FUTURE FIDDLER
St. Michael Community School student Damien James-Caron prepares his bow Tuesday during a presentation of the school’s new program, run by Cristin Dorgan Lee. The program, where students will learn to take care of and play the fiddle, was gifted 25 new in
More than 40 students at St. Michael Community School will soon be embracing the fiddle thanks to a recent donation from an East Coast fiddle star.
In early 2016, musician Natalie MacMaster stopped by the school and was amazed by students’ dedication and desire to learn.
While the school had been discussing a fiddle program as part of its goal to become a centre of Metis excellence, costs associated with providing the required number of instruments was a barrier.
That’s when MacMaster and her husband and fellow fiddler Donnell Leahy stepped in with a donation of 25 fiddles on top of six already in the school’s possession.
St. Michael principal Mike Thorson said he’s witnessed the positive power of the instrument first-hand as it can “bring life” into a room, a school or a community. The school has hired fiddler players to perform at special events.
“For our kids to experience that — that they can create that joy and that music — it is a feeling of very deep satisfaction that we’re able to bring something in that is such a vibrant piece of the culture,” he said.
As a result of the donation, 43 children across three grades will be taught the fiddle. MacMaster herself, a Cape Breton musician who spoke to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix on Monday, said embracing the depth of one’s culture — be it Metis, or in her case, Scottish — is critical.
“If you don’t keep that connection alive, it’s going to be lost,” she said.
“You really need to anchor yourself in life with who you are and the real valuable things in life, and that’s the people that you come from.”
MacMaster said she’s working to determine a date when she can visit the school to see how the students have progressed, as she’s excited to see the students with their fiddles first-hand.
Fiddle teacher Cristin Dorgan Lee is helping students understand the instrument. She said children are learning about more than musical notes and rhythm.
“It’s incredible what we learn about being a family, a social family, and not only learning about music, but being able to celebrate their culture,” she said.
“So for me, it’s an absolute blessing to be working with these amazing children.”
Working with students at St. Michael twice a week, she called the children’s exposure to the instrument “pure joy” as they may never have had access to the fiddle-playing tradition without the school’s help.
“For the students to have access to these instruments without any fees associated with it is just life-giving for them, opportunities some of these children would never had been able to experience without the generosity of Natalie,” she said.