MELISSA ST GODDARD

From Portage La Prairie Manitoba, Melissa has been surrounded by music her entire life. Her Uncles, Darren Lavallee, Mark Morrisseau, and cousin JJ Lavallee, are accomplished fiddle players and were a major influence on Melissa. She received her first fiddle at age 13 from her Uncle Armand Jobin and with the help of her sister Demi, she began to teach herself to play .For the next two years Melissa took fiddle lessons from her Uncle Mark Morrisseau, and began to help teach a young group of fiddlers. Now at the age of 24 Melissa is no longer taking lessons from her Uncle but has become a fiddle instructor herself, teaching children in the Prairie Fiddler's group in Portage la Prairie, and Portage's Conservatory of Music. She has had to opportunity to play at several events around Canada including the "Take the Fort" tour across Western Canada, Batoche, Asham Stomper Fest, Metisfest, Keplinfest and several other festivals in Winnipeg.