The Métis fiddle program at St. Michael Community School in Saskatoon is continuing to see positive results.
Juno award-winning fiddler Karrnnel Sawitsky has traveled from Toronto several times since 2017 to help with the program.
“You get better and better as you start gaining knowledge and gaining insight about the history of the art form,” Sawitsky said. “Let’s write. Let’s create something and if you can get excited for that then maybe you’ll grow and continue to play.”
There will soon be a small recording studio in the school.
“I will help them to get that set up and then ideally come back as much as possible and continue on with it,” Sawitsky said.
Sawitsky has already recorded two albums with the students.
“They see him as a cool role model,” St. Michael Community School principal Cristin Dorgan Lee said. “It is life-giving for them to see models of people use their gifts in really cool and unique ways. He’s able to come back and be here with our students and help uplift and create fiddlers so that our Métis sense of pride can continue to grow. We’re doing something really special here.”
The program has received funding from the provincial government, Saskatchewan Arts Board, MusiCounts and SaskCulture.
(PHOTO: Karrnnel Sawitsky playing fiddle with students at St. Michael Community School in Saskatoon. Photo by Brendan Mayer.)