Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Jan 11/02) - Children with a hankering to learn how to play the fiddle are in luck.

Within a month a co-founder of the Strings Across the Sky Foundation, Andrea Hansen, will return to Inuvik to provide children with fiddles and lessons.

"I've got $10,000 worth of violins sitting in my living room," Hansen said from her Toronto home.

Hansen, who until the end of last year played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, explained that she has not been up this way for around two years.

"I'll be spending at least three weeks up there, and visiting all the communities, and trying to sort of restart the program, with the help of the Edmonton Symphony, which has agreed to sort of come on board and help," Hansen said.

"I'm getting on in years and I want to make sure that it lands in hands of people that will continue it long after I'm gone."

Hansen said she'd be interested in learning where some of the kids she's taught in the past are, as well as the location of some of the fiddles she's donated in the area in the past.

Hansen said she hasn't been in touch with many local people yet about her trip to this area, but said she expects to also visit Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik, as well as Norman Wells, Tulita, Deline and Fort Good Hope.

Hansen received the Order of Canada two years ago due to Strings Across the Sky, and said fiddling is beneficial to children.

"It builds their self esteem and lets them feel good."

Hansen revealed she was "extremely saddened" to hear of the recent death of Hay River fiddler Kole Crook, who died in a plane crash. Crook had been involved in the program, teaching students in Ontario how to become instructors.

"Kole was doing an awful lot of work on his own with our program," Hansen said.

"He did lots of work helping the young kids with their fiddling. He was a wonderful role model 'cause he was one hell of a fiddle player."