Mike is an award-winning harmonica player, innovator, author, composer, and keynote speaker. Mike has been awarded
- The CMMA Slaight Music Humanitarian Award
- The Meritorious Service Medal
- Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal
- YMCA Canada Peace Medal
- Honorary Kentucky Colonel
- Estelle Klien Award, Award of Excellence
- Peter Gzowski Award – PGI Canada National Literacy
- Innovator of the Year – Canada Folk Music Awards
- The Recording of the Year and the Entertainer of the Year – Central Canadian Bluegrass Award.
Mike’s love and passion is working with indigenous youth in northern communities in North America. He has visited over 70 indigenous communities over the years. In 2002, he founded ArtsCan Circle. Mike has built strong and life-long relationships with many of the community members.
Mike has toured with the Canadian Peacekeepers and performed for the troops around the world. He has recorded, toured, and performed in concert venues like the Grand Ole Opry. Mike was born and raised in Sarnia. He currently lives there with his wife Jane and son. Mike likes salt and vinegar chips.
K.Bruce McGregor, (Magoo) has played clubs, concerts, festivals, schools, TV, radio and just about any other venue that you can think of. He has worked as a solo singer-songwriter, bandleader, children’s entertainer, and is well known as an engaging stage host. With his associate Kirk Elliott, they have produced four successful children’s recordings; ‘Sing A Song of Mother Goose’ for Scholastic Publications, ‘We are the Dinosaurs’, ‘I Don’t Want to Keep My Room Clean’ and the award-winning ‘Mars Rocks!’ an outer space extravaganza. Magoo has also released 2 recordings of his own singer-songwriter tunes.
A self-taught musician who plays guitar, harmonica, mandolin and a few other things, he teaches guitar to a number of young people and adults.
A Past President of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, Magoo has hosted and performed for the past 40 years at the Blue Skies Festival in Clarendon Ontario.
James Warren has sat on the board for ArtsCan Circle for 7 years and was nominated to the Treasurer role in 2017.
James has a strong and varied background in Finance, Operations, Accounting and Internal Controls with some of the biggest brands (Hermes, Harry Winston) and successful public/private companies (McCain, Dominion Diamond Corp., KPMG. With a CPA, CA obtained in 2008 and various positions held in Toronto, South Africa and New York, his varied business background is heavily relied upon. Currently, James runs his own boutique consulting firm – Jimmy Scotch, A Consulting Company.
Brought up in a family where being inclusive and helping others was second nature, James felt it important to give back and nurture those who need it most. James lives with his wife and two daughters in Burlington, Ontario.”
In 2017 Ryan founded a management-production-touring company called Cunning Concepts & Creations. CC&C is currently touring the multiple Award-winning production, HUFF written and performed by Cliff Cardinal. Originally produced by Native Earth Performing Arts under the Artistic Direction of Ryan Cunningham (2014-2017). Before establishing CC&C Ryan had the honour of serving as Artistic Director, administrator and actor at Native Earth Performing Arts between 2003-2017. In 2009 he co-founded Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts in Edmonton and served as its founding Artistic Director for 5 years. AAPA produces The RUBABOO International Indigenous Arts Festival: both celebrating their 10-year Anniversary this Spring (2019). After many years, Ryan recently stepped down from the Board of the CanDance Network and IPAA (Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance). Ryan was a founding member and producer of The Agokwe Collective which extensively toured the multiple Dora award-winning production, AGOKWE by Waawaate Fobister (Originally produced by Buddies and Bad Times Theatre). As an actor, Ryan has performed across the Country working in TV, Theatre & Film for over two decades. He can be seen playing the role of Darcy Douglas in all 5 seasons of the award-winning APTN television series, BLACKSTONE. Selected Theatre credits: Oh, what a lovely War, Grand Hotel, AN OCTOROON, The Madness of King George III (The Shaw Festival). King Lear, Ecstasy of Rita Joe (National Arts Centre). Yukonstyle (Canadian Stage). Julius Caesar-Death of a King, Dreary & Izzy, Annie Mae’s Movement (Native Earth Performing Arts). Urinetown: The Musical, Vimy (Firehall Arts Centre). Ryan has been nominated for the KLM Hunter Artist Award and the inaugural Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize.
Chelsey June and Jaaji Consultants
Twin Flames is a captivating husband and wife duo that combines two accomplished and very unique singer-songwriters Chelsey June an Algonquin Cree Métis Woman from Ottawa and Jaaji an Inuk Mohawk man from Nunavik and Kahnawake. Despite polar opposite backgrounds Twin Flames found a common musical language. Together they take the audience on a musical journey across Canada and the Arctic, they echo the voices of their ancestors and depict life on the land as they sing songs in English, French and Inuktitut. They leave audiences fascinated and intrigued.
Twin Flames released their joint album Twin Flames Jaaji and Chelsey June December 1, 2015, at Cabaret la Basoche where they were chosen as favourite upcoming artists. This powerful duo won the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Award for Aboriginal Songwriters of the Year. Their debut self-titled album Jaaji & Chelsey June, has now received a total of 5 nominations from several different award platforms.