The donation comes from Elizabeth Hummel's late father Rudy. (submitted photo/Eliza Doyle)

By Derek Cornet

new instruments

Doyle receives sizable donation as music program expands into more LLRIB schools

Feb 22, 2021 | 2:42 PM

With music programming expanding into four more Lac La Ronge Indian Band schools, a recent donation of more than one dozen guitars will assist Eliza Doyle’s plan to serve remote, underserved communities.

The new donation comes from Elizabeth Hummel of Saskatoon, who inherited the collection of 13 guitars, a banjo, recording equipment and instructional material from her late father Rudy Hummel. He passed away nearly one month ago from COVID-19 at the age of 86.

Hummel worked as a nuclear physicist and he had a love for music.

“I went to take a look at the donation in Saskatoon last week and it’s a collection of different types of guitars,” Doyle said, noting some are high end. “Some Gretschs, some electric, some acoustics, some Martins. It’s an amazing collection.”

Elizabeth Hummel, Doyle explained, has been aware of her musical endeavours since she was a young adult.

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“She’s kind of seen me grow up in the Saskatchewan music scene and, when she found out I was doing music programming in remote underserved communities, she just thought there would be no better space for her dad’s legacy to live on,” Doyle said.

The late Rudy Hummel (right). (Submitted photo/Eliza Doyle)

The recent donation also has Doyle planning for a mobile recording studio, which she plans to begin fundraising for soon through her non-profit Community Arts Mentorship Programming. She mentioned a studio is already in the works for Stanley Mission, where Doyle has spent a couple years teaching music.

This week marks the expansion of Doyle’s programming to four more schools including Bells Point Elementary School, Chief Moses Ratt School, Sally Ross School and Senator Myles Venne School. Programming in Bells Point and Chief Moses Ratt School began today with one teacher moving between the two.

“The superintendents of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band have just been so trusting and supportive of the program,” Doyle said. “When they said it was a go-ahead, I started putting together instrument quotes and trying to figure out how we can make this happen.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno