Our CoffeehouseThis was the first step in connecting to the local music community. This magical open mic and performance opportunity was a safe space for musicians at all levels to come and perform to an attentive and appreciative audience. I volunteered and opened and closed this event twice a month for years and am very proud of that contribution. I am also in awe of the talent that came through those doors, these were magical days as we watched our community come together and watched performer after performer grow and evolve through this process. I can't say enough about the people that were involved in this project. All things must change and for now this event no longer takes place. I know I will always cherish the memories and made and the life long friendships that started there.
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Kelowna Arts CouncilThis non-profit formerly the Artists for Creative Alliance were the ones who spearheaded the OUR Coffeehouse open mic. I have been involved with this organization for many years in various capacities, as a board member, a co-visionary and volunteer. What I know for sure is that the individuals who have been drawn to this organization have a deep love for the arts and for the grassroots artists that can often feel completely left to fend for themselves. In this space they find connection and community, much gratitude for everyone who has been part of this organization.
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Songwriters StewdioThis was one of the most exciting times for me musically. This project was a co-creation with Lynda Norman (Executive Director of Kelowna Arts Council) and Mike Pederson (the owner of Music City Studio). Two times a month we invited songwriters and musicians at all levels to come together in a musical jam with a twist inside a real recording studio. A songwriter was either booked or chosen at random and would play 2 songs for the group who would vote on the song they felt they could contribute the most to. We would take that song and write chords up on the board and get people jamming away on the song. It always sounded like a bit of a train wreck at the beginning (as I would worn them in my intro) but eventually it would start to sync and there would be this magical thing that would happen. We would take a break and have refreshments and get to know one another and then we would come back with someone chosen to wear the producers hat and we would start to fine tune what we wanted to do with the song, would work on it a bit more and then record it in one take live off the floor and put that creating up on Sound Cloud. The experience was pure magic.
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Roots Revival SeriesDuring my time at OUR Coffeehouse and Songwriters Stewdio I met some incredible people. I had also been hosting house concerts through my Heart in the House platform and had some amazing artists that I was so honored to present to my hosts and their eager audiences. Chelsea Robinson & Nils Loewen were to of the individuals I met through all of this and together we created something magical, a series of Folk Roots intimate concerts in beautiful spaces that Chelsea was in charge of transforming to enhance the visual part of the experience. Oliver Swain was one of the artists who had performed at a house concert and watching he and Nils (a talented funky cello player) play was something I won't forget any time soon. We created several of these concerts with different performers each time and every one had their own unique flavor.
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The Acoustic Guitar Project - KelownaBecoming the curator for the Kelowna Chapter of The Acoustic Guitar project still blows me away. To think that our local songwriters now have access to an audience of people that love original music from all around the world is pretty wonderful. I first heard about this project through Michael Averill who was from Vancouver and had found us on Facebook through the Songwriters Stewdio page. He is a breath of fresh air and always out helping other musicians connect and create and all kinds of ways. He had become the curator for Vancouver and as he told me about this guy in New York who ran the project and put it all together I just knew we had to be part of it. Michael put in a good word for me and I contacted the Dave and we set up a Skype call.
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When we started the call Dave said to me that he knew we were from a very small community that he turns these communities down all the time because he only has a certain number of spots available in the project and reserves them for bigger centers through the world. I told him I understood and we just talked about the projects we were doing here and the number of songwriters I knew through these projects. By the end of the conversation he said he would consider it and get back to me. Well low and behold to days later he sent me a message that we were IN!
The challenge is to take this one guitar (seen here) for one week and write one song and upload it to the platform and tell the story about what inspired it. No embellishments of other instruments, just this plain old acoustic guitar. Then they sign the guitar and we pass it on to the next songwriter. A total of 5 songwriters are showcased each year. The project not only includes the online international platform but also a local concert to showcase the work. With COVID restrictions in place we unfortunately missed this past year but plan to be back at it as soon as we can. Be sure to go check out the songs your local musicians have created.
The challenge is to take this one guitar (seen here) for one week and write one song and upload it to the platform and tell the story about what inspired it. No embellishments of other instruments, just this plain old acoustic guitar. Then they sign the guitar and we pass it on to the next songwriter. A total of 5 songwriters are showcased each year. The project not only includes the online international platform but also a local concert to showcase the work. With COVID restrictions in place we unfortunately missed this past year but plan to be back at it as soon as we can. Be sure to go check out the songs your local musicians have created.