SaskMusic

Moderator: Amanda Scandrett

Amanda Scandrett is a Regina-based artist, arts educator, and therapist. She holds a BEd in Arts Education and MEd in Educational Psychology. Amanda is a Sessional Lecturer with the University of Regina in Arts Education and runs a private practice specialising in trauma therapy through the arts and meditation. With 20 years non-profit experience, Amanda is passionate about engaging in the arts through community, social justice, and personal empowerment. She is a co-founder of Girls Rock Regina and has more than a decade of experience as a touring and recording musician. She has performed around the world, including performances at the Vancouver Olympics, SXSW, Liverpool Sound City & Edgefest and has released multiple recordings with Library Voices and ROM DOS.

Denise Williams

Denise Williams is a singer, voice teacher, artistic director, and producer.  Her 30+ year international solo performance career has put her at home on the concert, opera, and theatre stages, working with, to name a few national companies, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Mirvish Productions, Eastern Front Theatre, Theatre Northwest as well as international appearances. Denise’s self-created and self-produced, Walk Together Children, is a concert programming of Black and Jewish music intersections, which has had various presentations for over 20 years. Denise concentrates her time on performance education, and is founding artistic director of the charitable theatre organization, No Strings Theatre, which aids Next Generation artists to practise their stagecraft and encourages the development of untold Canadian stories. She is currently on the music theatre faculty of Sheridan College, operates her Voices of Colour Music studio, and has been a national vocal adjudicator for over 20 years. She is also currently the president of the Central Toronto Branch of the Ontario Music Teachers Association. Denise holds a Masters in Community Music and has participated in international symposiums, particularly addressing cross-cultural sharing of music traditions involving the African Diaspora.

www.denisewilliamssoprano.com

Katie Sahlu

Katie Sahlu is a Canadian Hot 100 songwriter with an honours diploma in Entertainment Business Management from Metalworks Institute of Sound and Music Production. She has worked with various recording labels and agencies while based in Toronto. She has served as a JUNO Awards judge and has been a FACTOR Juror for a number of years. She enjoys dedicating time to consult with artists to help with grants, marketing, songwriting/beat selection, etc. and has recently relocated back to her home province of Saskatchewan.

Kelly Bado

Avec des influences de son Afrique natal, de la chanson française et du gospel américain, la musique de Kelly Bado franchit les barrières culturelles pour rassembler les gens dans la joie et l'espoir. Sa voix saisissante et ses mélodies entrainantes ont été récompensées par deux prix de la musique de l’Ouest canadien : artiste francophone et artiste mondiale de l'année 2021.

A travers ses paroles inspirées par l'amour, la célébration et l'égalité sociale, Kelly s'engage à bâtir un monde plus inclusif où nous nous rassemblons en tant que citoyens et citoyennes de ce vaste village planétaire qu’est la Terre - chacun apportant ses forces uniques à l'expérience commune.

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Weaving in influences from her African heritage, la chanson française, and American gospel, Kelly Bado’s music crosses cultural barriers to bring people together in joy and hope. Her striking vocals and uplifting melodies were recognized with the Francophone and Global Artist of the Year Awards at the 2021 Western Canadian Music Award Ceremony. 

With lyrics inspired by love, celebration and social equality, Kelly is committed to the vision of an inclusive world where we come together as citizens of this vast planetary village - each contributing our unique strengths to the common experience. 

https://www.kellybado.com/

Peggy Hogan

Peggy Hogan is a music educator and researcher, content producer and recording artist. As her rap persona Hua Li, she champions the representation of Asian American feminisms and cross-cultural solidarity through music while maintaining a firm grasp on musicianship and tradition in her songwriting. A fierce performer, she has had the opportunity to bring this message to significant stages across the world, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, World Pride Toronto and Reykjavik’s Secret Solstice Festival. Having completed an MA in Musicology from McGill University in 2019, she strives to bring music research in conversation with the public sphere. She is Marketing and Label Manager at Outside Music/Next Door Records and is host of Landr Audio’s “Learn Music” web series.

Photo: Hua Li by Yang Shi 

https://www.peggyhoganmusic.com/