We are pleased to announce that the Desautels Faculty of Music has received a Strategic Initiatives Support Fund (SISF) Grant of $52,532 to build on the fiddling program that DFOM spearheaded in 2024-25.

With the SISF grant, we will expand the role of North American Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame member Patti Kusturok to that of DFOM Artist-in-Residence. As part of her role, Kusturok will be offering one-on-one fiddling lessons to DFOM students and to UM students outside of DFOM. She will also be teaching a 3 credit course in the Fall 2025 term titled MUSC 3830 (T49) Fiddling across the Country which will explore Canada’s diverse fiddling tradition by taking a look at the many fiddling styles practiced in Canada, listening to various fiddlers and discovering what makes them unique.