I am an urban Inuk with roots in Nunatsiavut. My father came from Hopedale, Labrador, and my mother is an Irish Newfoundlander from St. Mary’s Bay. I grew up in beautiful Corner Brook, by the Humber River, and currently reside in St. John’s at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
I am a classical singer, actor, writer, composer, and teacher.
Growing up in the south, my connection to my community and Inuit heritage has been shaped by family stories through most of my life, and opportunities to collaborate with and learn from other Inuit artists. The classical music world seems far from my birthright’s soundscape of throat-singing, drum dancing, and ai ya ya. Anywhere in the circumpolar world, that is, except Nunatsiavut, where for centuries, Inuit have sung and performed classical music.
As Canada’s first and only Inuk opera singer to date, my dream is to use my voice to share some of Nunatsiavut’s unique musical heritage, across Inuit Nunangat and beyond. My hope is to expand the tradition of classically oriented, Indigenously-grounded original music.
At this stage in my life, I want to raise my voice. I have stories to tell. I want to share my vision and voice with the Indigenous and broader arts community to stimulate dialogue across the Indigenous/non-Indigenous divide. I hope to challenge my audience to consider how they view themselves and the people in their lives, how they react to their stories, and how to walk forward with more compassion, acceptance, and love.