Musicworks

Exciting news about our friend Heather Kelly, whom we've enjoyed working with over the years during Toronto's 21C Music Festival. "Heather Kelly, of HKC Marketing, has taken over the helm of Akimbo from Kim Fullerton, its founder." Congratulations Heather! https://akimbo.ca//kim-fullerton-departs-akimbo-heather-k/

We're excited to see Lou Sheppard on 2021 longlist for this prestigious award . . . congratulations to all the artists on the longlist! We're excited to feature Lou's ideas and work in (and on!) the next issue of Musicworks -- cover revealed soon! Visit our shop to renew/subscribe or pre-order a single copy!

Congratulations Olivia Shortt, Artist Page for being named one of the finalists for the Toronto Arts Foundation's 2021 Emerging Artist Award! Get to know Olivia by reading our Winter 2020/21 feature "The Glittery World of Olivia Shortt" by Chaka V. Grier - now posted! https://www.musicworks.ca/glittery-world-olivia-shortt Congrats to all the TAF 2021 awards finalists!

Our friends Suoni Per Il Popolo in Montreal announce some of the A M A Z I N G artists participating in the 2021 festival, running June 3 - 21! We're excited to see some past, present, and future (!) artists from our pages in the mix.

"Her latest release, DNA Activation, both lives up to and expands on the achievement of her stunning 2018 solo debut, The Golden Octave," writes Chaka V. Grier of Witch Prophets Polaris Music Prize 2020 Short Listed album , which is released on Heart Lake Records! Review from Musicworks 137 (Fall 2020) now posted for your reading pleasure. https://www.musicworks.ca/revi/witch-prophet-dna-activation

"Reflecting the breezy looseness of Vancouver, the city in which it was recorded, Vortex by the ITACA 4et moves with the lightness and ebullience of cool West Coast jazz, with jagged sonic shoals just beneath the surface," writes Ken Waxman. ITACA 4et = Franois Houle + Nick Fraser + Alessandro Fedrigo + Nicola Fazzini. Read the review now!

What a great adventure offer by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra - a free six-week class exploring women composers taught by Saskatoon composer and guitarist Kendra Harder - Composer. The first class has taken place but we're pretty sure you can still sign up . . . Musicworks editor Jennie Punter did

"Covering almost four decades of Hope Lees writing for the piano, Across the Veiled Distances encompasses a wide musical investigation in a retrospective album of her evolving relationship to the instrument." Read Monica Pearces review of this aptly titled Centrediscs release of Hope Lees piano compositions, performed by Yumiko Meguri.

This is our first issue fully produced and published during COVID-19 times. Were grateful to the coast-to-coast community of contributors, artists, and supporters who keep us connected and inspired. Were excited to feature the writing of three new contributors to Musicworks in this issue - Mercedes Webb writes the cover story on Casey Koyczan, Peggy Hogan interviews guitarist Eliza Kavtion, and Amy Brandon (profiled in our Fall 2019 issue!) explores factors that sparked Canadian guitar-and-electronics composition in the 1970s and surveys its development from then to today. Read more about the Fall 2020 issue now!

Dont miss our guitar-heavy Fall 2020 mix, available in analog print format with optional CD sonic enhancement! Preorder today or subscribe to support Musicworks year-round. Visit our shop to peruse the Fall lineup of artists and writers: Susan Alcorn, Jesse Locke, Amy Brandon,Brennan McCracken, Markus Floats,Cedes Webb, Casey Koyczan, Eliza Kavtion, Peggy Hogan, Aidan Baker, Michael Rancic, Arkora, Tova Kardonne, C.Diab, YlangYlang, Sonny Greenwich, Alexander Varty . . . and more.

"When our ancient ancestors gazed up at the tiny dots of light illuminated against the inky black darkness of the night sky, they were captivated by the mysterious and beautiful spectacle displayed before them." Jordan Nobles' #Chiaroscuro reviewed by Griffin Martell: https://bit.ly/3hLdnQl #canadianmade #vancouver

Musicworks friends far and wide, get ready to wing it today with International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation Improv Fest 2020 starting tonight . . . depending on where you hang your hat these days This is an international collaborative adventure that is sure to excite your earbuds. We are setting our alarms and tuning in, how about you?

If you are unable to go canoeing this summer, this gorgeous performance by Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa of 3 pieces by Rodney Sharman will take your imagination to your favourite paddling destination. Presented by Music On Main, recorded in December 2019 in Vancouvers Heritage Hall.

We are tuning in tonight! Fun fact: The quartets bassist Markus Lake (Markus Floats) is interviewed by Brennan McCracken in Musicworks 137, dropping early August. Other Montreal artists in the mix: Eliza Kavtion and YlangYlang. Hit the button on our FB page to preorder the issue, subscribe or renew!

