folk prints spring 2013

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O N T A R I O C O U N C I L O F F O L K F E S T I V A L S

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Commander Chris Hadfield: May the Music Be With You; Festival Power Management

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Folk Prints Spring 2013

o n t a r i o c o u n c i l o f f o l k f e s t i v a l s

Page 2: Folk Prints Spring 2013

Page 3: Folk Prints Spring 2013

o n t a r i o c o u n c i l o f f o l k f e s t i v a l s

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The President’s Message ..............................................................................................................................4

The Executive Director’s Message ...............................................................................................................4

May The Music Be With You ........................................................................................................................5

New Members ...............................................................................................................................................6

88 Keys to Conference Success ...................................................................................................................10

The OCFF at Folk Alliance .........................................................................................................................12

Hospital Serenades and Shelter Voices: Why I Love Art Beat .................................................................13

Discovering the Other Canada ...................................................................................................................14

Membership has its Privileges ...................................................................................................................15

The Way We’ve Felt .....................................................................................................................................16

OCFF Member Festivals .............................................................................................................................18

Generating New Ideas ................................................................................................................................20

Conference Tips from the Pros ..................................................................................................................22

2013 Board Elections ..................................................................................................................................29

Change is in the Air ....................................................................................................................................32

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012/13Executive Committee

President Alex Sinclair [email protected] Vice President Katharine Partridge .... [email protected] Treasurer Jan Cody .............................. [email protected] Secretary Tamara Kater ......................................... [email protected] Member-at-Large Dan Greenwood ....................... [email protected] Member-at-Large Jerry Switzer .................... [email protected]

Directorsadam Brown [email protected] caspi [email protected] flohil [email protected] Harbury [email protected] Mcewen [email protected] Merrifield [email protected] sodhi...................................... [email protected]

STAFF Executive Director Alka Sharma ..................... asharma.ocff.caOffice Manager Jennifer Ellis ........................ [email protected] Membership Services Manager Bob LeDrew .................... [email protected] Office Administrator Martha Younie [email protected]

Phone: 1-866-292-6233 or 613-560-5997 fax: 613-560-2001 www.ocff.ca

Mailing address: 508-B Gladstone avenue ottawa, on k1r 5P1

Printing and layout by orion Printing

Cover photo courtesy of Chris Hadfield/NASA

While on the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield recorded the song “I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)” with the Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson and the Wexford Gleeks from Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts.

Please visit www.ocff.ca/advertising.html for ad rates, formats and sizes.

submissions (max. 500 words) and pictures welcome! We cannot guarantee inclusion of your submission in folk Prints (but we’ll try!). Please send submissions in text format only. if you have pictures, call us before sending them.

the views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the ocff. Questions or comments regarding folk Prints should be brought to the attention of alka sharma at [email protected]. articles and photos may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the author and/or photographer.

Page 4: Folk Prints Spring 2013

ThE prESidENT’S mESSAgE by Alex Sinclair

Welcome to a spring that seems to be taking a rather long time making up its mind to arrive. Most of you have met me through our eNews and other communications, but just to make it official, I’m your new president. Scott Merrifield, our previous – and quite excellent – president chose to step down last fall, although fortunately he

decided to remain on the board, where he continues to provide yeoman’s service to the OCFF. Just about the first thing that happened to me in my term was the news that Peter MacDonald was stepping down as Executive Director in order to take a new position with the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. It was a great opportunity for Peter, and we wish him well in his new career, but by golly it sure threw a wrench into my plans for the winter. I had been looking forward to working with Peter and adjusting to my new position in a leisurely fashion, and here I was, thrown into the fiery furnace of finding a new ED. Well, we’ve got a good board, and they put together a good hiring committee, and we found a great person to fill Peter’s estimable shoes. Alka Sharma comes to us from Toronto with a background in film festivals. And way back, she worked at Ottawa’s CKCU-FM under the

late, great Chopper McKinnon. She officially took over on April 2 and we are all looking forward to her leading the OCFF (now known as Folk Music Ontario) into a new era. So, a tumultuous few months comes to an end. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our staff, Jennifer, Bob, and Martha, for calmly keeping the ship gliding forward. And to Peter MacDonald who, despite his new responsibilities, found the time and energy to continue working for us, keeping grant applications moving forward and making sure that Alka was prepared for the transition. The planning for the 2013 conference is well underway, and that fiery furnace is cooling down to a pleasant spring morning. Thank you Scott. Thank you Peter. Thank you Jennifer, Bob and Martha. And welcome, welcome Alka. It’s going to be a great year.Cheers,

Alex Sinclair

ThE EXECUTiVE dirECTOr’S mESSAgE by Alka Sharma

I am so happy to be back in my home town. I grew up in Ottawa, went to Carleton University and worked at CKCU-FM, when Chopper McKinnon was the Station Manager. From there, I moved to Guelph to work at CFRU-FM and then to Toronto where I lived for 16 years. I worked at The Toronto International Film Festival for 10 years and most recently worked at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. It’s good to be back and I’m super excited to work with the OCFF. I look forward to meeting

all of you at some point and I will strive to make the OCFF the best that it can be for the future. T h a n k y o u t o Pe t e r MacDonald for all the work he has done for the OCFF. I wish him all the best in his new role at the Chamber Music Festival of Ottawa. As well, thank you to Alex Sinclair and the rest of the OCFF Board. Most of all, thank you to the amazing staff Jennifer, Bob and Martha for welcoming me with open arms! Looking forward to a great year ahead! Alka Sharma

