English 
French As part of the podcast series, “ArtsAbly in Conversation,” Diane Kolin interviewed Kaleb Hikele, a Canadian singer-songwriter and healthcare worker living in Toronto, Canada, with his home recording studio in the Riverdale neighbourhood.
This post presents the resources that Kaleb Hikele mentioned during the conversation. The podcast episode will be published soon.
Kaleb Hikele
Kaleb Hikele is a Canadian singer-songwriter and prolific recording artist. His latest 7” single in 2025, titled Fire Fighter’s Son, is an autobiographical folk story of his upbringing in a small town. This follows his 12th indie studio album, My Mind Is Like a Radio, recorded entirely from his home studio in Toronto’s east end. Kaleb toured his new record with 73 dates around Ontario since 2024, opening for Devan (Wild Rivers), Julian Taylor and Royal Wood. Kaleb Hikele’s recorded catalogue dates back twenty years, while his work as The Sun Harmonic has been featured on Netflix, SiriusXM, CBC Music, while being recognized by Canada’s Walk of Fame, Ontario Folk Music Awards (nomination, 2022) and winner of the Ontario Independent Recording Artist Award (2024).
The Sun Harmonic
The Sun Harmonic is a three piece rock n’ roll band. Guitar, bass and drums, always recorded live-off-the-floor in the studio. The 7th full-length album is set to be released in 2025, ushered in by the first sing-along single Homesick. Indie veteran and frontman Kaleb Hikele, with rhythm section Dave Skrtich and Ian McLennan, are old friends and seasoned Canadian musicians.
Visit The Sun Harmonic’s website
Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital
Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, formerly Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, is a complex care and rehabilitation hospital in Toronto, Ontario. It is a member of the Sinai Health system and affiliated with the University of Toronto. Sinai Health is a leading academic health science centre and a trailblazer for integrated care across the health continuum. Our fusion of science, innovation, care and learning has earned us international, national and provincial leadership for unique programs and compassionate care.
Visit Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital’s website
Sarah Asselstine
Sarah Asselstine, a vocal music teacher, was born in Kitchener, Ontario, in Canada. She attended the University of Western Ontario where she majored in music. Howard Munn, professor of music at the university, steered her into sharing her love of music by teaching it. Sarah was the choir director of Colla Voce, a local St. Thomas show choir accompanied by Tom Pietrangelo, formed by her revolving cast of vocal students spanning decades (including Kaleb and his friends in their formative years).
Read an article from St. Thomas archives about Sarah Asselstine
John Switzer
When not riding around on the back of tractors in lightning storms, John Switzer is a Toronto-based independent record producer. He has produced records for Jane Siberry, Andrew Cash, The Grievous Angels, Rita Chiarelli, and The Waltons, among many others. He was voted producer of the year at the 1986 Casby Awards for Jane Siberry’s The Speckless Sky album, and was awarded a gold record for that same album. In 1994 The Walton’s Lik My Trakteralbum was certified gold. He was voted Best Recording Producer in the 1996 NOW magazine Reader’s Poll and was awarded the 1996 Porcupine Award for Producer of the Year. Touch the Earth and Sky, by Native-Canadian singer-songwriter Vern Cheechoo, released is 1999, was nominated for a JUNO award in the “Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording” category and garnered Switzer a “Best Producer/Engineer” trophy at the 2000 Aboriginal Music Awards.
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn has long been established as the undisputed Queen of Country Music, with more than 60 years of recording and touring to her name. A self-taught guitarist and songwriter, Lynn was one of the most distinctive performers in Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s. She shook up Nashville by writing her own songs, many of which tackled boundary-pushing topics drawn from her own life experiences as a wife and mother. “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Fist City” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” are just three of 16 country No. 1 singles.
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada’s greatest songwriters, he had numerous gold and platinum albums, and his songs have been covered by many of the world’s most renowned musical artists. Lightfoot’s biographer Nicholas Jennings wrote, “His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness.”
Learn more about Gordon Lightfoot
Julie Sawchuk & Sawchuk Accessible Solutions
Julie Sawchuk is an accessibility strategist, a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Professional, founder of Sawchuk Accessible Solutions. She consults, completes accessibility ratings and educates folks working in or learning to be a part of the design and construction industry. Whether it is retrofitting an existing building or starting from scratch, she has helped architects, facilities managers, engineers and builders achieve meaningful levels of accessibility for everything from private homes to international airports. Her work allows people with disabilities, their friends, family and community to benefit from the principles of Universal Design. Her commitment to this work has included speaking to audiences large and small, training teams of designers and helping key decision-makers see how they can move toward improving accessibility.