fiery indie folk for the flute

Well this is good news!

One of the main reasons I went on such a long tour this time around was to look for those windows of opportunity that seem so obvious to us when we’re living in the present moment. This is a perfect example of meeting the right person at the right time.

I’m excited to introduce you to a new member of my musical family, Jeff McNeil of McNickel & Associates Inc. Jeff has a real passion for Canadian music and helping artists reach their fullest potential. I met Jeff while I was touring through Sudbury and immediately thought that he would be the ideal candidate for being my business manager. It is in this capacity that Jeff will be working with me. He will be helping me with all of those business tasks that happen off of the stage, from booking to publicity to grant writing. As I am learning, the work amount never decreases but by having an extra person helping, one can manage the workload a bit better.

Jeff’s positive outlook and enthusiasm will take him a long way in our music industry. I think those of you who will be in contact with him will find him to be a breath of fresh air. It’s great to have you on board Jeff.

Time to start moving some mountains!

Wow, I’m bored. Seriously folks, I haven’t spent a day doing nothing in a very long time. The tour is now done and I’m smiling from all the wonderful memories I now have. What an amazing experience. I told myself that I would take two days off before hitting the pavement to find work but I’m only on day one and I’m already twiddling my fingers! Been writing a few new songs, teaching myself more about Ableton Live and learning accordion. Yes, accordion. One of my friends in Sudbury loaned me his for the winter. It’s a tiny one which is handy.

Thought this would be fun…

TOP 10 Touring Essentials
Things that helped make my touring experience a good one

#1 dental floss
#2 vitamin C powder packets (I take one every morning I’m on the road)
#3 organic apple sauce
#4 toiletries bag (this keeps your essentials in a place where you can find it easily)
#5 handmade soap (mine is from a lady who has a stall at the Halifax Saturday Market)
#6 journal and pen
#7 bottled water (and make sure you drink lots of it!)
#8 MacBook (wireless is sooooooo handy) and iPod (you exchange lots of great music while touring so get lots of space)
#9 slippers (especially for places you stay with pets)
#10 coconut milk (it makes everything taste yummy)

Most of them make a lot of sense. There are probably a few surprises though. Touring through North Ontario is always a bit of a challenge when trying to eat healthy, especially when driving all day. I like the organic apple sauce because it’s a quick and healthy snack which gives you a bit of a boost. I love to cook whenever I can. Lots of people have different taste but one thing I can always find in common is cooking something with coconut milk in the recipe. And the toiletries bag is a must! It’s changed my touring experience for the better. Trust me on that one. : )

I just reached Calgary! That was some serious driving I tell ya to get to this side of the country. Through ice, snow and fog, my little prince made it all the way with very little surprises. I am truly fortunate.

Yup, gonna be an Albertan for the winter months. I have one last show in Lethbridge Alberta, at the Slice. That place makes the best pizza in all of Canada! Can’t wait although part of me feels really sad to be ending my adventures. The past six months have been so amazing. I’ve seen the most beautiful spots, met the most wonderful people and have grown so much as a person and as a musician. Got lots of new songs waiting to be written now. Time to buckle down and get writing.

And what next? Working in Calgary, probably as a waitress. Yup, time to make some fast cash in order to get my butt to the Banff Centre for January. Wish me luck! I’m gonna need it. : )

Wow, North Ontario is one special place. I had such a great time performing in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Rossport, Wawa, Thunder Bay and Wabigoon. I met amazing people, got to hang with some of my favourite bands (Fembots and Octoberman) and enjoyed every bit of the beautiful drive. North Ontario is one of those precious spots that I always look forward to visiting.

I’m writing to you from Brandon Manitoba, where winter has hit us in a major way. My drive from Winnipeg was a bit scary this morning. I saw way too many trucks and cars stuck in the ditches as I drove slowly along the TransCanada iceway! Glad I got here in one piece. It’s the first time I’ve ever driven in snow and let me tell you, it’s a strange feeling to slip and slide along the highway in a large vehicle. I hope tomorrow’s drive to Edmonton is a little easier. Welcome to touring in Canada during the winter…

Here’s some video footage of some fun moments during my North Ontario tour. I miss all of my new friends already. Can’t wait to get back.

Wow. I am in heaven. I’m staying at the “Shelter From the Storm,” a B & B just outside of Hamilton which puts up touring folks. What a neat spot. I am having the time of my life. I’ve been meeting and hanging with the most interesting and talented folks, including The Wooden Sky, Winter Gloves, You Say Party! We Say Die! Great Lake Swimmers and more…It’s been a blast. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in living this crazy llifestyle.

