Meet the Staff
Below are our full-time and casual staff.
Additionally, we have a dedicated bookkeeper (thank you, Prairie Sky Bookkeeping!); a casual-time research assistant who helps with items like our Events Calendar; and a rotation of approximately 30 Music Mentors who are scheduled for appointments as booking requests arrive.
We enlist the services of lawyer Kurt Dahl of Miller Thomson for our Legal Services program and Mintz & Wallace for our annual audit.
We greatly appreciate the help of these folks, as well as our Board and volunteers.
Lorena Kelly
Executive Director
lorenakelly(at)saskmusic.org
Lorena has worked in various roles at SaskMusic, and loves helping to promote the awesome music of our province and helping members navigate this often-confusing industry. She's had experience in a variety of things, from programming lineups and coordinating large-scale conferences and events, to running juries, licensing initiatives, advertising and advocacy campaigns, economic studies and more, in addition to participating on numerous boards and committees. Most recently she had been overseeing our association communications, marketing initiatives and office operations. Lorena took over as Interim Executive Director in October 2022 and moved into the permanent role in June 2023.
Prior to SaskMusic, she studied classical piano, then keyboards at Professional Musicians’ College. She has toured across Canada, the U.S. and internationally, backing up numerous artists in genres such as country, folk, and pop, as a freelance keyboard player/vocalist in addition to releasing her own albums; and has also worked in advertising, layout and web design.
Kaelen Klypak
Export & Program Manager
kaelen(at)saskmusic.org
Kaelen has been involved in the Canadian music scene for over 20 years, working as a touring musician, artist manager, production manager, promoter, and publisher. He studied Arts and Entertainment Management at Capilano University in North Vancouver and now lives in Saskatoon with his tuxedo cat, Thrasher. Kaelen oversees SaskMusic’s Export and Professional Development programs, supporting the growth of Saskatchewan’s music industry. Over the years, he’s performed at a wide range of festivals, including The Great Escape, C/O POP, Sled Island, BIG Winter Classic, SaskTel Jazz Festival, and Taste of Chaos. He recently launched a new synth project called June Thrasher. Behind the scenes, Kaelen also contributes to the industry as a jury member for various music organizations and serves on several cultural boards, including BreakOut West
Ben Valiaho
Education & Program Manager
ben(at)saskmusic.org
Ben grew up working within the Regina music community and is excited to keep developing his skills and supporting Saskatchewan artists in his position at SaskMusic. Ben first got his start working in the industry as producer and volunteer host at 91.3FM CJTR Regina Community Radio over fifteen years ago, and still hosts two radio shows at Regina Community Radio today. Ben was also involved on the Community Radio Board of Directors for eight years (2013 to 2020) in various capacities including President and was honoured to receive the "Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2020 from the station. His commitment to music continued within the halls of the University of Regina where he enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Studies Masters Program with a focus on live performance. While attending the university, Ben was also Research Assistant at the Interactive Media & Performances Labs, teaching workshops and hosting community hours for those who wanted to learn how to make electronic music, scratch records, or record. Ben has been a turntablist for over fifteen years and hosts DJ nights in Regina, some video game Twitch streaming, old skool Games Workshop fan, as well as DJing a number of events in and around Regina as part of the duo 2Beats.
Denny Blackstar
Indigenous Music Development Program Coordinator
denny(at)saskmusic.org
Denny Blackstar joined us in November 2024. He has been responsible for guiding a pilot program supporting a cohort of Indigenous artists and industry members in working toward their professional goals, including coordinating industry mentors, conducting outreach to identify needs and opportunities, and guiding participants towards grants, educational programming, and other resources.
Denny is an Indigenous Musician from Pelican Lake First Nation. He enjoys learning new things about the music industry and music in general. He is the singer/songwriter for his band “Boss of Three” based out of Moosomin First Nation. He has a background in education and is currently studying for his master’s degree in educational administration. Denny has a love for both music and education and is always trying to find new ways to promote both aspects in positive ways.
