A team of musicians from both local and afar is encouraging as many music lovers as possible to “swing into spring with strings.” This Saturday and Sunday (March 9 and 10) are the dates for the Gateway Fiddle Retreat, an all ages, all abilities fiddle and cultural workshop that will be held at Gateway Middle School in Meadow Lake.
“The idea behind the whole thing is to provide an opportunity for existing fiddle players, piano players and guitar players to come together, to be in a group setting – all levels and abilities – and to give them a place to play some music, while also learning a little bit in a group setting,” explained local musician Lucas Welsh who is helping to organize the Gateway Fiddle Retreat. “We find students, kids especially, get stale with music lessons when just playing alone. That was the push behind the idea of this.” Organizing the event alongside Welsh are fellow musicians Neil Marsh and Corrinne Ernewein. “The whole name ‘Gateway Fiddle Retreat’ comes from the town and its slogan, gateway to pure air and water,” Welsh continued. “That’s where we pulled the name from. We are a gateway community to the north. It’s just a lucky coincidence we’re using Gateway Middle School as our base of operations.”
In terms of instructors, Welsh said they come from far and wide, but all have the same goal – to share their knowledge with others while also having fun. “We’ve got a couple of great instructors coming from Saskatchewan, we also have one – Deanna Dolstra – coming from Alberta,” he said. “We’ve got a pretty young, energetic crew of instructors. They’re all professionals in their field, they all have years of experience performing and teaching. Joseph Desjarlais comes from Ile-a-la Crosse originally, and he’s one of the younger members of our staff this year. He’s bringing a little bit of a cultural aspect being a Métis fiddle player and a Métis person. We’re going to be showcasing some of his cultural style in some workshops at the event.” Welsh went on to say there will also be an opportunity to learn the Red River Jig and some traditional styles of dance such as square dancing and other styles closely associated with the fiddle. “There will be group sessions where we play together as a group and learn as a group,” he noted. “Great things can happen when we get together… Oftentimes, one person may have something they’re struggling with and they’re a little more comfortable to ask for help when in a group than when it’s one-on-one. We can experience some great learning just by watching what our neighbour is doing, while playing together is also really good, especially for our younger students because it shows them there are other young people playing the fiddle, they’re enjoying it and there’s fun to be had there.”
Registration-wise, the event is currently sitting at about 30 people. “They’re coming in from as far away as Saskatoon and all over,” Welsh added. “We have people coming from some of our northern communities as well, which is great because we were really hoping, by holding the event in Meadow Lake, it would attract more of our northern residents.” He also said participants range in age and include both adults and young people. “Even if you’ve never played a fiddle but always wanted to try, we can help you out,” Welsh said. “We can put a fiddle in your hands, show you the first basic steps and see if you like it. If anybody wants to still sign up, they’re welcome to. We have the staff to accommodate a healthy number of students, so I can’t see us saying no to anyone, even if they want to sign up last minute.”
The Gateway Fiddle Retreat is sponsored by the City of Meadow Lake as well as SaskCulture, SaskLotteries and the Saskatchewan Orchestral Association. “Through their support, we are able to keep our registration fee down to a reasonable amount,” Welsh said. The registration fee for the event is $50. “One of the biggest things we’re lacking in the province right now is an opportunity for young musicians to get together, play, make friends, communicate and learn in a group setting like this where it’s affordable,” Welsh noted. In addition to the retreat itself, an old time dance is also planned for Saturday night at the Catholic Church Hall. “We’ll have our instructors and musicians on stage playing a dance from about 7 to 11 p.m.,” Welsh said. “There will be square dance callers and we’re going to play all the old standards. It’s a family event open to the public.” Welsh also described the upcoming retreat as a full-circle moment for him. “I started out as a student,” he said. “I fell in love with the music, developed a passion for the music. I competed as a fiddle player, performed in bands to where now I’m teaching and trying to spark that next generation of youth.”
Meet our instructors:
Born in Oshawa, ON, Deanna Dolstra has been playing fiddle for more than 30 years and is trained in Ottawa Valley Step Dance. She competed in fiddle and step dance in the Ontario Contest Circuit for many years, retiring in 2000. She has trained with various instructors across Ontario and also attended the Ceilidh Trail School of Celtic music in Cape Breton, N.S. Dolstra released her own independent album in 2002. She played for more than a decade with the band Celtic Powerhouse with fiddle, step dance, keys, and backup vocals. She has been a guest performer and has appeared on recordings with various other artists and groups. She performs all over Canada during the year, often seen with the Métis Ensemble Nicely Put Together Band since 2017. Dolstra currently teaches predominantly group lessons of all ages, and has more than 100 students across east-central Alberta.
Kerri English is a musician from Shellbrook, SK. From a young age she wanted to learn to play the fiddle, and, at the age of 12, she finally was able to start the process with lessons with Dean Bernier. English went on to join the band Diamonds and Dirt throughout high school and, in 2002, she won the SCMA Fiddle Player of the Year award. She has gone on to play on numerous shows, dances and recordings across western Canada. English also began giving music lessons at the age of 15, and has been teaching ever since.
Joseph Desjarlais was born and raised in Ile-ala Crosse, a small Métis community in northern Saskatchewan. He was taught by John Arcand when he was 10 years old to play the Métis fiddle and has since then branched out into a few other styles of fiddle playing, though he finds it hard not to turn every tune he plays Métis. Desjarlais has finished his bachelor of science degree majoring in biomedical neuroscience and is now looking to undertake postgraduate masters and doctoral studies. Desjarlais has played for many events and people throughout his 12 years of fiddle playing. From large events like Back to Batoche all the way to a small supper for his family and friends, he isn’t picky about who, what, when, or where he plays the fiddle.
Olivia Morelli has been playing music for more than 10 years. She started on classic violin and Canadian old time fiddle, and grew up going to John Arcand Fiddle Fest. She is self-taught on guitar and has been playing Carter Scratch and basic melody picking for years. Morelli loves singing and playing any instrument. She has been teaching music privately for five years. In 2022, she started working for Eliza Doyle’s CAMP and got to work in Buffalo Narrows and Stanley Mission. Through her years of experience, she has learned how to teach to different ages, levels and learning styles. Morelli has a strong focus on the value of community and music and how they fit together. She has started and supported many music programs in her community and others. Morelli plays banjo and fiddle in Five Guys Named Dave, is a fill-in fiddler for The Local Group, plays guitar and other instruments in her band, Mary Liv and Emmy Lou, and is a fill-in instrumentalist and vocalist for other bands.
Born and raised in the Meadow Lake area, Corrinne Ernewein is no stranger to old time fiddle music. It runs strong in her family and that’s where she gets her passion for accompanying fiddle music. Trained as a classical pianist, Ernewein has all the technical knowledge and ability to make sure students get a great start learning old time piano. Now working as a teacher in Meadow Lake, she takes every opportunity she gets to play and perform.