[Shivering] Songwriters Intensive
Shivering
Songs, an annual music fest organized
by indie folksters The Olympic Symphonium and their pals, takes place January
22-25 in Fredericton. This year’s line-up includes such artists as Buck 65,
Amelia Curran, Alan Jeffries, NUAGES and Sentimentals, and even recent Giller
Prize winner, Sean Michaels!
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Christine
Fellows & John K. Samson, 2014 Songwriting Intensive,
Charlotte Street Arts
Centre (Fredericton NB)
|
On Saturday
and Sunday during the festival (January 24 & 25) the Charlotte Street Arts
Centre—which is celebrating its 10th anniversary—will be hosting a
Songwriting Intensive, where 12 musicians from across New Brunswick will work
their creative process with Canada’s legendary root rockers, Skydiggers.
The public can
hear their results and learn more about songwriting from Skydiggers at the
Intensive Showcase, which will be held at Charlotte Street on Sunday January 25
at 5pm (admission by donation).
The Charlotte
Street Arts Centre’s program coordinator, Kaylee Stevens tells us more:
How excited
are you about Skydiggers coming to Fredericton to lead the Songwriting Intensive?
KS: It’s pretty cool to have Canadian legends Skydiggers coming to our fair
city! There has been a lot of buzz around the city for the past few weeks, and
everyone is starting to get a little giddy. They’ll be a great fit for our
Songwriters Intensive, as their songwriting style is so unique and notable.
It’s also a great bonus that they’ll be performing in our auditorium with East
Coast sweetheart Owen Steel on Saturday night! The Charlotte Street
Arts Centre auditorium will be a great place to hear Skydiggers; the room has
such a special feeling, with great acoustics and historical architecture, the
show will be an experience for all who attend!
How were the
emerging and established musicians selected to participate in the songwriting
workshop?
KS: Participants were selected through an application process. The
application was fairly basic, but it focused on understanding why applicants
felt they needed to attend a songwriting intensive. This project is focused on
musicians that realize the steps they need to take to move to the next level in
their career. We did have a few applicants who admitted they didn’t really
consider themselves musicians, they just wanted to hang out with the Skydiggers
for a weekend! We had to be a bit careful.
What can
audience members expect to enjoy at the Intensive Showcase?
KS: The Intensive Showcase is really an opportunity for audience members to
get to know Skydiggers, and learn about the songwriting process. Skydiggers
will host an intimate evening discussing the ins and outs of creating music for
the public. The intensive participants will have an opportunity to show the
progress they made on their musical works throughout the weekend, and share
their newfound knowledge. The showcase is by donation at the door, and is a
no-pressure, friendly environment.
What else is
going on at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre these days?
KS: There are so many things being cooked up at Charlotte Street Arts Centre
right now! 2015 marks our ten-year anniversary as Fredericton’s community arts
centre, so we’ve got a full year of special events, exhibitions, and
programming to celebrate. The Charlotte Street Arts Centre was, once upon a
time, the old Charlotte Street School, built in 1884-1885. We’re looking back
through the school days of the building, conducting research with alumni of the
school, remaking artifacts into works of art, and really trying to learn as
much as we can about the history of this beautiful building. For example, the
wooden beams that support the floors are thought to be almost 500 years old, so
we’re looking into things like that.
Anything you
would like to add?
KS: We’re really glad to partner with Shivering Songs in this songwriting
endeavour. Those guys work tirelessly to bring high-caliber artists to our
small community, and they succeed every year. They also work hard to encourage
young/emerging artists in the area, and I find Shivering Songs is the perfect
balance of both. I can’t wait to take in as many shows as possible this
weekend!