Miguel Fenrich
Marketing & Communications Manager
miguel(at)saskmusic.org
Miguel Fenrich (he/him) is an 8x award-winning Sudanese Canadian journalist, author, and multidisciplinary storyteller. As a professional artist, his work often explores culture, heritage, or the Saskatchewan prairies through an intersectional and anti-racist lens. He is the author of Blue: A Novel and What Lies in the Valley.
Miguel brings several years of diverse communications experience to SaskMusic. He has worked as a Staff Reporter and Editor of the Battlefords Regional News-Optimist, the TikTok Project Manager with SaskToday.ca, and Communications Coordinator for the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan. A passionate advocate for Saskatchewan’s culturally vibrant arts ecology, he has worked as the Owner and Publisher of Supernova Press and the part-time Executive Director of the Biggar Old Time Music Festival Committee.
When he’s not working, Miguel can often be found exploring Saskatchewan’s landscape with a camera, performing on stage somewhere, writing his third novel, or volunteering at a variety of Saskatchewan’s arts nonprofits. He is currently President of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Oghenerukevwe "Rooky" Jegede-Ikpen
Community Engagement Coordinator
rooky(at)saskmusic.org
Born Oghenerukevwe Jegede-Ikpen, Rooky is a multi-talented Nigerian-born artiste, songwriter, producer and creative executive based in Saskatchewan. Before moving to Canada in 2019 for studies, as an on air personality he has had over 3 years in radio/TV presenting and content curation. He has also worked with numerous brands such as Guinness, Smirnoff, Globacom and MTN Nigeria as a brand influencer.
Aside from creating and performing music, Rooky enjoys curating shows/concerts and aiding in community projects focused on building, promoting, advocating and diversifying the music industry. He is the Saskatchewan provincial representative for ADVANCE (Canada's Black music business collective), and has participated as a juror for numerous organizations.
He holds multiple University degrees from Nigeria and Canada respectively. Rooky is very passionate about discovering, making and listening to music and creating visual imagery; he sees them as a medium of expression and a way for people to connect with one another regardless of background or race.
Roxie Riffel
Administrative Assistant
roxie(at)saskmusic.org
Roxie has always had a love of the arts. She quickly discovered a passion for helping support artists and the arts community in the province through her multi-disciplinary work as a program coordinator and arts administrator at the Creative City Centre in Regina. During her tenure at Creative City Centre, Roxie was responsible for developing and implementing various music programs such as the Behind The Songs songwriter in the round monthly concerts, the Empty Room video series, the SMMART (Social Media Marketing for Artists) training program, the Community Kitchen Party Concert series and the Outside the Spotlight podcast. She also aided in the programming of spoken word and visual art events as well as marketing and communications. Roxie is excited to continue developing her skills and supporting Saskatchewan artists through her new role at SaskMusic. In addition to her work as an arts administrator, Roxie is a singer-songwriter, performer, recording artist (performing under the name Roxie Lenton) and an advocate for mental health.
Darwin Roy
Indigenous Music Coordinator (Consultant)
darwin(at)saskmusic.org
Darwin Roy initially joined us on a specific project contract in 2021, and kindly agreed to continue with us as a consultant on a casual basis.
Darwin Roy was raised by his grandparents in Northern Saskatchewan where they lived a hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering lifestyle. Darwin is a proud speaker of the Cree language who has made a career working in public relations for the resource industry, the education sector, and for First Nations. He has a Graduate degree in Educational Administration from the University of Saskatchewan. Darwin has been very active in the Indigenous music scene throughout his career. Darwin has a passion for music and feeds that passion with his involvement with his personal singing ventures or with the group he has played with for most of his life - “Just The Boyz” or “JTB”. In 2005 JTB was nominated for Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Country Album. He has been a part of the Voices of the North Show, a showcase of Indigenous talent during the Prince Albert Winter Festival, since 1998. Darwin continues to play music for the people locally in Saskatoon or somewhere down that long highway.