Free-spirited exploratory ethos! "FET.NATs music is conceived as fiction first. Rather than transposing their organic ensemble interplay to the studio, they work in the opposite direction, reverse-engineering their recordings for the stage," writes Nick Storring in Spring 2020 feature on the Gatineau quartet. Read it now and let their streaming track "Patio Monday" take you back to . . . yesterday. a va ?

Don't miss our guitar-heavy Fall 2020 mix, available in analog print format with optional CD sonic enhancement! Preorder today or subscribe to support Musicworks year-round. Visit our shop to peruse the Fall lineup of artists and writers: Susan Alcorn, Jesse Locke, Amy Brandon,Brennan McCracken, Markus Floats,Cedes Webb, Casey Koyczan, Eliza Kavtion, Peggy Hogan, Aidan Baker, Michael Rancic, Arkora, Tova Kardonne, C.Diab, YlangYlang, Sonny Greenwich, Alexander Varty . . . and more.

Hey friends! Legendary Toronto poet, soundsinger, harmonica-blower AND longtime Musicworks copy editor Paul Dutton (Four Horsemen, CCMC) will perform a 30-minute set of old and new pieces this Sunday as part of Vox Effusis, a series of online voice- and text-based performances organized by the Sound Department of the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago for the Experimental Sound Studios Quarantine Concert Series. Sunday, July 26, 8:00 p.m. EDT (the 7 p.m. on post is CT) 8:00 AJ McClenon (US) 8:30 Paul Dutton (CA) 9:00 Carol Genetti (US)

Warming up your Friday with a just-lauched video of a beautiful new composition by Sheenah Ko, composed and recorded as part of her pandemic-times residency at Centre dExprimentation Musicale (our pals!). Amazing supergroup of players, perfect sound, and excellent lighting!

We are tuning in tonight! Fun fact: The quartet's bassist Markus Lake (Markus Floats) is interviewed by Brennan McCracken in Musicworks 137, dropping early August. Other Montreal artists in the mix: Eliza Kavtion and YlangYlang. Hit the button on our FB page to preorder the issue, subscribe or renew!

Our friends at International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation have announced the AMAZING 150+ artists (from 15 countries) performing at their 24-hour festival, which unfolds August 7 2020. Free free music . . . whats not to love?

Congratulations Lido Pimienta for making the Short List of the 2020 Polaris Music Prize for your album Miss Colombia. Lido won the Polaris Prize in 2017 for her album La Papessa, and in 2014 when she was working on the music she talked to Musicworks writer Mary Dickie about her visual art practice, her evolution as a songwriter, and why its important to connect with audiences in fun, meaningful ways. "Its important to go out into the world, because the songs are about what happens in the world, not just my own experience. Congrats to all the 2020 Polaris Short List artists!

Congratulations milie Payeur Artiste Multidisciplinaire, 2020 winner of the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada Robert Fleming Prize! The $2000 prize is awarded to an exceptionally talented young Canadian composer to further their career development. milie is a multidisciplinary artist, with a graduate diploma in electroacoustic music composition. She lives and works in Montreal . . . and, as you can see, already has a celebratory balloon

We Vicky Chow! https://www.musicworks.ca/profile/vicky-chow-just-warming

From Lloydminster, Alberta, to the Big Apple, saxophonist / composer Erin Rogers has moved warp speed through a collaborative music career that is just warming up. Kurt Gottschalk interviewed her for our Spring 2020 issue. Erin performs twice this Sunday July 12 as part of Nief-Norfs Virtual Marathon Concert, which celebrates the Knoxville-based experimental music hubs 10th anniversary. Read Kurts feature and check out Erins amazing work! (Kurt reviews the new album from Hypercube, a quartet featuring Erin, in next months issue!)

Popebama - "Light-on-Light" Erin Rogers and Popebama duo partner Dennis Sullivan (percussion) exchange saxophones mid-piece, during a studio/video recording of Rogers Light-on-Light, January 2020. Photo by Zach Herchen

Look at the incredible lineup of Canadian & international artists our friends at Toronto Summer Music Festival put together . . . chamber-music lovers rejoice!

From our friends at Broken Pencil Magazine: ". . . print is now the very antidote needed to adjust for the weaknesses of web activism hyper-surveillance, mistrust, noise and barriers to access. Zines will do what code cannot."

Congratulations Émilie Payeur Artiste Multidisciplinaire, 2020 winner of the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada Robert Fleming Prize! The $2000 prize is awarded to an exceptionally talented young Canadian composer to further their career development. Émilie is a multidisciplinary artist, with a graduate diploma in electroacoustic music composition. She lives and works in Montreal . . . and, as you can see, already has a celebratory balloon

Congratulations to Toronto harpist Angela Schwarzkopf, whose beautiful debut CD "detach" received the 2020 The JUNO Awards for Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber! Released on Redshift Music Society, detach features compositions by Monica Pearce, Cecilia Livingston, Patrick Arteaga, Mark Nerenberg, Elisha Denburg, & Kevin Lau. Support Canadian music artists today (July 3). Its Bandcamp Friday. You know what to do.

