How one harmonica player used the power of music to connect indigenous youth

In 1999, Sarnia bluegrass musician Mike Stevens dedicated a concert he was playing in Goose Bay, Labrador, to the youth of Sheshatshiu, a nearby Innu community. He had heard that solvent sniffing was a problem amongst youth in the area. A visit to the community showed Stevens what life was like for young people in the northern Labrador reserve.

After playing spontaneous sets of music for youth who he met on his trip there, he decided to dedicate his time to making the tools of the musician’s trade accessible to Indigenous youth who wanted to learn. Seventeen years later, Stevens has become renowned as the founder of ArtsCan Circle, which relies on donations and volunteer teachers to bring artists, instruments and musical education to remote indigenous communities.

Here, Stevens tells the story behind his inspiration for ArtsCan Circle.