Page 5: Folk Prints Spring 2013

On December 19, 2012, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield launched into space for a six-month mission aboard the Soyuz capsule. This is his third trip to space and his first time as Commander (for the latter half of the mission). In fact, it is the first time any Canadian has been Commander. If being a successful astronaut weren’t enough, Hadfield is also an accomplished singer-songwriter. Both he and his brother, Air Canada pilot Dave, have been writing and making music for many years. While in space Hadfield has access to a Larrivée Parlor guitar, which has been on the International Space Station (I.S.S.) since 2001, and which he has been using to play music. The mission crest for the expedition is in the shape of a guitar pick representative of Hadfield’s love of music. For decades, psychological support staff of the I.S.S. has acknowledged the many benefits to isolated astronauts in listening

to and playing music. Music allows astronauts the feeling of human interaction, which is particularly important during longer space missions. While in orbit, Hadfield has also been recording songs he has written or co-written with his brother, Dave, using GarageBand software on an iPad. He also records sounds from within the Soyuz capsule and shares them with followers on SoundCloud. Recently, Hadfield composed

mAY ThE mUSiC BE WiTh YOU by Martha Younie

a song with Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, entitled “Is Somebody Singing (I.S.S.)?” The song was started on Earth, enhanced with Hadfield’s voice and guitar in orbit, and sent back to Earth for further work by Robertson, the Barenaked Ladies and a 35-voice choir from Wexford Collegiate in Toronto. Paul Mills, former OCFF president, the 2011 recipient of the Estelle Klein Award and producer/engineer extraordinaire, produced the song. It premiered on CBC Music in February, and is also the featured song for Music Monday this year and will be performed by school kids across Canada on May 6, 2013. Prior to launch, Hadfield shared a playlist of some of the songs he will be listening to during his mission. With songs from The Guess Who to Gordon Lightfoot, Hadfield’s playlist is mainly composed of Canadian musicians. Hadfield is set to complete his mission May 14, 2013.

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New Individual Members – Ontariorachel Barreca, Dundaskaili Beck, sudburyJames Boraski, thunder Baylisa Bozikovic, torontoJean Busch, cambridgeDavid campbell, thunder Baycraig cardiff, arnpriornicole christian, HamiltonJan cody, torontoJohn cox, uxbridgeJohn Dawson, auroraJoyce ervin, richards landingvanessa ervin, richards landingJames Gordon, Guelphlori Hirst, torontoBryce Jardine, torontoJames Jones, oakvilleByram Joseph, scarboroughJadea kelly, enterpriseJudith laskin, torontoalex leggett, torontoJim longo, toronto

Glenn Marais, newmarketDavid Matthews, torontoeleanor Mccain, Don Millsterry McManus, londonMickey Michael, st. catharinesJames Miziolek, GeorgetownJames Moore, torontoeugene Muller, oakvilletena Palmer, torontoMark Parmis, Peterboroughcorin raymond, torontoPaul reddick, torontoJonathan rooke, torontocandace shaw, Peterboroughnick sherman, sioux lookoutstan simon, torontoGinger st. James, HannonDavid storey, inglewoodsmudgie swann, torontoelizabeth szekeres, caledonsteven taetz, torontoPeter tigchelaar, Dundaskate vanderhorst, kitchener

New Organizational Membersalgomatrad: the algoma traditional Music and Dance, Desbaratsfish & Bird, torontolorussopalooza Music festival, Magnetawannutshell Music & event Management, ottawa

New Out-of-ProvinceIndividual MembersMarlynn Bourque, Whitehorse, Ytlindsey collins, Winnipeg, MBlaura cortese, Watertown, Makevin Harvey, Dewittville, Qckayla luky, Grandview, MBsage McBride, fernie, Bcvalerie thompson, cambridge, MaMariel vandersteel, Brighton, Ma

updated: april 8, 2013

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The 27th Annual OCFF Conference i s be ing he ld October 17-20, 2013 at the Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre in Mississauga. The members only early bird registration rate – only $200.00 plus HST – is available until May 31, 2013. To take advantage of this exclusive offer, you must be a member in good standing through October 2013. Non-members are welcome to join the OCFF at registration time in order to receive member rates. Registration rates increase on June 1 (and again on September 1), so register early for the best value! Onl ine reg is trat ion i s provided through a partnership with Ticketpro. Full registra- tion details are available at www.ocff.ca/ocff-conference.

mbrac EEdaring new album from Lenka Lichtenberg “Traditional Singer of the Year”2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards

lenka lichtenbergwith fray

CD release concert featuring Fray, Lenka’s six-piece band of Toronto’s top world music artists and surprise special guests.

Sunday, April 28, 2013 | 8pm Glenn Gould Studio250 Front Street West, Torontowww.cbc.ca/glenngould

www.lenkalichtenberg.com

“Passionate and prolific, Lenka Lichtenberg is a force of nature within Canada’s world music scene… pushing Yiddish music beyond its klezmer stereotype into a truly inspired form of world music…”

Nicholas Jennings, Penguin Eggs

Conference registration

is open…

…to OCFF members only!

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Do you have a story that you want to share with our readers? is there an issue that you feel needs addressing? We welcome submissions (500 words or fewer) and photos. While we cannot guarantee that all submissions will be published, we will read everything that is sent to us. Please send submissions in text format only, and send low-res versions of any photos that you think might be appropriate accompaniments to your piece.

CALLiNg ALL WriTErS

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Apply now for official and family showcases for the 2013 conference, October 17-20 in Mississauga, ON. Twenty-four slots are available for official showcases each year. Artists selected by the showcase jury perform for artistic directors and presenters from across Canada and around the world as well as conference delegates in a 20-25 minute set. For the family showcase opportunity, two artists are selected by a jury of children to perform 20-25 minute sets at the beginning of the official showcases. Online applications are available through Marcato Digital Solutions. The application deadline is May 17, 2013. More information can be found at www.ocff.ca/ocff-conference/conference-showcasing.

Official/Family

showcase applications

now being accepted!

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The 19th annual Songs From the Heart songwriting competition is open for business! Songs From the Heart celebrates the craft of songwriting and showcases winning songs to the OCFF community. The competition is open to Ontario and National Capital Region songwriters. Two overall winners – one English and one French – will each receive a Galaxie Rising Stars Award of $1,000.00, and one registration for the 2013 OCFF conference. Prizes of $100.00 OCFF credit will be awarded to the winners of each of five sub-categories: Children’s, Humorous, Instrumental, Multicultural and Political. Submissions may be made online through Marcato Digital Solutions. The deadline for submissions is May 3, 2013. For more information, please visit www.ocff.ca/about-ocff/awards.

Songs From the

heart now accepting

submissions!

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88 KEYS TO CONFErENCE SUCCESS by Ann Vriend

A somewhat digressionary ramble through the cluttered mind of Ann Vriend, with stops at keyboard policies of OCFF, youth mentoring, and inviting janitors into the OCFF family. Each time I have attended OCFF I have found it to be very beneficial, both tangibly (in terms of money paying gigs/opportuni-ties), as well as in establishing and strengthening ties with other musicians and folk com-munity members. In fact, con-sider my first blurred and quick experience, in which my touring partner at the time and I un-wisely decided to play a show the Saturday of OCFF a few blocks AWAY from the showcase hotel and tried (95% unsuccessfully) to get people to go to it, and even though it was pouring buckets of cold rain, and at the show itself the sound man-- and I’m not making this up-- was self-profess-edly going deaf and also somehow caused a horrible and actually painful electrical shock on stage, which then threw out the whole PA system for a good half hour-- despite all that it STILL resulted

in a singer-songwriter hearing me (somehow) and subsequently we did two good tours together and co-wrote a song on my lat-est album. So, my point is even attending OCFF a LITTLE can be beneficial, though attending it AT the hotel in which it is going on with non-deaf sound techs is much easier and more efficient to reap the benefits thereof. I attended the 2012 OCFF conference because I was asked to be a mentor to one of the youth showcasers at OCFF. Hav-ing never been a mentor in any sort of official role I was both honoured and afraid (and also my new title reminded me vaguely of some sort of Roman official in a weird video game, and/or a rare, extinct dinosaur. I just typed “extinct dinosaur” and realized the first of those two words is perhaps unnecessary). I had the honour of mentor-ing up-and-coming singer-song-writer Emily Kohne, who put on a superb showcase and also was brave enough to submit herself and her song to Vance Gilbert in his amazing and highly en-

tertaining Friday workshop. Emily and I have a few things in common, among which we both play the piano and not the gui-tar, which is probably the least friendly folk instrument when it comes to transportation, except arguably the harp, though not the autoharp. Now, none of this was the OCFF’s fault, but it just so hap-pened the keyboard rented for Emily and me was not the ideal one either of us would have cho-sen to play. As many of you know, a rule at OCFF is that no amplifi-cation is allowed for any private showcases, to help prevent some showcases being drastically loud-er than others and thus drowning out the quieter ones. As someone who has had to suffer through my share of sound bleed issues and electric guitarists who turn up for every solo and turn down never, I do appreciate the need for this rule. However, the rule really sucks for keyboard players, as keyboards with built-in speakers (and therefore not needing forbidden amplification) weigh EVEN MORE than ones without speakers, and the keyboards containing built-in speakers invariably are of worse sound quality and feel than those that don’t. And by worse I mean a Fisher Price guitar at Wal-Mart that costs $80 plus tax is worse than a Martin. Even a bad Martin. By now you might be wondering where I’m going with all of this, besides a really annoying sob story. I was playing this keyboard in the ballroom because moving it is not super fun. And also because all keyboards, like all guitars, basses, drum kits, and autoharps, are different, so I kind

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of wanted to get a feel for this particular one, as it happened to be a model that dates back to when dinosaurs were NOT extinct (almost), so I was not super familiar with playing it. So, while I was doing that, the janitor of the hotel came in and started cleaning up the ballroom. To be completely honest, I was not thrilled about that, as anyone who’s ever practiced anything knows that the difference between practicing and performing is when you perform you only showcase your best stuff and try very hard to hide your weaknesses, whereas when you practice you work ON your weaknesses, over and over, ad nauseam, until hopefully they become less weak. So, ego-wise it is not always super awesome to have people around when you practice. And it’s harder to concentrate when that person, say, is vacuuming. So, I wrote a song about vacuuming. Just kidding. I just kept practicing. And while I was doing that, the janitor, a heavyset Jamaican guy, kept looking over at me and sort of taking his sweet time cleaning up the few glasses and tablecloths in the room, until finally he got around to asking me if I had written the song I was working on, and what I was practicing it for. I told him yes to question #1, and told him that I was going to be playing the next day as part of the OCFF conference, in the role of mentoring an up-and-coming songwriter. Then he told me he also played music, and I asked that question that all songwriters hate getting asked, which is, “Oh, what kind of music do you play?” (As soon as the words left my mouth I was incredulous that I had asked that unholy question, and kicked myself under the keyboard stand.) But he unwincingly replied that he played gospel music, in

a band. I had just been playing a gospel-styled song (or part of it, over and over again), so it then made sense to me this had piqued his curiosity. He asked when I would be playing the next day, so I told him, and did that quintessential conference thing, which was to give him a business card. (And, to be honest, quite also “quintessentially conference”, I assumed he took it only to be polite and wouldn’t actually come to see any of us play.) Anyway, eventually he ran out of things to clean up and left, I practiced for a few more minutes, and then an OCFF-in-charge-guy politely told me they had to lock up the room and I had to leave. We did go to a whole bunch of panels the next day, including Vance Gilbert’s, and if you were there you got to see how he chided Emily for not having “her” keyboard all ready to go when it was her turn to be berated (ahem, constructively criticized) by him. What you might not have known was actually we had a very fine reason for this, in that we had ended up borrowing Treasa Levasseur’s keyboard VERY last minutely (bless Treasa’s heart!), because the OCFF keyboard provided to us ended up unexpectedly to be needed for an official showcase or something to that effect. And despite everything, minutes later Emily found herself playing her showcase, and brilliantly pulled off incorporating these major changes into her song seamlessly, as if she had always playing it like that. I was so proud of her! And I was so, so, so glad the OCFF keyboard did arrive in time for her to play it! But because of all of this I totally had forgotten about the Jamaican guy. However, as I was about halfway through my own showcase in the youth mentors’ room I did look up (from Treasa’s keyboard-- bless her heart!) and

saw him standing in the doorway, attentively listening. Wow, I thought, business cards work! Who knew?! Afterwards I went to go say hello, and he had a lot of questions for me about OCFF, mostly about how to get involved so as to play at in the next year, and if it would be in the same hotel (it is). I could imagine that if it were in that hotel that could be quite convenient for him, if indeed he is still a janitor there. He might know of all sorts of closets more conducive for private practicing, brooms for making washtub basses – heck, he even might have washtubs themselves – the possibilities are nearly endless! So, if you happen to see a Jamaican gospel guy at OCFF next year, don’t be surprised. If you see Emily Kohne giving an official concert in the lobby on a grand piano, don’t be surprised, either. And if you go to anything at OCFF next year, you WILL be surprised or even re-surprised at the good mood and exciting vibe circulating through the most sub-urban of hotels-- and you must admit that that it itself is quite a feat! So, there’s my happy little OCFF story for you all. I am av-idly practicing the melodica for next year, though I have yet to figure out how to sing and play it at the same time. I know I should just learn to play guitar. I will try to think of a good excuse of why not to and get back to you on that. Ann Vriend is a singer-song-writer from Edmonton, Alberta. You can find out more about her at www.annvriend.com.

Photo credit: James Dean. Cap-tion: Emily Kohne showcasing at OCFF 2012. Since her OCFF appearance, Kohne has toured with Kim Churchill in Canada and Australia.

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The 2013 Folk Alliance International conference was the pinnacle of three musical weekends at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto. The 2000+ delegates arrived on the heels of the Blues Summit 6 and Winterfolk XI, and carried out the friendliest possible invasion of the hotel – and the city. T h e O C F F p a r t n e r e d with Canadian music industry assoc ia t ions and re la ted organizations to form the Pan-Canadian Initiative (PCI). COOP Les Faux-Monnayeurs, Dollartone, Alberta Music, ECMA, Manitoba Music, Music BC, MusicNL, Music Ontario, Music PEI , MusicYukon, SaskMusic, Folk Music Canada and t h e OCF F h o s t ed a

networking reception on the opening day. OCFF staff and board were on hand in the exhibit hall, handing out promotional material from member artists and meeting and greeting all and sundry. They also made it their mission to attend as many OCFF member and Ontario artist performances as possible. Jill Zmud reprised her role as Art Beat coordinator to bring artists to shelters, assisted-living facilities, and retirement homes – read more about that in the following article. Incoming OCFF ED Alka Sharma was able to attend part of the conference and met some of the folks who make up our community. Where else did OCFF board members f ind themselves

at FAI? Richard Flohil was part of the “Wisdom of the Elders” panel, as well as the “Mariposa Memories” session. Shawna Caspi volunteered and performed in various showcases. Tamara Kater hosted the Folk Music Canada private showcase room, and past president (and current director) Scott Merrifield participated in the “House Concerts” panel. Many current and past OCFF members volunteered, performed, and participated on panels. Thanks to all who donated their time and talents to help our partner organization have a great time in Toronto. And thanks especially to Louis, Cindy and all the rest of the FAI crew for another fabulous conference!

ThE OCFF AT FOLK ALLiANCE

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This February, at Folk Alliance 2013, I had the privilege of coordinating the OCFF’s outreach program, Art Beat. If you haven’t heard of Art Beat, it’s a program that provides a live music experience to people who don’t normally get a chance to take in a show. This time around, ten artists volunteered their time to play at long-term care facilities, shelters, an inner city school and a palliative care unit. At a women’s drop-in centre, I saw women crying during Laura Cortese’s song “Women of the Ages”. One of the clients at a women’s emergency shelter

hOSpiTAL SErENAdES ANd ShELTEr VOiCES: WhY i ♥ ArT BEAT by Jill Zmud

was so moved by Linda McRae’s performance that she insisted on giving Linda a book of her pencil sketches. At St. Michael’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit, I listened and watched as Fraser Anderson’s music brought a family together around the bedside of their father, grandfather, and husband. What I witnessed was powerful. It affirmed to me the mysterious ways that music can lift our burdens, bring relief and create a little bit of peace. I think it’s safe to say that both audiences and artists were left richer by the experience.

In addition to the amazing people I mentioned above, the following wonderful individuals also participated in OCFF Art Beat at Folk Alliance 2013: Jon Brooks, Mama D, Nancy Dutra, Glenna Garramone, Graydon James, Andrew Queen, and Luther Wright. If you are an artist who will be attending the 2013 OCFF conference in October, why not consider participating in Art Beat? It will take, at most, a couple of hours of your time, and you’ll head back to the conference remembering why you started playing music in the first place.

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diSCOVEriNg ThE OThEr CANAdA by Jay Aymar

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I stood blurry-eyed, half scorched from the hot prairie sun beating down onto the back of my neck. It was not a great day to wear black. In front of me sat a handful of enthusiastic onlookers. Perched atop a flatbed trailer, my eyes fixed on a cobblestone trail winding through a growing crowd, leading to the site of an old county jail. I could hear ghosts of generations past, playing rural music while Prairie families danced beneath an ocean of stars. I could sense the crowd waiting with eager anticipation for the first strum…the first words…the first sign of celebration. “Happy Canada Day, Bruno, Saskatchewan!” I screamed. And so the ceremony began. This was my thirty-sixth show of the tour and it felt like my finest moment. Wait a minute, where was I? Bruno, Saskatchewan? I’d left Saskatoon in the early morning en route to Bruno for that Canada Day show. Still reeling in the big-city afterglow of opening for a poetry slam the night before, I relished this morning drive. As the city of Saskatoon faded in my rear view, so did the memories of Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax. Within miles, I felt the calm of the wheat fields, surrounding me like an ocean of stillness; I could hear the sounds of banjos, fiddles, guitars and accordions. I could sense our heritage, our roots, our culture rising from the land as I approached this small town on what we once knew as Dominion Day.

In truth, it was only the beginning of an odyssey that would lead me to small towns across Canada for several years to come. It was my introduction to ‘the other Canada’. It’s where we hear the yodeling of Hank Snow, the drums of a powwow circle, an Irish reel, a traditional polka, or a wedding waltz ringing out from a village hall. It’s where you can feel the stillness of Tom Thomson or the hilarity of Stephen Leacock. It’s Canada Day in Bruno, Saskatchewan or a Friday night in Wakefield, Quebec. It’s a Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Stony Plain, Alberta, or a house concert in Nanaimo, BC. It’s a lobster dinner in the Acadian village of Saulnierville, Nova Scotia or a singalong around a campfire in Onanole, Manitoba. There is indeed a unique voice to this other Canada where authentic roots music is not only welcomed — it’s required. Here, people will tell you how appreciative they are that you’ve taken the time to visit and perform in their town; these are folk who’ve stood fast against time, working the fields, farms and small factories while a high-tech world clips by them at a frenetic pace. They embrace the culture of generations past: the stories, the rituals and the songs. This other Canada so wants to be remembered for its heritage – its unique landscape, people and voices. Enter with humility and you will leave with new friends, a new song and maybe a few new fans. The days roll by and the CBC crackles out of the car speakers

as I move on to the next series of shows in even more remote unknown Canadian towns. I find myself in Longview, Alberta, home to the last vestiges of the old west. Working cowboys dot the landscape as I imagine hearing Ian Tyson songs drifting down from the eastern slopes. I excitedly work my way toward Twin Butte, Alberta where I anticipate a show at The General Store. This will be my first time through but I’ve heard the stories: “Good thing you aren’t playing on a weekend! Those country boys can get mighty rowdy in there!” Perfect! When I arrive the host informs me that the turnout will be small. “We have at least ten folks showing up so don’t take it personally. It’s pretty hard to compete with these hockey playoffs!” But this “quiet night” will offer me something more perfect than a crowded folk venue in the big city: intimacy. The show begins and it’s an honest exchange of emotions that flow between us at ten paces. I learn about the dangers of high winds and rising creeks, and they learn about unknown parts of small town and big city Canada, told through song. Suddenly, as if transported through time, I look up to hear the bagpipes leading my aunt’s casket out of the church. I’m home. I blink for a minute, and awake in Hilton Beach, Ontario, the tiny village of my youth, where the ceremony begins again. This time the conversation is personal. Tonight the stories are familiar and we’ll sing our

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songs together. It’s difficult to explain how this little village has so shaped my worldview — the local cenotaph, the baseball diamond, the government dock, the fishing holes, the apple trees, Neil Young’s songs, my mom and dad. At ten years old I heard the bagpipes lead the annual parade through this tiny village; suddenly I’m back again but this time I’m hosting a musical celebration with my own family in the place that started it all. Like the cenotaph, I will be a part of this landscape, remembered for the ceremony carried on long after

I’m gone. In this other Canada we maintain and cherish our traditions. As Canada Day in Bruno comes to an end, I am sitting at a table of new friends, talking politics, sex, religion, music and the history of the community, my fingers sore, my eyes tired from a day of work and play. I look up from my guitar to a gentle voice saying, “So what do you think of our town so far?” “It’s no different than any other small town I’ve been to,” I reply. Then I pause. “No, wait a minute. It’s totally different.” The other Canada — Bruno,

Longview, Hilton Beach —is waiting for us with open arms. Most of us love the tango of the big city, but if you want to, you can slow it down to a waltz and discover the beauty of another Canada. Listen closely. What’s that you hear? Sounds like beautiful music.

Jay Aymar is a singer and songwriter; his latest album Overtime marks his sixth CD to date. Each year he plays close to 200 shows, many of them in small towns and villages across Canada. www.jayaymar

membership has its privileges…

• Lower rates on all OCFF products and services. For example, individual members can recoup the cost of their membership just by getting the member rate to attend the annual conference.• Reference letters for arts grants or visas to work in the US.• Discounts on products and services from our partners:

• Folk Alliance International• Canadian Music Week• Harris Institute• Bandzoogle (web sites)• Favequest (mobile apps)

• Discount rates at DeltaHotels using our exclusive booking portal• Voting privileges at the an-nual meeting• For organizational andfestival members, access toemployee benefits programsthrough Ottawa Festivals With rates starting at $25 for youth, $40 for individuals, and $100 for organizations, why not become a member?

When you click on Member Login at www.ocff.ca and fill in the fields as you see them here, you can:• Browse the online directory. Contact info for other members who have completed their profiles can be found here.• Check your account status

and renew to get all those discounts And we get up-to-date information about you, so that you get the publications and other information you need from us ASAP. It’s quick, it’s simple, and everybody wins!

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ThE WAY WE’VE FELT by Jory Nash

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An informal history of “The Way We Feel,” an annual celebration of Gordon Lightfoot’s music Every January for the past 11 years a rotating cast of about 15 Canadian folk/roots musicians have gathered at Hugh’s Room in Toronto to celebrate the songs of Gordon Lightfoot. A few times over the years the show has traveled across Ontario to theatres in Ottawa, Guelph, Meaford, Parry Sound, North Bay and more. The show is called “The Way We Feel” and over 100 Canadian roots musicians have participated. Each year the shows sell out, sometimes as many as 4 nights, and more often than not Mr. Lightfoot himself makes an appearance and plays a song or two. But how did the show even come to be? And why does it continue year after year? Sometime in late 2001 my good friend and fellow singer-songwriter Aengus Finnan and I were in his old van on the way to some gig when we got to talking about Gordon Lightfoot’s music. We were both extreme Gordfans, owning most of his albums and convinced he was Canada’s most

important songwriter. Aengus loved Lightfoot’s romanticism and storytelling; I loved how his records sounded (and as a fellow mop-topped curly-headed songwriter I felt a special kinship with the Sundown-era Gord). We both felt Lightfoot was sadly disappearing from the Canadian musical consciousness. You just didn’t hear much Gord on the radio anymore. This was also the era of the tribute album. I’m Your Fan and Back to the Garden had been released. But where was Gord’s? Aengus & I started dreaming up plans. We made lists, both actual and theoretical, of artists we’d like on our album. We gave little thought to financing or recording logistics, but we were convinced we had a great idea. It would feature a mixture of established and up-and-coming Canadian folk musicians. T h e n w e h e a r d r i v a l rumblings of a Lightfoot tribute album that would feature the Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Quartette, and more. This Goliath led us to cancel plans for our little David of an album. But then we had a new idea for

a live concert: multiple acts, all performing Lightfoot songs, kind of a mini Gordapalooza. As fate would have it, a new folk club in Toronto was opening up. Hugh’s Room aimed to fill a void between the many 50-seat clubs and 500-seat theatres in town: a classic dinner and show room, with folk music as the main attraction. Aengus called Holmes Hooke, the new “short-term” booker, and he agreed to give us one Saturday night in early January 2003. Aengus and I started making lists again, of artists we wanted to approach to be in the show, potential house band members and emcee possibilities. And then…While we were planning, Gordon Lightfoot was preparing for a hometown show in Orillia. He lay down on his dressing room floor complaining of stomach pains. It was an aneurysm. For the next six weeks, he was comatose, and a nation which had begun to take him for granted held its collective breath. And our little show took on a life of its own. Suddenly the press was calling us. The good people at

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the Ottawa Folk Festival asked if we could bring the show to Ottawa, with their help. Hugh’s Room had their first sellout and asked us to add a second night. The line-up crystalized and plans snowballed. We got food donated for the artists, hotels rooms booked at severely reduced rates. Artists were being paid a small “honorarium” but that didn’t stop people like Valdy from paying for a flight to Ontario to take part. When asked why, Valdy told me, “Because it’s the right thing to do.” We d r o v e t h r o u g h a snowstorm to get to Ottawa, rehearsed that afternoon and performed immediately after. Then we drove through a snowstorm to get back to Toronto (Terry Tufts spent the hairy drive with his head out the driver’s side window and a towel in his hand trying to keep the driver’s side window semi-clear) to play two sold-out nights at Hugh’s Room. I n r e t r o s p e c t t h e performances were rough and unrehearsed, but there was an undeniable magic in the air for all three shows. People sang along to songs they knew, and listened hard to ones they didn’t.

Artists put unique musical spins on Lightfoot classics: this was not Gordon Lightfoot karaoke. And when it was over, people came up to Aengus and me and said thank you, and asked if we planned on doing it all again next year. Truthfully, it was only supposed to be a one-year thing. We hadn’t really thought about doing it again. We were just happy that we made more money than expected and could pay for all of Valdy’s flight. But the glow from those concerts kept us warm all winter and in spring we decided to remount the show, but we’d change the participating artists, to keep it fresh. And that formula has continued for 11 years. Each year I bring back some old favourites and each year I introduce a number of artists new to the show. It’s always a mix of styles, from folk to blues to jazz to pop. Older, established artists (Ken Whiteley, James Keelaghan, Catherine McKinnon, Laura Smith, Garnet Rogers, Dan Hill, Ian Tamblyn, The Good Brothers) . Art ists at the forefront of contemporary folk music in Canada (Old Man Luedecke, Oh Susanna, Rick

Fines, Suzie Vinnick, Justin Rutledge, Ron Sexsmith). Up and comers (Ariana Gillis, Jadea Kelly, Matthew Barber, Liam Titcomb). Solo acts (Katherine Wheatley, John Wort Hannam, Dave Gunning), duos (Dala, Madison Violet, Twilight Hotel, The Undesirables, Digging Roots), trios (The Good Lovelies) even a quartet of a cappella jazzmen (Cadence). After five years Aengus stepped aside as co-producer to found the wonderful Shelter Valley folk festival. He still performs as a special guest every few years. It’s been 11 years and I’m not yet even close to getting tired of producing the show, of singing these wonderful songs. Each year we rehearse the show a day before the first performance. I gather the house band (the show’s secret weapon: Jason Fowler, David Woodhead, Christine Bougie and David Matheson are the musical glue that hold it together) to go over the chosen songs with all the artists on the bill that year and I always get goose bumps when I first hear how artists have arranged these great songs. Then I get to Hugh’s Room to soundcheck, and go over the running order with our talented and erudite host, David Newland, and I watch the crowd arrive, the room abuzz, the faces I haven’t seen since last year’s shows and I know exactly why we keep doing this show. Mike Ford once shouted after he finished a rousing version of “Black Day in July”: “There is a Gord!” Yes there is, thankfully, and his music will forever be worth celebrating. Jory Nash is a cofounder of The Way We Feel. His latest album, Little Pilgrim, was released in November 2012.

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May / maiMay/mai - September/septembreHARBOURFRONT CENTRE SUMMEREVENTS - Toronto416-973-4000info@harbourfrontcentre.comwww.harbourfrontcentre.com

June / juinJune 14 - 16 juinTOTTENHAM BLUEGRASSFESTIVAL - Tottenham905-936-4100888-886-4566tottenhamchamberofcommerce@bellnet.cawww.tottenhambluegrass.ca

July / juilletJuly 4 - 14 juilletRBC ROYAL BANKBLUESFEST - [email protected]

July 4 - 7 juilletTD SUNFEST ‘13 - [email protected]

July 5 - 7 juilletMARIPOSA FOLK FESTIVAL - [email protected]

July 5 - 7 juilletNORTHERN LIGHTS FESTIVALBORÉAL - [email protected]

July 12 - 14 juilletCANTERBURY FOLKFESTIVAL - Ingersollcanterburyfolkfestival@ingersoll.cawww.canterburyfolkfestival.on.ca

July 12 - 14 juilletFESTIVAL DU LOUP ET MUSÉEVIVANT DE LAFONTAINE - [email protected]

July 19 - 21 juilletHOME COUNTY MUSIC & ARTFESTIVAL - [email protected]

July 19 - 21 juilletRIVER AND SKY MUSIC/CAMPING FESTIVAL - [email protected]. riverandsky.ca

July 19 - 21 juilletSTEWART PARK FESTIVAL- [email protected]

July 26 - 28 juilletHILLSIDE FESTIVAL- Guelph519-763-6396executivedirector@hillsidefestival.cawww.hillsidefestival.ca

August / aoûtAugust 2 - 4 aoûtBLUE SKIES MUSICFESTIVAL - Clarendon Station613-279-2610

August 2 - 4 aoûtTHE MILL RACE FESTIVAL OFTRADITIONAL FOLK MUSIC- Cambridge519-621-7135mill_race@yahoo.comwww.millracefolksociety.com

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OCFF mEmBEr FESTiVALS

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August 9 - 11 aoûtFERGUS SCOTTISH FESTIVALAND HIGHLAND GAMES - Fergus519-787-0099866-871-9442info@fergusscottishfestival.comwww.fergusscottishfestival.com

August 9 - 11 août GODERICH CELTIC ROOTSFESTIVAL - Goderich519-524-8221festival@celticfestival.cawww.celticfestival.ca

August 9 - 11 aoûtLIVE FROM THE ROCKFOLK FESTIVAL - Red Rock807-886-9910redrockfolkfestival@gmail.comwww.livefromtherockfolkfestival.com

August 9 - 11 aoûtTROUT FOREST MUSIC FESTIVAL- Ear [email protected]

August 16 - 18 aoûtSUMMERFOLK MUSIC & CRAFTSFESTIVAL - Owen [email protected]

August 23 - 25 aoûtEAGLEWOOD FOLK FESTIVAL- [email protected]

August 23 - 25 aoûtPETERBOROUGH FOLK FESTIVAL- [email protected]

August 30 août - September 1 septembreSHELTER VALLEY FOLK FESTIVAL- Grafton905-349-2788festival@sheltervalley.comwww.sheltervalley.com

September / septembreSeptember 5 - 8 septembreOTTAWA FOLK FESTIVAL - [email protected]

September 26 septembre - October 6 octobreSMALL WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL- Toronto416-536-5439info@smallworldmusic.comwww.smallworldmusic.com

October / octobreOctober 17 - 20 octobreTHE ONTARIO COUNCIL OF FOLKFESTIVALS 27TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Mississauga613-560-5997 / [email protected]

October 24 - 30 octobreOTTAWA INTERNATIONALWRITERS FESTIVAL - Ottawa613-562-1243info@writersfestival.orgwww.writersfestival.org

February 2014 févrierWINTERFOLK XII - [email protected]

February 28 février - March 3 marsWINTER FOLK CAMP- Haliburton705-754-3655info@haliburtonfolk.comwww.winterfolkcamp.com

April 2014 avrilOTTAWA INTERNATIONALWRITERS FESTIVAL - Ottawa613-562-1243info@writersfestival.orgwww.writersfestival.org

August 2014 aoûtAugust 26 août - September 1 septembreASHKENAZ FESTIVAL - Toronto416-979-9901sam@ashkenazfestival.comwww.ashkenazfestival.com

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A new report from the UK’s Green Festival Alliance, The Power Be-hind Festivals: A guide to sustainable power at outdoor events, came out at the end of 2012. Folk Prints spoke with one of the authors of the report, Chris Johnson, AD of the Shambala

Festival in Bristol, UK, about power generation and sustainability.

FOLK PRINTS: What prompted the decision to look at the issue of power generation at music festivals – did you know as a festival organizer that power generation was an issue?

As a festival we were frustrated by the mystique around how power worked, and not being in control of the fuel bill. We also wanted to have an impact on our energy footprint, which meant understanding and reducing power consump-tion. After transport, which to a certain extent is beyond the scope of the festival, power is a significant element of emissions.

FOLK PRINTS: If someone were to take the advice in your report, what benefits would be gained? And in that case, why haven’t festival organizers thought about this already?

We believe most events can achieve at least a 10% reduction in fuel and emissions by following the guide. I personally achieved a 30% reduction in fuel at our festival in one year. Power has been low on the agenda in the past as fuel has been cheap, and the relationship between organizer and power supplier has been based on ‘just make it work’. Unlike fencing or toilets, power is com-plicated, which has acted as a barrier to festival organizers understanding the issues and taking control.

FOLK PRINTS: If festivals were able to better manage their power consumption, what other

things should they then take on to improve their environmental performance?

Key aspects include power, recycling and having an influence on transport. I’m also passionate about food in terms of food miles, ethics and what it’s served in. This has wider implications than purely carbon footprint.

FOLK PRINTS: Talk about the fact that power management is not just better for the environment, but better for business.

Cost cutting has to be part of how any environ-mental agenda is presented in business, as it’s usually the key driver for decisions. The fact that diesel is ever increasing in cost is helping to bring this issue into focus. But the benefits are most likely to be in carbon savings and the ability of organizations to demonstrate they are doing things the right way to their audiences.

FOLK PRINTS: Do you know if the conclusions you made in your report are as applicable to North America, with its 110V system, as they are to the 220V UK system? Power deficiency is applicable at any scale and to any system.

FOLK PRINTS: Should this be as big a priority for musicians and the “consumers” of power as it should be for the “producers” of power – the festivals themselves?