Happy news from New Works Calgary!

Congratulations to Ana Sokolovi for receiving the 2020 The JUNO Awards for Classical Composition of the Year for "Evta." Read our Fall 2019 cover story, by Holly Harris, on this adventurous artist. "I can absolutely, proudly say that becoming Canadian helped me open the Pandoras box of my Serbian background, and led me to begin drawing on these elements related to Slavic music: its languages, stories, characters, and just the way of life, while putting it into a new context.

Congratulations to the fabulous Dominique Fils-Aim for receiving the 2020 The JUNO Awards for Best Vocal Jazz Album for Stay Tuned. Heres our Spring 2019 cover story, by Chaka V. Grier, on this exciting Montreal artist - we cant wait to hear what you do next, Dominique!

"Much of Xuan Yes work is concerned with breaking codesboth digital and culturaland with unlearning certain ways of being," writes Sara Constant in the Spring 2020 issue. "At the beginning of her experimental-music practice, she was drawn to sounds like screaming, electronics, and noise, as a means of disentangling herself from the pop and classical training of her upbringing." Xuan Ye talks to Sara about the experiences that have shaped her current approach to sound. Read the full story & listen to her gorgeous piano improvisation recorded in January at Upstream Music Associations Open Waters Festival.

POSTED: Great interview with musician-organizer Curtis Lefthand by first-time MW contributor Kyra Kordoski, from the Spring 2020 issue. Curtis is one of the people on the collective council that guides Indigenous Resilience in Music, an innovative organization "shaking things up," Curtis says, with creative programming like artist residencies and the Rhythm of the People Festival. Although some 2020 events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IRIM is actively expanding into digital spaces and collaborations and planning for 2021! Curtis is also a talented musician; the interview happened after his performance at Victorias Open Space during the When Raven Became Spider exhibition.

Congratulations to the fabulous Dominique Fils-Aimé for receiving the 2020 The JUNO Awards for Best Vocal Jazz Album for Stay Tuned. Here's our Spring 2019 cover story, by Chaka V. Grier, on this exciting Montreal artist - we can't wait to hear what you do next, Dominique!

Congrats to all the nominees of the 2020 Western Canadian Music Awards. Shout out to Indigenous Artist of the Year nominees Blue Moon Marquee (BC), Burnstick (MB), Celeigh Cardinal (AB), Riit (NV), and Snotty Nose Rez Kids (BC). Tip of the baton to Classical Composer of the Year nominees Carmen Braden (NT), Dorothy Chang (BC), Marcus Goddard (BC), Stephen Chatman (BC), and Vincent Ho (AB). Warm hug to Community Excellence Award nominees National Music Centre (AB), Red Tent (MB), the Vancouver Island Symphony (BC), West End Cultural Centre (MB), and Winnipeg Music Project (MB). Link to full list below!

"Much of Xuan Ye's work is concerned with breaking codesboth digital and culturaland with unlearning certain ways of being," writes Sara Constant in the Spring 2020 issue. "At the beginning of her experimental-music practice, she was drawn to sounds like screaming, electronics, and noise, as a means of disentangling herself from the pop and classical training of her upbringing." Xuan Ye talks to Sara about the experiences that have shaped her current approach to sound. Read the full story & listen to her gorgeous piano improvisation recorded in January at Upstream Music Association's Open Waters Festival.

Starting in less than 2 hours, folks. RSVP link in the post. Move your creativity in new directions!

"With at-your-throat lyrics exploring race, spirituality, cis-bigotry and gender, Backxwash is definitely in control of her creative realm," writes Chaka V. Grier in the Spring 2020 issue - full story now posted! Read it online or order the print issue from our shop why dont ya :) HUGE congrats to Backxwash for making the Polaris Music Prize Long List for her kickass & cerebral new album God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It.

Congratulations to the Canadian music artists on this years Polaris Music Prize Long List, announced today, including several who have graced our pages: Backxwash, Ayo Leilani (Witch Prophet), OBUXUM, Pantayo, Lido Pimienta, and Aquakultre. Your music sustains and inspires listeners, and opens our minds to realities outside of our own experiences.

This is going to be sweet! Warm up by reading Chaka V. Griers 2018 interview "The Ever-Evolving Sounds of Thanya Iyer" : https://www.musicworks.ca//ever-evolving-sounds-thanya-iyer

Congratulations to the Canadian music artists on this year's Polaris Music Prize Long List, announced today, including several who have graced our pages: Backxwash, Ayo Leilani (Witch Prophet), OBUXUM, Pantayo, Lido Pimienta, and Aquakultre. Your music sustains and inspires listeners, and opens our minds to realities outside of our own experiences.