I just wrote a new song, called, “Your Warmest Smile.” I took a video of it just by the barn, one of my favourite outdoor spots to practice at the Shelter. I was going to call it, “To Be With You” but changed the title as I didn’t think it was the right fit. When I perform it live, it will be looped but this is the basic version of the song when I don’t have electricity to work with.

I don’t want to leave this place. It’s too beautiful…

I played one of my bigger cd release shows at Quebec’s Black Sheep, my favourite music venue in Canada. What a magical experience that evening was. Sharing the stage with me were musician friends Andrea Simms-Karp, Mike Yates, Marie-Josee Houle, Lindsay Ferguson, Ha!Man and Victoria filmmaker Scott Amos. Performing with these talented musicians was pure magic. I kept getting goosebumps the entire time I was singing as I couldn’t believe what I was hearing behind me. It was amazing. We have such amazing talent in this country.

And then there was Victoria filmmaker and friend Scott Amos who wowed all of us with his short experimental films that he projected with my performance. A real highlight was performing “Alone,” with Andrea and Marie-Josee backing me up. And our improv piece that we all performed at the very end of my set was so much fun! I didn’t want the night to end. It’s getting me really excited to perform my Cameron House set in Toronto this Wednesday, when I will be fortunate to experience playing with Scott’s films once again. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see what Scott was projecting behind me for most of my set but I was put to tears when I experienced it through watching the videos my friend took of me through my camera. Wow. I wish he could be on the road with me all the time as it adds so much to the performance.

Here’s a little bit of the magic as I perform “Someday” at the Black Sheep. Scott Amos is projecting his films in the background.

It’s been a crazy amount of driving lately and I’m pretty tuckered out. I said good-bye to the Maritimes (after experiencing hurricane Kyle in Saint John NB) and then drove 15 straight hours to Wakefield Quebec, my favourite village, about a 25 minute drive from Ottawa. Why did the drive take so long you ask? Because I drove through Maine to save on gas costs and got myself good and lost in the mountains! Yikes. The colours of the trees were amazing though, bright red, yellow and orange. I eventually found my way but it was a tad scary at points. I have a pretty entertaining story of trying to cross the border into Maine. Let’s just say that it was quite the challenge.

So here’s some choppy video clips of various moments while I was hopping around Nova Scotia and PEI. I miss the Maritimes so much already, especially the comforting smell of the Atlantic. It’s a pretty special place. Thanks to all of you who went out out of your way to make my time in the Maritimes so special. : )

Well this took me by surprise! I just got accepted to the Banff Centre for the winter months, to do a long-term music residency. Yay! I couldn’t be happier. The Banff Centre is an amazing place and has inspired me greatly in the past. While I’m there, I plan to prepare for recording my new album and score some of my soundscapes for flute choir.

Although the Banff Centre gave me a substantial scholarship, I still have another $4000 to raise in order to go. I think a serious miracle needs to happen as I have no idea how I will raise that kind of money while I’m on the road…Talk about crazy timing.

And in regards to life on the road, an interesting article was written by Steven Sandor which includes some of my thoughts on the subject.

http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=9097

This is a long one and is mostly meant for the folks who I met over the past two weeks in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

First of all, thank you to my new Newfoundland family. I can’t begin to thank all of you in St. John’s who made my stay so special. Evelyn, Peter, Dan, Tim, Wendi, Ed, Jon, Chris, Ian, Curtis, Wallace, Ross, Tiffany and so many more of you warm my heart. I miss you all so much already. : )

I can’t begin to describe my wonderful experience in St. John’s. I performed 7 concerts in two weeks at many different venues and even managed to fit in some studio recording with the Idlers percussionist, Curtis Andrews. The last show I performed was at the SHip, my favourite music venue in St. John’s. It was amazing to perform with so many amazing musicians that night. I have a little video from that night included in this podcast.

More stories soon…Already having a blast with my new friends Dan and Neil in Sydney, Cape Breton! The good times continue….

I heart Newfoundland I tell you! This place is, “right fine” as a local friend told me in St. John’s recently. I’m having the time of my life here, so much so that I think I will be making St. John’s my summer home next year. There are no words describe the magic of this place and the beautiful energy of the people. I’m starting to think that there’s noone in this city who can’t play an instrument of some kind! It’s pretty amazing. Just got to perform with two local acts this past weekend, with the awesome reggae band Idlers and then with talented and charming singer-songwriter Chris Picco.

And don’t get me started about Corner Brook and the beauty of Gros Morne. I had such an amazing time performing at the Bar Room in Corner Brook, meeting new friends and collaborating with looping musician-friend Jon Janes (The Mountains and the Trees).

I only have one week left on the rock and I’m already getting sad to leave.