Local News
Her Voice: Carolyn Steeves shapes local arts scene
Jaden Kobsar, StrathmoreNow.com | Tuesday, July 21 2026, 2:55 AM
Carolyn Steeves reflected on decades of shaping Strathmore’s arts community. StrathmoreNow/Jaden Kobsar
Carolyn Steeves has spent decades helping grow Strathmore’s performing arts community, from teaching young musicians to helping create opportunities for performers across the region.
Her passion for music started at a young age in New Brunswick, where she appeared on her mother’s television show, Tune Time, on CHSJ in Saint John.
“I had a love of music right from the beginning,” Steeves said.
Along with music, Steeves was also a competitive swimmer growing up, an experience she said helped shape her competitive spirit.
After high school, she followed her passion for music to the University of Western Ontario, where she completed an Bachelor of Music degree and an Education degree.
Her first teaching position brought her to Alberta, where she spent one year in Fairview before moving to Strathmore in the 1980s.
Steeves went on to become a music specialist at Brentwood Elementary School, where she taught for 40 years before retiring in 2020.
After her second year of teaching, Steeves received a sabbatical and attended the University of Calgary, where she completed her master’s degree in music under Kodály specialist Lois Choksy.
“She changed my life,” Steeves said. “I became very involved in music organizations and things like that after that.”
Steeves became one of the founding members of the Alberta Kodály Association and served as secretary of the Kodály Society of Canada. She also organized a Kodály Society of Canada conference in Alberta in 1983 and was involved with the International Kodály Society Symposium in 1991.
Building Strathmore’s performing arts scene
After years of supporting students through existing festivals outside of the community, Steeves wanted to create a local opportunity for performers.
In 2019, Steeves and longtime colleague Loralee Laycock founded the Strathmore Performing Arts Festival.
At the time, students from the area were travelling to competitions such as the Calgary Performing Arts Festival and Drumheller Performing Arts Festival.
“We decided that we would like to start our own festival,” Steeves said.
The first Strathmore Performing Arts Festival was held in 2019, with support from Wendy Durieux, executive director of the Alberta Music Festival Association.
Steeves now serves as the festival’s past president, while Laycock is the current president.
She is also the vice-president of the Alberta Music Festival Association, a role she said was inspired by her own experiences with her children and students participating at provincial competitions.
“My own children all went to provincials many times over the years, as did the choirs they were in and the orchestras they were in,” Steeves said. “I really wanted to give back in that way.”
Since its creation, the Strathmore Performing Arts Festival has continued to grow. Steeves said the festival had around 500 entries last year, with local performers finding success at provincial and national events.
Several performers from Strathmore advanced to the Canada West Performing Arts Festival, including Eric Taylor, who represents the community this year.
A passion for teaching
While Steeves originally did not plan to become a piano teacher, she now considers it one of her biggest passions.
Steeves began taking piano lessons at age six and later completed a piano major in university.
“I thought I would never actually be a piano teacher,” she said.
That changed when a student, Allison Fieldberg, asked Steeves to teach her.
“She begged me to teach her,” Steeves said. “She was my only student for a while, but then it started to grow after that. As it turned out, I love teaching piano.”
Today, Steeves teaches a large number of students ranging from young children to seniors.
She said one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is watching students grow and pursue their goals.
“It’s just really fun to watch them grow,” she said. “I’m trying to help them follow their hopes and dreams and do the best they can.”
Supporting local arts
Beyond teaching and festivals, Steeves continues to support the local arts community through several organizations.
She is the artistic director of Arts at 817, a concert series that also provides opportunities for local students to perform as Opening Acts. She is also chair of The Vault Cultural Collective, which brings together local arts organizations.
Steeves said Strathmore has developed a strong arts community because of the collaboration between many groups.
“We have a really strong arts scene here in Strathmore,” she said. “So I’m proud that I’m part of that.”
Looking back on her career, Steeves said the biggest lesson she has learned is to continue moving forward through challenges.
“There’s highs and lows,” she said. “There’s things you’re really excited about and really happy about. There’s things that hit you in the gut and are disappointing, but you dust yourself off and pick yourself up and keep going again.”
For Steeves, the work has always been about supporting students and strengthening the community.
“It takes a village to do what we’re trying to do here,” she said. “It’s many people working together to make the arts community in Strathmore stronger.”
Her Voice is a new initiative from StrathmoreNow and 104.5 More Country and is spotlighting women making an impact in the community through leadership, innovation and service. The weekly Her Voice feature, sponsored by SeCan, highlights women helping strengthen Strathmore through their stories and contributions.
