Eliza Doyle has been teaching music in Northern Saskatchewan since 2019. (Submitted photo/Eliza Doyle)

By Derek Cornet

music lessons

Year-long music residency begins in Beauval and Canoe Lake

Oct 6, 2021 | 2:07 PM

Eliza Doyle has launched a new year-long musician-in-residency program in the communities of Beauval and Canoe Lake Cree First Nation.

The residency is made possible through a $45,000 grant through SK Arts and will allow Doyle, along with several other musicians, to teach music in both communities for 12 months. Doyle explained programming is already underway and will follow a similar framework as the residency held in Stanley Mission during 2019 and 2020.

“We were set to start in Canoe Lake, but we couldn’t find housing there,” Doyle said. “The Village of Beauval stepped in and the Mayor Nick Daigneault. I called him about three weeks ago…and he hooked us up with a teacherage, so our housing problems are solved and now, because of the housing partnership, we’re going to be working part-time in Beauval and part-time in Canoe Lake.”

In recent days, Doyle has been visiting schools in those communities, as well as local leadership. She is currently completing presentations in Beauval and conducting guitar lessons with teachers. On Thursday, Doyle will be in Canoe Lake for a community jam and lesson session.

Doyle mentioned the goal of the residency program is to find a permanent source of funding so music can continue once the grant money is spent.

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“It’s kind of surreal how it’s grown,” she said about music programming in Northern Saskatchewan. “Now, when I am talking in Beauval to the people here, I can say the program started in Stanley Mission and this is where it’s gone. It’s kind of got momentum and it’s really invigorating to see the support and where it’s going to keep building and building.”

With Doyle’s Community Arts Mentorship Program (CAMP) now more than a year old, she said the non-profit is eligible to apply for even more grants. She encourages people to reach out to her if they would like to see music programs in their own communities, or if they would like access to music lessons and instruments.

“I’m really open to community feedback and I really want to take the direction from the communities I’m in,” Doyle said. “Everyone is encouraged to contact me and let me know what they need.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno