 After the end of World War II her father began working as a grocer, and her family moved to Saskatchewan, at first living in towns such as Maidstone and North Battleford, before settling in the city of Saskatoon when Mitchell was 11 She later sang about her small-town upbringing in several of her songs, including "Song for Sharon".At school Mitchell struggled; her main interest was painting.During this time she briefly studied classical piano.