Tristen Durocher has travelled to communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. (submitted photo/Kandis Riese)

By Derek Cornet

True talent

Northerner shares gift for music with residents across Saskatchewan

Jul 24, 2019 | 4:07 PM

It’s been a busy summer for Tristen Durocher as he set out to share his passion for fiddling across Saskatchewan.

“The more I play the better I feel,” he said. “Music isn’t training for me, it’s really fulfilling. When I stop playing, that’s when I start to feel drained and not as well.”

Durocher, who is from Buffalo Narrows but grew up in La Ronge, accepted a position this summer with the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party, which hosts two weeklong camps in the Moosomin Provincial Park in August. In order to create interest and awareness for the music camp, Durocher was hired to do an outreach program that involved travelling to communities throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Some of the places he travelled to include Brandon, Burrows, Carlisle, Forget, Moosomin, Oxbox, Stoughton, Swan River Valley, Wawota and Winnipeg.

During his time in Manitoba, Durocher said it was a unique experience because school divisions throughout the province are required to teach fiddle lessons in the classroom. He was able to visit teachers and their students, as well as teach them traditional Métis music and songs.

“A lot of people don’t have access to that style, so they don’t really get to hear it much,” Durocher said. “I never really explored the southern sections of the province very much either, but for this camp, we had to go to a lot of those communities.”

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Away from promoting the camp, Durocher has also been involved with the Indigenous Peoples Artist Collective based in Prince Albert. He was chosen as one of four artists for its Northern Landscape Style series recently conducted in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Durocher noted that project brought together artists who work in separate mediums, but they all derive their inspiration from their landscape.

Durocher has also made appearances recently for a two-day music workshop Stanley Mission in May, for National Indigenous People Day in Batoche in June and the La Ronge Children’s Festival on Canada Day. Even though fiddling has taken him to many different communities, he added northern communities is where he enjoys playing the most.

“Everyone is just enjoying themselves and everyone in northern communities are like a big extended family,” Durocher said. “They all know each other, so they are always so inviting.”

Long-time friend Kandis Riese joined Durocher during his trip to Stanley Mission and she recorded a video of him playing Amazing Grace in the Holy Trinity Anglican Church. The video has been viewed thousands of times and Riese mentioned she’s pleased so many people are enjoying Durocher’s special gift. She also noted Durocher seems to excel in whatever he puts his mind to and he’s spent a lot of time learning and growing.

“Being musical to me takes more than training and practice,” Riese said. “You kind of have it or you don’t, and because I’m one of the people who naturally doesn’t have it, I really appreciate when I see those people.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno