Photo: Sonia Reid vocal workshops with SaskMusic. / Photo courtesy of Culture Days website
By: Andrea Moss
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SASKTODAY.ca
Saskatchewan residents will have a chance to explore both music and visual art as SaskMusic takes a pair of free, all-ages workshops on the road for Culture Days celebrations in Swift Current, Yorkton and Prince Albert.
The provincial music industry organization is offering beginner-friendly sessions focused on singing and graphic design, giving participants the opportunity to learn new creative skills from Saskatchewan artists Sonia Reid and Gabrielle Giroux.
Andrew Bay, SaskMusic’s marketing and communications manager, said the workshops are designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level or artistic background.
“Whether they’re an established artist already or somebody that’s just interested in getting to know how they could stretch out their vocals a little bit more, or if they wanted to make an album and wondered what that would look like, it’s really for anybody,” he said.
Bay said SaskMusic was especially excited to bring the workshops to communities outside Saskatchewan’s largest centres.
“These are often communities that don’t necessarily get events like this outside of Saskatoon and Regina,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we were so excited to be able to present these workshops in Yorkton.”
The first workshop, Fundamentals of Singing, will be led by Saskatoon vocal coach Sonia Reid. The 90-minute session introduces participants to the basics of how the voice works, vocal exercises, performance skills and microphone techniques.
Reid, who has spent more than 25 years teaching and performing, said the workshop aims to make singing feel more natural and enjoyable.
“We know what to do to make a sound, but we don’t necessarily know how that’s actually happening,” she said.
Along with practical exercises, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn techniques they can apply to singing at home or on stage.
Reid said the workshop is open to all ages and experience levels, including older children.
“It’s a great fit,” she said, noting younger participants often enjoy the opportunity to explore music and performance in a supportive environment.
The second workshop, Design Your Own Album Cover, is led by Saskatoon graphic designer and entrepreneur Gabrielle Giroux. Participants will create original album-cover artwork using collage and other hands-on art techniques, with all materials supplied.
Giroux said her own path into graphic design began through music.
“I had a band in high school and we needed an album cover,” she said. “So I downloaded Adobe and taught myself how to do it.”
That experience eventually led her to earn a graphic design diploma and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing before launching her Indigenous-owned creative studio, Encore Graphics.
Giroux said she is looking forward to introducing participants to visual storytelling and helping them express their creative ideas through design.
While she has previously delivered graphic design workshops for schools and youth organizations, this marks her first time leading workshops for SaskMusic as part of Culture Days.
“It’s my first one, so I’m very excited,” she said.
The Culture Days workshop series is supported by Creative Saskatchewan and is intended to encourage people to explore artistic expression in a welcoming environment.
Registration is encouraged through SaskMusic, although Bay said walk-ins will also be welcome.
The Fundamentals of Singing workshop will be held Sept. 26 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Western Development Museum in Yorkton. The following day, Sept. 27, Giroux’s Design Your Own Album Cover workshop will take place at the museum from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
In Swift Current, Reid’s Fundamentals of Singing workshop will be held Sept. 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Swift Current Museum. Giroux’s album-cover workshop will follow at the museum Sept. 26 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
In Prince Albert, Reid will lead Fundamentals of Singing Sept. 27 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Prince Albert Public Library’s John M. Cuelenaere Branch. Giroux’s album-cover workshop will be held at the same location Sept. 28 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Gabrielle Giroux graphic design workshop with SaskMusic.