SRMTA Member and Past-President, Laureen Kells
Tuffnell, SK
Laureen Kells is a private music teacher in the East Central area of Saskatchewan where she has taught for 23 years. She holds a Diploma in Primary / Elementary Piano Pedagogy and a Licentiate in Piano Pedagogy from the Canadian National Conservatory of Music and Level One Orff.
Laureen is a member of the Board of Examiners of the Canadian National Conservatory of Music and also adjudicates for the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association. She remains active at the provincial level and national level of her professional associations – being Past President of the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers and of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers.
Laureen and her husband Hank can be found playing old time music in and around their communities, helping to keep the tradition of old time music and dancing alive and well.
Creating a Community of Music
(All names are actual.)
Like a lot of good ideas, this one started small. “Let’s get together and doing some jamming,” said Bill to Hank, Blaine and Orest. Bill played the mandolin, his wife Edna played the piano, Blaine and Orest played the fiddle and Hank played the guitar and bass. “We have room at our house,” said Edna. And that was how it started…. A handful of musicians coming together to share an evening of friendship and shared interest. That was 20 + years ago.
Soon Bill and Edna’s house was too small as others started joining in – Gloria on guitar, Vinnie on guitar, Bill and Darlene with Bill’s accordion and Darlene’s piano. “My house is bigger—let’s go there,” said Hank. Then more musicians started coming—Pete on guitar, another Bill on fiddle, Eddie on banjo, Laureen on fiddle, JJ on fiddle when he was in the area. Ken on fiddle, Norm on guitar… the people just started showing up! “We need a bigger space.” “Let’s use the coffee area at the curling rink.” More people joined – up to 30 at a time. “Let’s move to the hall,” said Hank. Well, if we are playing anyway, let’s open this us to dancing. Soon Monday nights the Tuffnell hall hosted 25–30 musicians and 10–15 dance couples.
The group needed a name—what better than “The Tuffnell Circle Jammers”? After all, we sit in a circle and jam!
Most of these fine musicians are self-taught, and Laureen, with her knowledge of music on the page, soon found herself at the beginning of the learning curve. Music books were taboo and really only got in the way. By the time she found the page, the tune was half over! This was baptism by fire when it came to playing by ear.
But what fun it was—it’s really hard to describe the camaraderie that has developed among these musicians. Some have come and gone for various reasons, but a core group remains.
20 years of two-steps, polkas, waltzes, Metis tunes, heel and toes, and seven steps. The tradition of old-time music has been kept alive by our group.
While the venues have changed over the years to accommodate travel, the Monday nights from January to April have remained sacred. Music from 7 to 9, followed by lunch and coffee. A toonie in the toonie bucket goes to whatever expenses may occur.
We have played at each other’s wedding dances and sadly funerals. We celebrate all of life’s milestones together, with the common denominator being music. No one is better than the other. It truly is all about the music—honoring it, enjoying it, and celebrating it. What a gift this group has been to all of us.
Today’s numbers are smaller—from our biggest being 30, we are now around 12–15 strong, but that doesn’t matter. The tunes remain, the friendships continue, and the celebration of the music remains.
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