“Derksen hailed from the North Tallcree reserve in Northern Alberta, and their heritage was both in Cree and Mennonite traditions. They attended Victoria School for the Performing Arts in Edmonton and received a bachelor of music at UBC, where Derksen was principal cellist with the UBC Symphony Orchestra.”
In 2009, Derksen served as the curator in residence at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. They traveled and performed internationally including in Europe Mexico, Sweden, Australia and the United States. They performed with the Beat Nation Live Collective, Kanye West, Kinnie Starr, Tanya Tagaq, Rae Spoon, and traditional powwow groups.
Derksen’s website bio notes that “their unique sound began to take shape in 2006 when Derksen…