February 14, 2012
February 13, 2012
Guess Who... Kildonan Park... the memories still have me... Laughing
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| Winnipeg author and historian Allan Levine fondly remembers simpler times at Kildonan Park |
By: Allan Levine
If my memory serves me correctly, it was September 1969 and I had started a new school year, Grade 8, at Edmund Partridge Collegiate. A good friend, Jack Pollick, who died far too young, was attending Jefferson Junior High. He had invited me to join him to hear the quintessential Winnipeg band, the Guess Who, play a free concert at Rainbow Stage, the open air theatre at Kildonan Park. Somehow, Jack had acquired two tickets. Though it was a weekday night, my parents had no objections to me attending and Jack and I walked from my home on Royal Crescent to the park.
Things were buzzing by the time we found our seats and for the next two hours, we were treated to the best Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman and the boys had to offer. I recall Cummings at his most melodic when he sang These Eyes, and introduced a new song, Laughing, which was also a big hit with the delirious audience.
The evening air was warm and the band was hot; within less than a year, the Guess Who would release American Woman and nothing would be the same for them again. It was the perfect night, one of many occasions in my life when music, culture, friendship and fun came together amid the tall trees and green space of Kildonan Park.
Nestled along the Red River in the north part of the city, Kildonan Park was established in 1910. In those early days, it was beyond the city limits and you needed a car to visit it. With its rolling hills and winding roadway, it was and remains a great place for a leisurely drive.
In the 1970s, when I spent many evenings in the large space located behind the park's Chief Peguis Pavilion -- the chief landmark then was a large oak tree with two limbs easy to climb on -- it was "cool" to park your car on the side of the road next to the golf course and blast your car radio as loud as possible.
The park holds many great memories for me: It was the place we snuck away to in high school when we skipped a science or English class on a Friday afternoon; the spot when I first eyed my wife, Angie (she was a grade ahead of me and therefore technically off limits, but I might have said hello to her once), it's where I played football and learned to golf. Mostly, though, I remember laughing with good friends and enjoying the lazy spring and summer days when life was a lot less complicated.
Allan Levine is a Winnipeg historian and writer. His most recent book is William Lyon Mackenzie King: A Life Guided By The Hand Of Destiny. His three Sam Klein historical mysteries are now available as print-on-demand books at McNally-Robinson, Grant Park.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 12, 2012 A8
February 08, 2012
February 06, 2012
Let's keep our perspective on kids with (huge) talent
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| Dane Bjornson plays the guitar and piano and sings. |
By: Lindor Reynolds @ Winnipeg Free Press
If Maria Aragon is the new Justin Bieber, is Dane Bjornson the new Maria Aragon?
Maria is 10 and, as much of the world knows, performed on Ellen Tuesday. Her cover of Lady Gaga's Born This Way has been seen by more than 11 million people. The fame tsunami hit after the pop star tweeted about the little girl's YouTube video.
Aragon will soon appear on stage with Lady Gaga in Toronto. If there's a fame lottery, this tiny Winnipegger won it.
If lightning can strike a Winnipeg child once, why not twice?
There are lots of kids with equal talent and the same adorability factor. These tots have always been out there, belting out Broadway tunes in junior high musicals and stealing the show at Christmas concerts. What's changed is how accessible their talent has become to the outside world.
There were always proud parents shooting home movies or video. Now they're posting them online.
Simon Cowell just signed 10-year-old Torontonian Heather Russell to his label. He discovered her on YouTube.
Let's take a look at Dane Bjornson. He's also 10. Bjornson, the son of Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade Peter Bjornson, is a guitar-playing, keyboard-plunking, songwriting and singing sensation. Like Aragon, he has been posting his videos on Youtube. Unlike Aragon, a star of Lady Gaga's fame hasn't yet tweeted to sing his praises.
But these are early days.
He's not sitting around waiting to be discovered. Bjornson is writing his own music with the help of local band Pushing Daisies. He performs on Open Mic night at the Folk Exchange. He's appeared at Rainbow Stage, MTYP and sings in various choirs.
He takes guitar, voice and keyboard lessons.
"At two he was singing along with (American band) Five For Fighting," laughs Peter Bjornson. "The kids are all musical. Dane's the one who's really comfortable performing."
Brother Kieran and sister Iris hold their own, says their father.
The only stage managing the Bjornsons did was to buy "every Fisher Price toy you can bang on and strum on," says Bjornson.
Both parents insist the priority is to let Dane be a normal kid. A normal kid who is saving his money to put out his own CD, that is, and who regularly performs in public.
"We should have just invited Ellen here, there's so much talent," says the proud papa.
Dane is taking a low-key approach to his future.
"It would be cool to get discovered," he says, "Ellen would be great but I just don't want my life to get crazy. I'm enjoying writing my album with the Daisies."
His ambition?
"I just want to explore the world," says the puckish boy who handles audiences with the aplomb of a veteran lounge singer.
In one YouTube clip, he introduces a Daisies song:
"It's about a divorce," he says, as the crowd chuckles. He smiles. "I haven't been through anything like that. It's just a great song."
That's really all it takes: a great song, a great voice, an engaging personality and a lightning bolt from above.
Tuesday afternoon, Bjornson's most popular video has 2592 hits. Aragon's? A few more. But they're kids, and as long as those around remember that, it'll still be fun. Even Aragon, unknown outside her family and friends 10 days ago, says she just wants to get back to school.
Will either of these kids be the next Justin Bieber? Could be, since he too was discovered on YouTube.
Everyone remember that once upon a time Miley Cyrus and Lindsey Lohan were just sweet little girls with great voices.
Be careful what you wish for, folks.
reposted from the Winnipeg Free Press on February 23, 2011
February 03, 2012
Legendary Canadian Band "The Guess Who" perform at Rainbow Stage Theatre.
A look at the past...
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| The Guess Who @ Rainbow Stage Theatre |
January 30, 2012
WINNIPEG IDOLS: They've got more talent in their baby fingers than most reality show contestants, but you will likely never see them on TV
By: Gwenda Nemerovsky @ Winnipeg Free Press
Season after season for the last decade, so-called talent shows like American Idol, X Factor and Canada's Got Talent have scoured the country for the latest and greatest star. Contestants on the shows belt out tired cover tunes, often mimicking their favourite singers, in hopes of being the next big discovery, win lucrative recording contracts and go on to instant fame and fortune.
The TV shows are a huge success. And yet, we need only look in our own back yards to see and hear some truly gifted and dedicated musicians.
Go to a concert at the Centennial Concert Hall, a local church, or attend a show at one of the many music clubs in the city, and you will hear professional musicians who have been honing their craft since they were kids. They have more talent and ability in their baby fingers than almost anyone appearing on these glitzy talent shows.
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| Drummer Joanna Miller |
Drummer Joanna Miller is a good example. She comes from a musical family. Her father, John, played trombone in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and her mother Celoris, is an active pianist and teacher who sings in the Manitoba Opera Chorus.
"I was really young when I started singing," said the 34-year-old Miller in a telephone interview. "Our whole family would sing together and compete in the music festival. I started drumming when I was about 13, in junior high."
Miller continued with drums at Glenlawn Collegiate. "They needed a drummer in the jazz band. They had an awesome band and choir program there. I spent half my days doing music." She sang in the jazz choir and took years of drum lessons with Dave Schneider.
Miller has never looked back. "After high school I started playing in jazz trios," she said. "I was in the percussion program at the University of Manitoba briefly, before they started the jazz program. I played in the jazz orchestra there, until I started getting work playing."
She's played in the pit orchestra for Rainbow Stage, in Winnipeg Jewish Theatre musicals, at various city functions and with several local bands. For over a decade she has performed, recorded and toured with guitarist Scott Nolan, travelling in the U.S. and Canada for the past five years.
"We'll be playing Texas in March," she said. "It's not about how big we can get, but if we have a few hundred people a night in a nice theatre, it's fun." She looks forward to going back to the Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas where they were well received. "I think they like our Canadiana slant."
The work isn't always predictable, with three gigs a week considered good. Miller supplements her income by bartending at Times Change(d), but says she supports herself well enough. "I don't imagine owning a house anytime soon," she admitted.
Her professional goals don't include fame, but focus on continuously improving her skills. "I'd like to record my own album someday," she said.
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| Singer Jereme Wall |
Singer Jereme Wall grew up in Melita, travelling over an hour to Virden weekly to sing in the Virden and District Youth Choir from the time he was 11. Now in his sixth season as a bass with the Winnipeg Singers and a member of Canzona, he can't imagine a life without music. "I will have to always leave time for music - for my own well-being," he said in a phone interview.
Now 29, Wall studied piano and started voice lessons in Grade 11, performing in the Deloraine Border Festival and singing in the Provincial Honour Choir, Manitoba Youth Choir, and prestigious National Youth Choir. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, studying with Sylvia Richardson at Brandon University.
Wall is currently in the pre-med program at the University of Manitoba and works as a server at Terrace 55 and The Current restaurants. Even with this busy schedule, he relishes his time singing.
"I love the camaraderie," he said, "and the variety of music I get to sing and be exposed to. I love to perform -- the emotional effect you get from it and expressing this emotion to others."
The Winnipeg Singers typically do four concerts per year, each requiring seven rehearsals, earning Wall a $390 honourarium per show.
The schedule can get hectic. "A very busy week involving both choirs would be approximately 17 hours of rehearsal time with the choirs, not to mention the additional time I would be spending looking at the music on my own. This can lead to a total of over 20 hours in one week."
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| Violinist Phoebe Tsang |
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra second violinist Phoebe Tsang took a more circuitous route to her career. Her parents started her on violin at age six. "It was my father's favourite instrument," she said in an interview at the WSO office.
Moving from her native Hong Kong to England at age seven, she studied with a series of teachers but was not all that keen. At 18, she gave up playing and studied architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, going on to work in the field. Tsang interned and worked as journalist for Building Design newspaper but eventually decided to return to music.
Moving to Toronto, she began working on her performance diploma at the Royal Conservatory with renowned violinist and teacher Lorand Fenyves. "He was my main teacher for 13 years," she said. "I was lucky to have such a great teacher and mentor. He took an interest in his students on a personal level." Tsang watched Fenyves teach others and subsequently worked as his teaching assistant, coaching students while he was away.
Now in her early 30s, she loves her position with the WSO. "Before moving here, I heard about the WSO. It's one of the top orchestras and I was excited to play full time in a major orchestra. The programming is wonderful and innovative. I admire Gwen's (Hoebig) playing and appreciate working closely with her. It's also great to have a steady paycheque."
Pay rates for orchestra players vary. The WSO is currently advertising for a second violinist and offering a salary of $35,636.
Tsang maintains a daily practice regimen that keeps her "playing at a professional level." There are regular rehearsals and a full season of concerts, so plenty of new repertoire to learn.
"When you get to sit in a beautiful concert hall with great acoustics with a bunch of friends, it's a privilege -- and I want to share it with the audience."
You can see that these Winnipeg musicians worked hard for decades to get where they are today. They may never become household names or get wealthy. Instead they reap a sense of fulfillment by performing the music they love -- for the sake of the music alone -- and to share with listeners the joy and enrichment that beautiful, well-executed music can bring.
Reposted from the Winnipeg Free Press on January 29, 2012
January 27, 2012
For those of you who are wondering what's happening behind the scenes...
THEATRICAL LOGIC:
In is down, down is front;
Out is up, up is back;
Off is out, on is in;
and of course -
Right is left, and Left is right.
A drop shouldn't and
A block and fall does neither.
A prop doesn't and
A cove has no water.
Tripping is okay;
A running crew rarely gets anywhere;
A purchase line will buy you nothing;
A trap will not catch anything and
A gridiron has nothing to do with Football.
Strike is work (in fact, a lot of work) and
A green room, thank God, usually isn't.
Now that you're fully versed in
Theatrical Terms - “Break a Leg...”
But not really!
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| WHAT?!?! |
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