Local fiddle player and singer Jocelyn Pettit has travelled the globe performing, but the influence of her Squamish home base is always with her.
The local will step onto a Vancouver stage this weekend as a Canadian Folk Music Awards solo artist nominee.
Pettit's third album Wind Rose has been nominated in the "Solo Artist of the Year" category at the 2023 iteration of the awards being held in the city from March 31 to April 2.
The event is the largest annual celebration of Canadian folk music and is hosted annually in a different Canadian city.
This 18th edition of the awards is the first time it will be held in this province.
Pettit said Wind Rose was inspired by windy Squamish and her travels while living in Scotland, pursuing a Master of Music degree between 2018 and 2020.
"The album features original compositions and arrangements of traditional and contemporary tunes. It brings listeners through uplifting melodies, rhythmic grooves, lively dance tunes, and vocal songs. It was inspired by Squamish and also travels while I was living in Glasgow, Scotland," she said.
The album's name refers to an ancient compass.
"The wind rose is the name for an ancient compass used to measure the direction of the winds ... I like to think of it as a metaphor for the influences that help guide us. So it's not just a physical compass, but it's also something that helps us find our way. There's definitely these themes of journey of self-discovery and what helps guide us."
She added her multicultural heritage also influenced the album; she is of Scottish, Irish, French and Chinese-Malaysian descent.
As part of the awards weekend, there are showcases featuring nominees.
Pettit and her band will be performing at the Tradeworks Traditional Music Concert on March 31 at Mel Lehan Hall in Vancouver. The event is open to the public.
Joining her on stage will be her collaborators Squamish's Erik Musseau (whistle, piano, vocals), Boris Favre (bass, piano), Andy Hillhouse (guitar), and David Lofgren (bodhrán).
Pettit said she hopes to see some local faces turn out to see the performances.
Fellow award nominees also performing at the Friday show will be Ken Whiteley , Jaffa Road, Shannon Quinn & Tony Quinn, Li’l Andy and John Reischman.
The evening will also be live-streamed.
The awards will be given out on Saturday and Sunday nights, with Pettit's category on Sunday.
Find out more about the awards and Friday’s performance on the Canadian Folk Music Awards website.
As for what's next, the always-busy Pettit, who also teaches locally and online, also released another album this past year, All It Brings, with cellist Ellen Gira. The duo will continue travelling and touring that album in Canada, and the U.S. in the coming months.
Keep up with everything she is doing on her website.
