artists they cover. From the music they play to the way they dress and look, nothing is off limits to the haters.

The two have grown thicker skins and confidence in their abilities. It’s helped immensely to have each other to lean on, Crowley-Duncan said.

“It was really hard when I was first starting out because you’ve never experienced thousands of people telling you they hate your face,” Asano said.

It also helps when the support comes from the artists they cover. The two faced the wrath of the trolls after haring their take on Charlie Daniel’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” for which they changed general pronouns and some other lyrics to fit their style.

“The Charlie Daniels Band stepped in and said they loved it, so that was a really special one for us together,” Crowley-Duncan said.

Fellow modern violinist Lindsey Stirling has supported Mia x Ally and collaborated with Asano. Even the mighty Metallica came to the defense of Crowley-Duncan when she became the target of internet trolls.

“We have tons of support from the artists we cover, and we’re so grateful for that because it gives us the confidence that we’re doing the right thing,” Asano said. “In return, we are saying their graces every night.”

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.