Summer was busy and rewarding. I did not anticipate such success, running the Canning Kitchen Party! We had full houses at most of the shows, some sweet jam sessions afterwards, and a lot of great music came through our little town. Big fat thanks to the sponsors and musicians. Let’s do that again.
Now I’ve hit the ground running with fall, back to school, and new projects to juggle. I’m running two ukulele groups; one in Wolfville on Monday evenings, and a big one in Woodville on Wednesday mornings with THIRTY-FIVE ukuleles and guitars. It is awesome. Message me if you’re interested in joining Monday’s group, or signing up for private lessons. I’m also looking at starting a uke group for kids so stay tuned for that.
Other irons in the fire:
How To Let Go was nominated for Folk Recording of the Year by the Nova Scotia Music Awards! I’ll be showcasing at Nova Scotia Music Week in Truro on November 9. I’m trying out a new collaboration, with Persian instrumentalist Mohammad Sahraei. Mohammad and I both studied ethnomusicology, on opposite sides of the world. We both love some persnickety gut and skin stringed instruments, and modal folk songs. Some of these instruments and the tunes that are played on them have travelled around the globe in very long and indirect paths, and we are finding the relationships that bring them back together with the tar, setar, dotar, guitar, and banjo. Meagan Osburn is one of the sweet voices of the Dearlies, and also a founder and former owner of the Union Street Cafe, one of the best venues for live music in Nova Scotia. She will be my wing-man for the conference and I am very glad to have her voice on my songs! I am really excited to put these sounds together for you!
Ceramics artist Teresa Bergen and I are working on a multi-media show. She is putting together a gorgeous, whimsical mechanical theatre on wheels to accompany new songs I am writing, for kids and adults. We envision tiny tours of libraries, but are open to ideas expanding, as they do.
Terra Spencer became one of my favourite musicians when I first heard her last year at the Deep Roots festival, and I am very happy to be included in her Judee Sill tribute concert, coming up in Halifax at the Art Bar Nov. 23, with a great line-up of women singing those wild songs, with a killer backup band.
The Coax Records label has added me to the roster. I love this label and these brilliant, outside-the-box musicians. So glad to be among them, and planning a big tour in March 2020 with Rae Spoon and a large, weird ensemble. We’re starting in Yukon! Very thrilled to see old friends and play in those dear familiar spaces again. Then we go to Yellowknife, Alberta, and Ontario/Quebec. Mohammad Sahraei will be in the band, and I’m excited for him to see some far-flung corners of Canada.
I’m also continuing to help put on shows in Canning and elsewhere, after a little breather from that intense summer. I’m starting an improvising music series at my new space in the Conundrum Press headquarters in Wolfville, starting with a sweet Sunday afternoon show with Phil Dennis aka Horry Leden and John McKiel followed by an improvising session open to all. Kristen Hatt Lewis/ the Lewinskis and I will do a show at the Village Coffeehouse on Saturday Nov. 30.
There is so much to do! I’ve got to go practice now. xo K