Instructor Profiles

Anthony Kelly (Guitar) – is an award winning songwriter. He performs as lead vocalist, guitar and mandolin player with Shifty Morgan. Anthony was also the 2007 nominee for a WCMA award on mandolin. He’s been teaching at KLKP since its inception and is great with young guitarists.

Cameron Baggins (Fiddle) – first a classical violin teacher, first became inspired to teach and organize young fiddlers after hearing some of them try out their competition tunes for him during lessons in Brandon, Manitoba. This led to the Fantasy Fiddlers group in Brandon, and later the Forty Fiddling Fanatics in Winnipeg, When it became clear there were no significant music education opportunities for children in northern Manitoba, he launched a couple of pilot projects through the Frontier School Division in 1998. These fiddling classes were instantly popular and lead to rapid expansion. Today, Cameron co-ordinates the Frontier Fiddling Program throughout the province.

Donna Turk (Fiddle) – A long time KLKP instructor, Donna Turk is passionate about making fiddle music accessible for all ages and backgrounds. She led the accomplished Bow Valley Fiddlers of Calgary for many years before moving to Forget where she currently teaches. Specializing in the Old Time fiddle style, Donna has toured around the world and won many competitions.

Karrnnel Sawitsky (Fiddle) – is one of Canada’s most accomplished and innovative fiddlers and musicians as a recording artist, teacher, performer and composer. He is the most successful competition fiddle player in Saskatchewan’s history, is a multi-nominated winner at the Western Canadian Music awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and won a Juno for instrumental album of the year with The Fretless in 2017. Known for his distinct style and exceptional technique, Karrnnel is highly regarded for his unique approach in breaking new ground in the traditional fiddle world.

Kim deLaforest (Fiddle) – is a fiddle, violin, viola and vocal performer and teacher based in Saskatoon. She enjoys combining many different styles of folk and classical music to create her own unique sound.

In her classical world, Kim has played with the Regina and Saskatoon Symphony Orchestras. She is currently the first violin player in the Mac Talla string quartet.

Kim plays and sings with Prairie Sea (folk trio based in Nova Scotia and Sask). Both of Prairie Sea’s CD’s have been nominated for Traditional/Roots Recording of the Year by Music Nova Scotia. Kim plays with local Irish band ‘Jim n Kim’ as well as doing a lot of solo fiddle work.

Kim teaches at home in Saskatoon as well as travelling to Baffin Island, NU twice a year to work with Inuit youth (musicforthefuture.ca). Kim has been the musical director of the Saskatoon Fiddle Orchestra for the past 10 years.

Marcel Hapel (Banjo) – is a long-time fiddle player and teacher entering his fourth year of a Music Education degree at Brandon University. Growing up in Manigotagan, Manitoba, he started his playing career in school with the Frontier School Division fiddle program. Marcel has taught fiddle for the Frontier SD, for the MMF, and at various summer fiddle camps throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Marcel also plays house-concerts, backup guitar, and performs as one of the fiddle players with the band Tom Foolery.

Morgan Turk (Guitar) – Electric, Blues. Rock, you-name-it: Morgan Turk (MB) is your ultimate guitar man – he just plays everything.  He teaches guitar in S.E. Saskatchewan, including running a school guitar program at White Bear Education Complex. However, he still travels back and forth to Calgary where he anchors the Kirby Sewell band, and runs open mic sessions around the city.  His compositions are the theme track of a popular cooking show! Regardless of your style, he can show you how to elevate your playing to wherever you’d like to go.

Nathan Layh  (Guitar) – is a versatile young musician and graduate of the Brandon University School of Music. Although his major was Classical Guitar he primarily plays steel string acoustic and electric styles like blues, funk and rock. In addition to running his private guitar studio, Nathan spends his time working on material for his original group, the Layh-Stacey Band, and jamming with local musicians.

Rob Skeet (Ukelele) – is a musician with over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. From pop tunes to Irish ballads, Rob is comfortable in a wide range of styles, and is well known for his versatility and humor. Playing guitar and leopards and working from a centre of electronic gizmos and whatzits, Rob uses his boundless energy to create fun and merriment.

Shane Cook (Fiddle) – A Canadian and international fiddle champion, Shane Cook captivates audiences with technically thrilling and adventurous performances. Noted by The Canadian Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame as one of the “finest fiddlers in the world today,” Cook has distinguished himself as a master of the Canadian old-time fiddle tradition. He also excels at styles ranging from Irish and Scottish to French-Canadian and Bluegrass. Shane retired from competitive fiddling in 2006 as one of Canada’s most highly awarded fiddlers. He is a three-time Canadian Open National Champion, a three time Canadian Grand Masters Champion and the only foreign fiddler to win the US Grand National Championship, a feat he accomplished at just 17 years of age! Shane leads his own group, Shane Cook and the Woodchippers, and performs regularly with several ensembles including The Stepcrew, The Allison Lupton Band, The Brian Pickell Band and the PBS hit, Bowfire, having toured extensively in Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Germany, China and Taiwan. Shane is agraduate of Western University and resides in London, Ontario with his wife and son. www.shanecook.com