SASS founder named Music Industry Leader of the Year at Oshawa Music Awards

A singer-songwriter, flute player, session musician, teacher and co-founder of a songwriting group for children has been named as the Oshawa Music Awards Music Industry Leader of the Year.

Devon ‘Artemis’ Chartier, who also co-hosted the Spirit of Song “celebration of songwriters” events at the McLaughlin Art Gallery in Oshawa, is best known for co-founding SASS – the School Alliance of Student Songwriters – with Dale Russell in 2003.

SASS is a school-based network for students in grades 6 to 12. The students express themselves through songwriting and are given opportunities to perform.

Russell, who spent seventeen years as the lead guitarist with Canadian rock legends The Guess Who and is a former OMA winner himself, has been working with Chartier for many years and called her his favourite songwriting partner.

“With her background as a high school teacher, the songs of Artemis carry positive messages for young people,” Russel said. “Love, gratitude, self-esteem, racial tolerance, courage, and a positive attitude, are all woven into the tapestry of her story songs.”