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Grandma and Granddaughter singing duo

Trinity Donecz and Doris Munger are a granddaughter and grandmother singing duo that perform together at various festivals.
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Trinity Donecz and Doris Munger are a granddaughter and grandmother singing duo that perform together at various festivals.

Their favourite song to sing together is Big River, by Johnny Cash, which they recorded a video of and has received over 3000 views on Facebook.

Munger is a residential school survivor who battled breast cancer for 16 years since 2001. She is now cancer free.

Donecz who is 14 years old says she hopes their music inspires others and lets them know that they are not alone in the world.

Munger said she grew up in Prince George away from her parents.

“I faced many challenges and I was hurt many times. I struggled through life from the time I was taken away from my parents to go to residential school. I began entertaining after my battle with breast cancer,” said Munger.

Munger added that on the day of her diagnosis her husband had a heart attack.

“The days I lived were unreal, my husband clinging to his life as I going in for many tests,” she said.

“One day when my grandmother was ill, she made up her mind that when she healed, she would do all she wanted to do. She couldn’t join an army, but she could go on stage and sing and play her drum and guitar to inspire someone else,” said Doncez.

After Munger went in for her mastectomy treatment she said it was another battle to not fall into depression.

“I began to drum and sing which I never did in my life. I learned to sing feast hall songs by listening to my uncle Dick Alec on VHS videos. I am from Old Fort and all our elders have passed away so I learned from videos my husband recorded and I borrowed some others from family,” said Munger.

“I entertain because I think I can and I want to inspire others to keep on going in whatever life they are caught in,” she said.

Munger recalls singing together for the first time when Donecz, and her sister Trystan were three to four years old.

“We sing together when we drum and sing feast hall music on our ‘revitalizing cultural pride’ float in parades with the Old Fort Traditional Dancers,” said Munger. “The girls would go on parades with us in Williams Lake, and have always know how much I love the old music I play at the annual fall fair since 2006.”

Munger says both of her granddaughters are very talented musicians and will be performing with her on Sept. 9, 2017 at the Lakes District Fall Fair and Music Festival.

“We were practicing this song [Big River by Johnny Cash] and it was the very first time that I played guitar while Trinity sang. Trystan was not quite ready at the time. It was impromptu, and so amazing. Trinity sang the song like we practiced it before, and it just fell into place,” said Munger.

The women say their story as artists is an amazing one because it creates a cycle of inspiration especially for other artists and fans that share similar struggles.

“I play music to entertain and to have fun I write music to keep my head held high and to show others that they’re not alone and that they can get through whatever they’re going through,” said Doncez.

“I just made it through life and I almost died but I was given another chance. I realize how hard it is to meet your goals of any kind. But I made it, and I want to sing to others to tell them, there are miracles,” said Munger.

Munger added that another reason why she continues to entertain is so that she can sing her language and keep it strong.

“Our language is not spoken by many of us and I hope to write music in Lake Babine Nation and share it over the world,” said Munger.

“We would love for our readers to have the opportunity to check us out,” said Doncez.

You can find more videos and songs on the pairs separate YouTube channels, Trinity Haylii or Doris Munger. And alternatively you can keep up to date on Munger’s Facebook page, Doris Munger Drumming & Singing.