Strings Across the Sky | Empowering and inspiring youth with a passion for learning through music and the art of fiddling

About

FOUNDED in 1987 by late Toronto Symphony Orchestra violinist, Andrea Hansen, Strings Across the Sky (SATS) has been working with youth in indigenous and remote communities throughout Canada.
By teaching a uniquely developed, award winning, “play based”, easy and fun technique combining violin skills and fiddling styles, SATS opens the door to positive musical experiences. After the passing of Ms Hansen the the work of Strings Across the Sky has continued under the leadership of her niece Executive/ Artistic Director, Debra Jones.

SATS is a registered Canadian charity and funded primarily by private donors and community organizations. It also relies on donated instruments. Tax receipts are provided for both donated funds and instruments.

Fiddling and Music Education Programs:
*1 week (5 day) school teaching visits followed by a community
student performance
*3 day “Tune Up” teaching workshops
*1 week Fiddle & Music Camps
* Weekly teaching “Youth Music Circles” in rural and indigenous centered communities, such as North Bay and Parry Sound.

Since its founding, SATS has created many successful partnerships to help deliver music education to youth. These include the Royal Conservatory Learning Through the Arts and Music Champions From 2013 until Covid, SATS and the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre offered the Traditional Fiddling Program, weekly lessons for children, youth and elders as well as March Break fiddle camps.
A 20 year partnership with the Parry Sound Friendship Centre helped provide youth with year round access to annual fiddle camps and weekly fiddle teaching gatherings.
SATS has also partnered with Algoma University to offer Binesi summer fiddle camps. SATS is most recently partnering with Moosonee Public School with a vision to revive disappearing, yet vibrant community fiddle music traditions and expand them into the James Bay region where they thrived for 100’s of years.

SATS helps provide to many young musicians a “once in a lifetime” musical performance experience. SATS’ fiddle students have been featured with the Edmonton Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony, Regina, North Bay Symphonies and Saskatoon Symphony and the prestigious New Zealand String Quartet. In 1997, students traveled from the Arctic and performed at Roy Thompson Hall with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 1999, 34 students traveled to the Orkney Islands to perform for the Homecoming Festival, experiencing the roots of their 300 year fiddling heritage. Every summer from 2004 until 2024 SATS’ fiddle camp youth performed for the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound.