BC musicians
Cory Weeds’s Cellar Jazz Club an unusual success story
Vancouver is littered with the wreckage of jazz clubs that have failed. Fire, bureaucracy, inertia, and indifference have all taken their toll; running a “listening room” in this city is, at best, an uphill battle. And then there’s the record industry. Those little silvery discs that contain music just aren’t selling like they used to, [...]
Music awards back after hiatus
The Vancouver Island Music Awards are calling for submissions from Vancouver Island musicians. The submission period will remain open until the Dec. 31 deadline. To be eligible, artists must have had residency on the island(s) for a minimum of six months, have released their album between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010, must be [...]
Kenneth Hsieh takes a classic approach to the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra
On a parked car, a bumper sticker featuring a short musical quote says: “If you can read this, thank a music teacher” — not at all a bad slogan, and one which set the tone for a reception at a west-side home last Sunday for patrons and special friends of the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra. Part [...]
Nelson: New spirit of the radio
Nelson’s newest radio station is promising to be “live, local, and community focused” while regularly including local artists in its music rotation. Friday noon saw the official launch of 103.5 The Bridge, formerly Mountain FM, at a newly renovated studio at 318 Hall Street. While Mountain FM was a classic rock station, The Bridge’s format [...]
Prince George: Small venue resurgence
Want to start a Revolution? Get some talented local musicians together, form a band (call them, say, Revolution) then make them part of a larger vision to bring other talented artists, groups and great music to downtown Prince George. Pretty soon everyone will want live music with their morning coffee. It’s coming. Artspace and Cafe [...]
North Vancouver: Sound of music heard on Bakerstreet, With his ear for music, Paul Baker is the man behind the glass in this B.C. studio
He is the man you never hear from. Or about. But beneath the ocean of notes that stream out from every speaker, the voice of a man like Paul Baker resonates. He is the sound technician whose ear for pitch is his master craft. Paul Baker operates the eponymous Bakerstreet Studios – named for Sherlock [...]
Kelowna: Local arts society suffers 75% grant cut
The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is feeling the harsh impacts of cuts to the BC Arts Council grants. Music Director Rosemary Thomson says their usual grant amounted to about $30,000, but this time, they’re only getting $7,600. That amounts to a 75 percent slash. Thomson says, “It only confirms what I’ve been coming to believe about [...]
Kelowna: Funding cut a sour note for OK symphony
If there is a local poster child for the devastating cuts to arts organizations, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra surely fits the bill. After slicing and dicing plans for its 50th anniversary program, but still putting on a show for local audiences, this summer the OSO society was dealt a crushing blow. “We just received our [...]
Kutapira bangs drums for culture, crowds, Young and energetic, raucous and rhythmic, this ensemble can bring life to the streets
There’s the usual rainbow coalition of foot traffic at the corner of Granville and Robson on a sweltering summer afternoon, and it gets some added bustle as five young men lug an arsenal of instruments into the mix. They’re toting soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, a drum kit, timbales – cylindrical metal drums of Cuban [...]
Nanaimo: VIS relies on community support
This Saturday, the Vancouver Island Symphony gives back to the community to thank classical music lovers for their ongoing support during the 16 years the VIS has been in existence. The VIS’s 10th annual Symphony in the Harbour takes place at 6 p.m. an the Lions Band Shell in Maffeo-Sutton Park. The annual free concert [...]
Capital region could host Junos in 2013
The organization responsible for bringing the Juno Awards to Vancouver in 2009 released a report yesterday outlining plans that would bring the event to the capital region in 2013. Vancouver-based Music B.C. compiled the report, which supports a potential multimillion-dollar bid that would see Victoria host the annual music industry awards show for the first [...]
We must support this music copyright bill to ensure fair play
Having worked in the music business for 20 years, I have witnessed profound changes. For the most part, these changes have been driven by the massive influence of the Internet. Music was hit early on by the phenomenon of file-sharing on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, due to compression technology and small file sizes. The first big [...]
Grand Forks: No more concerts at Jogas
Musicians from out of town won’t be playing at Jogas Espresso Cafe for the foreseeable future say owners Roger and Donna Soviskov. Acts from out of town had been booking gigs at the cafe and the Soviskov’s say that while there have been crowds of as many as 50 people in the past, there is [...]
Music icons autograph auction items for Vancouver Music Industry’s award gala
On July 28 and 29, the Vancouver Music Industry (VMI) will host its fifth annual award gala and charity golf tournament to help raise money for the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach and Music BC. This year’s event will be the biggest in the organization’s history, and it includes an auction with some big-ticket items going [...]
Rhythm, roots, and rebellion at the 2010 Vancouver Folk Music Festival: The 2010 Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a showcase for artists who use songs as tools for social change
Country songwriter Harlan Howard once defined his chosen genre as “three chords and the truth”, but that was before Nashville became just one more branch plant for the global entertainment industry. It’s still a great slogan, though, especially when applied to a lot of the acts booked for the 2010 edition of the Vancouver Folk [...]