Her Voice: Carolyn Steeves shapes local arts scene
Jaden Kobsar, StrathmoreNow.com | Tuesday, July 21 2026, 2:55 AM
Carolyn Steeves reflected on decades of shaping Strathmore’s arts community. StrathmoreNow/Jaden Kobsar
Carolyn Steeves has spent decades helping grow Strathmore’s performing arts community, from teaching young musicians to helping create opportunities for performers across the region.
Her passion for music started at a young age in New Brunswick, where she appeared on her mother’s television show, Tune Time, on CHSJ in Saint John.
“I had a love of music right from the beginning,” Steeves said.
Along with music, Steeves was also a competitive swimmer growing up, an experience she said helped shape her competitive spirit.
After high school, she followed her passion for music to the University of Western Ontario, where she completed an Bachelor of Music degree and an Education degree.
Her first teaching position brought her to Alberta, where she spent one year in Fairview before moving to Strathmore in the 1980s.
Steeves went on to become a music specialist at Brentwood Elementary School, where she taught for 40 years before retiring in 2020.
After her second year of teaching, Steeves received a sabbatical and attended the University of Calgary, where she completed her master’s degree in music under Kodály specialist Lois Choksy.
“She changed my life,” Steeves said. “I became very involved in music organizations and things like that after that.”
Steeves became one of the founding members of the Alberta Kodály Association and served as secretary of the Kodály Society of Canada. She also organized a Kodály Society of Canada conference in Alberta in 1983 and was involved with the International Kodály Society Symposium in 1991.
Building Strathmore’s performing arts scene
After years of supporting students through existing festivals outside of the community, Steeves wanted to create a local opportunity for performers.
In 2019, Steeves and longtime colleague Loralee Laycock founded the Strathmore Performing Arts Festival.
At the time, students from the area were travelling to competitions such as the Calgary Performing Arts Festival and Drumheller Performing Arts Festival.
“We decided that we would like to start our own festival,” Steeves said.
The first Strathmore Performing Arts Festival was held in 2019, with support from Wendy Durieux, executive director of the Alberta Music Festival Association.
Steeves now serves as the festival’s past president, while Laycock is the current president.
She is also the vice-president of the Alberta Music Festival Association, a role she said was inspired by her own experiences with her children and students participating at provincial competitions.
“My own children all went to provincials many times over the years, as did the choirs they were in and the orchestras they were in,” Steeves said. “I really wanted to give back in that way.”
Since its creation, the Strathmore Performing Arts Festival has continued to grow. Steeves said the festival had around 500 entries last year, with local performers finding success at provincial and national events.
Several performers from Strathmore advanced to the Canada West Performing Arts Festival, including Eric Taylor, who represents the community this year.
A passion for teaching
While Steeves originally did not plan to become a piano teacher, she now considers it one of her biggest passions.
Steeves began taking piano lessons at age six and later completed a piano major in university.
“I thought I would never actually be a piano teacher,” she said.
That changed when a student, Allison Fieldberg, asked Steeves to teach her.
“She begged me to teach her,” Steeves said. “She was my only student for a while, but then it started to grow after that. As it turned out, I love teaching piano.”
Today, Steeves teaches a large number of students ranging from young children to seniors.
She said one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is watching students grow and pursue their goals.
“It’s just really fun to watch them grow,” she said. “I’m trying to help them follow their hopes and dreams and do the best they can.”
Supporting local arts
Beyond teaching and festivals, Steeves continues to support the local arts community through several organizations.
She is the artistic director of Arts at 817, a concert series that also provides opportunities for local students to perform as Opening Acts. She is also chair of The Vault Cultural Collective, which brings together local arts organizations.
Steeves said Strathmore has developed a strong arts community because of the collaboration between many groups.
“We have a really strong arts scene here in Strathmore,” she said. “So I’m proud that I’m part of that.”
Looking back on her career, Steeves said the biggest lesson she has learned is to continue moving forward through challenges.
“There’s highs and lows,” she said. “There’s things you’re really excited about and really happy about. There’s things that hit you in the gut and are disappointing, but you dust yourself off and pick yourself up and keep going again.”
For Steeves, the work has always been about supporting students and strengthening the community.
“It takes a village to do what we’re trying to do here,” she said. “It’s many people working together to make the arts community in Strathmore stronger.”
Her Voice is a new initiative from StrathmoreNow and 104.5 More Country and is spotlighting women making an impact in the community through leadership, innovation and service. The weekly Her Voice feature, sponsored by SeCan, highlights women helping strengthen Strathmore through their stories and contributions.