Chronology

September 1987 – The Toronto Symphony Orchestra Odyssey tour of The Canadian North launches Strings Across the Sky, a registered charity

March 1988 – Strings Across the Sky initiated in Inuvik, Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T.

August 1989 – First summer school program held in Inuvik at Arctic College for children from Inuvik, Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk

December 1989 – Students perform their first Christmas concert with their fiddles in the Igloo church in Inuvik

August 1990 – Second summer school held in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk

December 1990 – Students perform Christmas music in their own schools for the first time

August 1991 – Third summer schools held in Tuktoyoktuk, Aklavik, and Inuvik

August 1992 – Fourth summer schools held in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk with a total of 48 violins donated to the program

March 1993 – Tsiigehtchic becomes the fifth community to support the program and adult teacher training program begins

August 1993 – Fifth summer school program held in five communities – 102 students participate with 55 violins in the “lending library”

February 1994 – Program begins in Fort Good Hope

April 1994 – 35 SATS students from five communities play with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and CBC television airs the performance on the national news

August 1994 – Norman Wells becomes the seventh community to join SATS

March 1995 – Tulit ‘a (formerly Fort Norman) is the eighth community to join SATS

June 1995 – SATS expands into the Eastern Arctic at Iquluit

October 1996 – Full classes include 80 violins and over 250 students with Delene (formerly Fort Franklin) students joining SATS

June 1997 – Northern encounters Festival of the Arts includes students from Strings Across the Sky performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Fall 1998 – Program begins in Holman

Summer 1998 – Brought 5 people from the North for instructor training

June 1999 — 34 SATS students travel to the Orkneys (Scottish Isles) to perform

April 1999 – Andrea Hansen receives the Order of Canada in her role as Music Ambassador to the North

Fall 1999 – Program begins in Yellowknife

Spring 2001 – Program begins in Wrigley, Fort Smith, Deh Cho, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Fort Providence

August 2002 – Andrea Hansen performs and lectures for Adventure Canada, an expedition-style cruising and small-group active outfitter specializing in remote adventures. Touched by Hansen’s magical story, travelers form The Friends of Strings Across the Sky (FSATS) to make the cross Canada dream a reality

August 2002 – With over 300 students “touched” by her teaching and 150 donated violins in the North, Andrea Hansen receives The Golden Jubilee Medal

March 2003 – SATS Instructors participate in The Cole Crook Fiddle Camp in Fort Smith, NWT

August 2003 – SATS hosts a Fiddle School in Yellowknife for 40 students and teachers

October 2003 – FSATS launches the Ontario leg of The Cross Canada Fiddle – Moose Factory, White Dog, Kenora, Sioux Lookout, Pelican Falls, Thunder Bay

November 2003 – Students from the Cross-Canada Fiddle perform with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra

March 2004 – Students from the Cross-Canada Fiddle perform with the Regina Symphony Orchestra

May 2004 – Students from the Cross-Canada Fiddle perform with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Later in the month, SATS launches remote training (Hansen in Toronto – Students in Sioux Lookout) with the National Research Council

July 2004 – Ontario students perform in at the Festival of Sound in Parry Sound

August 2004 – SATS hosts fiddle schools in Yellowknife and Inuvik

November 2004 – OAC sponsors the development of level two SATS training including a tour to Northern Ontario. Pelican Falls First Nations High School partners with SATS to offer a credit violin course. Greater Cleveland Rotary Association launches a violin acquisitions program for SATS with the first 15 violins going to Pelican Falls. SATS begins remote training to Sioux Lookout with partners: The Glenn Gould School; the National Research Council and the Communications Research Council.

July/August 2005 – Annual Fiddle Schools in Yellowknife and Inuvik.

September 2005 – Andrea Hansen is honoured with The Order of Ontario.

May 2006 – Andrea Hansen is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musicians Association

November 2007 – Andrea Hansen is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Aboriginal Awards.

2008
May – SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
October – WAUSAUKSING FN SCHOOL
July –PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July – FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND CONCERT

2009
April-  SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
August- PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
August-FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND CONCERT, STOCKEY CENTRE

2010
April- SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
July-PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July- FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND CONCERT, STOCKEY CENTRE
September- CONCERT, STOCKEY CENTRE-Toronto Finnish Men’s Choir

2011
April- SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
May- ROYAL CONSERVATORY, CONKLIN SCHOOL ALBERTA
October –ROYAL CONSERVATORY, CONKLIN SCHOOL ALBERTA
October- FIDDLE WORKSHOPS, FORT MACMURRAY, ALBERTA

2012
April- SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
May- STILECROFT SCHOOL, ROYAL CONSERVATORY
July-PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July- FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND CONCERT, STOCKEY CENTRE
August- ALGOMA U, Anishnaabe BINESI camps
November- ROYAL CONSERVATORY, CONKLIN SCHOOL ALBERTA

2013
January-1st TERM_NORTH BAY INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE TEACHING BEGINS
April- SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
May-STILECROFT SCHOOL, ROYAL CONSERVATORY
June- CONCERT, KOERNER HALL, TORONTO
July- PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July-CONCERT-GALA-FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND, STOCKEY CENTRE
July- CONCERT, FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND
July- ALGOMA U, Anishnaabe BINESI camps
August- CONCERT, LEE PARK, NORTH BAY
October-2ND TERM_NORTH BAY INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE TEACHING
November- SHAWANAGA KINOMAUGEWGAMIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2014
January-2ND TERM_NORTH BAY INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE
May-CONCERT, NORTH BAY GOLDEN AGE CLUB
June-CONCERT, NB INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE, ABORIGINAL DAY
July- PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July- CONCERT, FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND, STOCKEY CENTRE
July-ALGOMA UNIVERSITY, ANISHNAABE BINESI CAMPS
September-3RD YEAR SATS Teaching Program_NORTH BAY INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE

2015
July- PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July- CONCERT, FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND, STOCKEY CENTRE
September-3RD YEAR SATS Teaching Program_NORTH BAY INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE

February | North Bay, Concert_VOYAGE OF THE VIOLIN Capitol Theatre, North Bay @ 7:30pm
Strings Across the Sky Students & North Bay Symphony
The story of fiddling music, which crossed the world from its Celtic roots to become a rich part of today’s Inuit, Metis and First Nation’s communities.

2016

July- PARRY SOUND FIDDLE & MUSIC CAMP
July- CONCERT, FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND, STOCKEY CENTRE
September-4TH YEAR SATS Teaching Program_NORTH BAY INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRE

 

 

 

Andrea Hansen, accompanied by Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs David Ramsay, gives lessons from the Glen Gould Studio in Toronto to students in Sioux Lookout via broadband telecommunications, 2006.
Students on stage with guitars at the Festival of Sound, 2006.