Contemporary Métis
Sandy Scofield
Sandy Scofield is a Metis multiple-award winning artist and composer based in Vancouver. She has been performing professionally since 1986 and hails from four generations of fiddlers, musicians and singers. Her fourth release, Nikawiy Askiy (Mother Earth in Cree), features her stellar band – Randall Stoll on drums, Brian Minato on bass, Stephen Nikleva on guitar and guests Holly McNarland, Kinnie Starr, Veda Hille, Jason Burnstick, Art Napoleon and 2007 Juno winner Leela Gilday. Among her recordings she has won a Western Canadian Music Award, a Canadian Folk Music Award, five Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and has just received her third consecutive Juno nomination. Internationally, she has performed at Third International Tercer Festival in Chihuahua Mexico, August 2007, the First People’s International Festival in Pau, France, June 2006, Seoul Korea’s Rites of Passage Festival, June 2004, First People's Festival, Grand Opening of the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC, Smithsonian Institute, September 2004 and at Suppmali’s. in Berlin Germany, October 2004. Along with live performances, Scofield works as a composer, electroacoustic sound designer, a producer and educator. Recent commissions include all episode music for Loretta Todd’s children’s APTN seriers, “Nehiyawetahn”.
Past commissions include Marie Clements’ 2004 "Women IN Fish: Six Hours of Water," Geraldine Manossa sound design/songs for "Iskew" (2004), and, in collaboration with Russell Wallace, music for QUEST for a Byron Chief Moon and Karen Jamieson dance.
Scofield also sings in a traditional women’s trio called Iskwew (woman in Cree) with Brenda Hanson (Klahoose First Nation) and Kym Gouchie (Cree/Carrier/Shuswap). Iskwew is working on their first release, produced by Sandy and to be released on Arbor Records/EMI Canada summer 2008. Also, by summer 2008, she will have successfully completed an undergrad degree in music.