Thanks to Celeste and Moulees Short Film Club for posting this today ... Enjoy! "DAY 89: TURNING TABLES (directed by Chrisann Hessing and produced by Tanya Hoshi) This is a spectacular film about Joshua DePerry, aka Classic Roots, a First Nations musician and how he is sharing his love for his culture through Pow Wow Techno."

This is going to be sweet! Warm up by reading Chaka V. Grier's 2018 interview "The Ever-Evolving Sounds of Thanya Iyer" : https://www.musicworks.ca//ever-evolving-sounds-thanya-iyer

Thanks to Celeste and Moulee's Short Film Club for posting this today ... Enjoy! "DAY 89: TURNING TABLES (directed by Chrisann Hessing and produced by Tanya Hoshi) This is a spectacular film about Joshua DePerry, aka Classic Roots, a First Nations musician and how he is sharing his love for his culture through 'Pow Wow Techno'."

To brighten this moment, the video for a lovely piece from Laraajis new album, Sun Piano, out next month. If you have more time, flip to Jesse Lockes beautiful feature profile "Laraaji, Forever Expanding in Experimental Directions" from our Fall 2019 issue. https://www.musicworks.ca/laraaji-forever-expanding-experim

Watch and listen to the mournful, land-meets-water, big-city groove of this warmly energetic piece written and performed by composer & sound artist Nancy Tam, originally created for MACHiNENOiSY Dance Societys PUSH 2019 show "Fragile Forms." Its the sixth of eight commissions from Vancouvers Music On Main as part of Little Chamber Musics Isolation Commission series.

To brighten this moment, the video for a lovely piece from Laraaji's new album, Sun Piano, out next month. If you have more time, flip to Jesse Locke's beautiful feature profile "Laraaji, Forever Expanding in Experimental Directions" from our Fall 2019 issue. https://www.musicworks.ca/laraaji-forever-expanding-experim

Montreals beloved Suoni Per Il Popolo Redux: 6 - 20 Juin 2020 officially starts today! Yay! Heres what they say about their 20th anniversary rendition: " . . . we have tried to reimagine how to have a festival during a global pandemic and how and what to present to you all. We are excited to announce a series of online concerts, workshops, films and talks. These events will feature a local cast of wondrous artists. We are starting with supporting those that are directly in our community, and working with other local partners. We will keep you challenged, entertained and maybe blow a few minds. All of these events will be online, live and free, and will be archived for your viewing pleasure at any time..."

This week HipHopCanada compiled and published a guide to supporting anti-racism, which lists different ways you can start pushing for change, and includes links to all kinds of organizations and funds you can investigate and consider supporting. Great resource! Check it out.

Montreal's beloved Suoni Per Il Popolo Redux: 6 - 20 Juin 2020 officially starts today! Yay! Here's what they say about their 20th anniversary rendition: " . . . we have tried to reimagine how to have a festival during a global pandemic and how and what to present to you all. We are excited to announce a series of online concerts, workshops, films and talks. These events will feature a local cast of wondrous artists. We are starting with supporting those that are directly in our community, and working with other local partners. We will keep you challenged, entertained and maybe blow a few minds. All of these events will be online, live and free, and will be archived for your viewing pleasure at any time..."

Flicitations Carl Mayotte qui fait partie des cinq nouvelles Rvlations Radio-Canada! Cest un grand plaisir pour nos musiciens et pour lquipe de travailler avec lui! Tu le mrites amplement, bravo encore, et on a hte de te retrouver!

Congratulations to Kaie Kellough (Musicworks 124, Spring 2016 cover) on receiving the 2020 Griffin Poetry Prize for Magnetic Equator (McClelland & Stewart), announced May 19, 2020. We urge you to seek out his book and read it. Now, for your immediate listening/viewing, heres a clip of "Goal I Digress..." [words by Kaie, music composed by Luna Pearl Woolf] recently posted by collectif9.

Félicitations à Carl Mayotte qui fait partie des cinq nouvelles Révélations Radio-Canada! C'est un grand plaisir pour nos musiciens et pour l'équipe de travailler avec lui! Tu le mérites amplement, bravo encore, et on a hâte de te retrouver!

Happy 75th Birthday, Anthony Braxton. Anthony Braxtons ideas, music, collaborative leadership and energy have inspired many artists and contributors who have graced our pages. Stuart Broomer has often written on Braxtons music. For Musicworks, he wrote the Winter 2007 cover story (Musicworks 99) and numerous reviews. Actually, Stuart literally wrote the book . . . which was published in 2010. Heres the MW review . . .