I think that to make a real difference with power efficiency everyone involved in the chain of decision-making needs to take part. If festival organizers as ‘clients’ work with their power suppliers, their staff teams, artists and other contractors, we can make a difference. Europe is well ahead in energy culture and literacy, but the idea of energy efficiency is also becoming more normal in the UK with energy monitors in homes and on all electrical appliances, so we are effectively attempting to mirror this in the events industry.

gENErATiNg NEW idEAS

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OCFF MEMBER GREEN INITIATIVES

Lots of green initiatives are in place at OCFF member festivals:• In Ottawa, the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest was a pioneer in using compostable corn-based cups for its beverage sales, and the Ottawa Folk Festival has a number of well-established green initiatives from being water-bottle free and of-fering water “filling stations” to a no-disposable-dish food fair.• London’s TD Sunfest has no wastebaskets on site – they have ecostations where festivalgo-

Toronto’s Mr. Something Something, known for its green politics and “dancefloor activism”, has put together Canada’s first bicycle-powered PA system, the SoundCycle

ers can separate out their trash. They also have banned disposable shopping bags from the site, so CD sales and the like go into reusable bags or backpacks.• Orillia’s Mariposa Festival is working with its community partner The Twin Lakes Conserva-tion Club on initiatives including promoting bi-cycle use as transport to and from the festival. • Shelter Valley is known for its Sustainability Village on site, where people can learn about everything from vermiculture to beekeeping to organic gardening.

hAVE YOU mOVEd?

Please take a moment to call us at 613-560-5997 / 1-866-292-6233, or email your new details to [email protected]

Be sure to include your name, postal address, phone number, email address and website,as well as any business contact information. Thanks for helping us keep our records straight!

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We all go to conferences – the OCFF and other ones too. Here are a few tips from conference vets to help you make the most of your conference experiences:

Pre-conference:

Shawna Caspi, OCFF director and singer-songwriter: Plan your meals ahead of time. You’ll save money, eat healthier, and prep in advance before all your time gets sucked away by the conference.

At the conference:

D o n B i r d , B i r d s w o r d Productions: Always change your socks at the supper break.

Adam Lomas, Marcato Digital Solutions: Aim for a healthy balance of work hard/play hard. The conference organizers have brought these delegates together in one place to meet you and learn about your projects – get to know them, learn from their experience and keep in touch even after the event is over. Seek out the experts you’ve met and strike up a conversation. They’re only in town for a few days, so learn while the learning’s good! Always take the opportunity to introduce yourself to who you’re standing with in an elevator or sitting next to in a conference panel. Leave the conference venue better than you found it. Show your respect for the hotel’s hospitality by being equally polite and not leaving it in too big a mess when you depart. Go back through the cards and notes of folks you met and the meetings you had and identify next actions to keep those relationships moving

forward.

David Newland, singer-songwriter and editor-in-chief, Roots Music Canada: Go to bed when you start to feel tired. I’ve never regretted not staying up, but I’ve often regretted staying up. Don’t finish the bottle. Go to breakfast.

B o b L e D r e w, O C F F M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s Manager: You know those wee Sharpies that Ticketpro handed out at last year’s conference? Hook one to your lanyard, then every time you take someone’s business card, use the Sharpie to scribble what you need to do with it on the back, then put it in your badge-holder. When you get back to “real life,” you have a to-do list right at the end of your lanyard.

Michael Wrycraft, A Man Called Wrycraft: Schmooze through osmosis and having fun rather than trying to aggressively achieve a long list of wants.

Everything happens in small steps, and you will gather your small successes as you go and exploit them where you can. Have fun and make many new friends. And if it’s your very first one, go and watch and experience, drink it in and go back the next year armed and prepared.

Post-conference:

Gaby Harvey, Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association: Do not schedule a single thing for the day after a conference, or perhaps even for two days.

Candace Shaw, Harbourfront C e n t r e : O r … s c h e d u l e lightweight, fun social things immediately after, for an easier come-down! And don’t feel like everyone else went with a better plan or left having achieved more. Everyone feels like they didn’t quite accomplish enough after a conference, from bookers to artists.

CONFErENCE TipS FrOm ThE prOS

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Chopper McKinnon 1947-2013

"I am [email protected] I love you"

Your many friends and associates miss you. Thanks for sharing yourself with us.

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northern lights festival boréal 42July 5·6·7, 2013Bell Park · SudburyfeaturingSerena RyderThe Good BrothersBuck 65Cœur de Pirate Lynn Miles

Serving the folk, jazz, classical, blues, festival and arts communities and various

discerning corporate clients since 1996

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The Board of Directors of the OCFF needs to fill five Director positions for the 2013-2016 term. Directors are elected by the membership via advanced balloting during the summer and live balloting at the annual conference. The board is responsible for creating the OCFF’s policies, for fundraising, and for strategic planning. The Executive Director reports to the board; the board is in turn responsible to the membership. Directors of the OCFF commit to a three-year term with the board. During that time each board member is expected to chair a board committee, sit on an additional committee and may also be considered for a position on the Executive Committee. If you are interested in running for a position on the board, watch out for the call for nominations this summer. This is your chance to help shape the country’s foremost advocate for the folk, roots and traditional community.

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ChANgE iS iN ThE Air

At the Annual General Meeting during the 2012 OCFF conference, the membership voted to change the name of the OCFF to help people better understand who we are and what we do. The legalities of the name change have recently been sorted out, and we can now refer to our organization as Folk Music Ontario. Over the next few months, we will be working on a comprehensive new design for our website, magazine, letterhead, business cards, and all other media. In the meantime, if you call the office (613-560-6997 in Ottawa or toll-free at 1-866-292-6233) and we answer with “Folk Music Ontario”, don’t worry – you’ve called the right place!

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ThANK YOU FOr YOUr SUppOrT!

FUNDERS

SpoNSoRS

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pARTNERS

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