The roots of Brianna Lizotte's Juno nomination burrow deeply back to one of her earliest memories – sitting under the kitchen table watching boots tap and jig in time to her great-uncles playing the fiddle and spoons.

As those family kitchen parties faded away, her grandfather’s home videos kept the music alive. Then, when Lizotte was 10 years old, she asked for her own fiddle after waking from a dream about playing at a kitchen party. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Métis fiddler spent her teens performing at community events – eventually setting her sights on recording an album, earning a degree and receiving a Juno nomination. Achieving those goals wasn’t without its challenges, but her fiddle, called Winston, saw her through every one.

“Playing and writing music has guided me through every big life change – my fiddle is where I always go when I need a place to turn.”

It’s fitting, then, that her Juno-nominated album is also her instrument’s namesake. Recorded with MacEwan’s record label, Bent River Records, the songs in Winston and I catalogue the eras of Lizotte’s life so far. The track “Cha Kang Kang,” for example, is a nod to her great-uncles.

“I started playing because of my family – my biggest goal has always been to make music for the people who raised me and know me most.” But today, her family members aren’t her only fans – Lizotte has the ear of an entire country.

The full-time musician gave over 100 performances last year, in addition to her “9 to 5,” sharing Métis culture with classrooms and communities.

“We’ve gone too long without a trustworthy narrator,” she says. “It’s important to me to be a part of the resurgence of Métis storytelling, culture and traditions.”

Music, adds Lizotte, plays an important role in that. “When we take time to really listen to each other’s music, we understand each other a little bit more.”