SHAUNAVON — Shaunavon and District Music Festival dissolved in 2023, but its teachings and traditions have been sustained along the career path of a former participant.
Daniel McElroy grew up in the Frontier area and competed in piano and vocal categories in the Shaunavon-based regional festival throughout his childhood and into his teens. While in high school, McElroy began attending Summer Stage productions at Briercrest School in Caronport. After high school, he completed a bachelor’s degree in music there, with a concentration in vocal performance.
“I finished my degree in 2020. Due to the pandemic, there was no graduation ceremony, but I was fortunate that it happened near the end of my degree, so I had received all of the hands-on learning that is so important for music education,” McElroy says.
McElroy participated in Summer Stage throughout those four years too, but the final two productions he was slated to perform in (Fiddler on the Roof and Brigadoon) were also cancelled due to the lockdown.
“It was an interesting time to graduate with a degree in performance and to think of what the arts would look like due to the pandemic,” he says.
An internship with Golden West Radio in Moose Jaw was available in the summer between his third and fourth years.
“I worked in the newsroom that summer and got to use my vocal training by reading news and weather for the station,” he says.
“I went back there during the following summer and spent two years doing that. I loved working there, using my writing skills and interviewing people. It was an interesting time to be writing news (during the pandemic), not only as it related to health care, but also the ways that businesses and the arts community were adapting.”
When the University of Regina was trying to get a master's program in vocal performance established, Daniel applied. When he returned to his studies, he also started teaching lessons at the Conservatory at Briercrest, and travelled weekly to Kincaid to teach students for a retiring teacher.
“Teaching was trial by fire, and I had almost as many nerves as performing, to start with,” he laughs.
McElroy finished his master's in 2023 and continues to live in Caronport and teach music at the college. He also travels to Coronach/Rockglen for a nine-hour day of teaching each week.
“You learn so much about your own instrument and music-making while teaching others.”
McElroy says he still loves performing, but his focus is on teaching piano and voice, and he has also been composing. “I composed a song to the lyrics of a poem by Saskatchewan poet, Bob Currie, a former poet laureate of Saskatchewan. His 1984 collection of poetry entitled ‘Yarrow’ is all about growing up on the prairies. I’m hoping to turn my compositions into a longer form of work that could be performed in a recital setting. Composing takes a long time, and I can’t seem to keep myself from being busy.”
Locals might remember McElroy for his musical theatre performances in the local festival including his role as Bill Sikes, a malicious criminal from Oliver Twist, a character that was out of character for the polite, well-mannered young McElroy boy from Frontier. He states his favourite character and performance was of the Major-General’s “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” from Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance.
McElroy considered the idea of becoming an opera singer, but he likes the prairies and the opera life would require travelling.
“I’m too much of a prairie boy; and I’m 6’ 4”, so flying is not the most comfortable,” he says.
“It’s nice to walk out my door and be in a field.”
His parents are still farming near Frontier, along with one of his siblings.
“I go down every so often to reconnect with the land and nature.”
McElroy’s formative years included vocal instruction from Sheila Anderson and piano lessons with Janice Friggstad. His many years of participating in music festivals have now come full circle as he is in his second year of adjudicating for Saskatchewan festivals. He recently travelled to Carnduff to adjudicate their festival, the first one that group had hosted in person since 2020.
“It was so meaningful to see this, since I know that Shaunavon had to close up shop. It’s good to see that other festivals in tiny, tiny towns are pressing forward and offering this.”
Pamela Dmytriw, president of Carnduff and District Music and Arts Festival says, “Daniel was a delight to have to adjudicate our festival. He was so energetic and encouraging to the kids, and his wit and charisma made the experience wonderful for all involved. He passed on so much knowledge to our participants, and we are grateful he came to our festival to adjudicate and highly recommend him to other festivals.”
Carol Donhauser, executive director of the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association, agrees.
“Daniel has made an excellent addition to our adjudicator pool. His reviews are positive, and he is becoming a sought-after adjudicator.”
Donhauser noted that Shaunavon was among a few communities who ceased operations in recent years, along with Hafford and Redvers.
McElroy extends his thanks to the businesses, teachers and volunteers who made the festival happen over the years.
“You need teachers who really want to put in the effort. You see what a monumental volunteer effort it is to put on a festival. The adjudicator does a lot in those two to three days, but compared to the work that the volunteers put in, it’s not a lot. But it is rewarding to still be able to support festivals through my students and by adjudicating and keeping the arts alive. I get to live a life of fulfillment from music and none of that would be the case if folks hadn’t supported the festival.”
