The Songwriters Association of Canada and the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals presents BLUEBIRD NORTH
Where Writers Sing and Tell
Live in the nation’s capital!
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
7:30 pm
Tickets available at Compact Music and Ottawa Folklore Centre
or at the door the night of the show
($15/$12 for SAC members and OCFF Conference Delegates)
Featuring
Miss Emily
Harrison Kennedy
David Leask
Ann Vriend
Read more
Renowned guitar maker Grit Laskin honoured with Estelle Klein Award by OCFF
Grit Laskin, one of the world’s most renowned and sought-after instrument makers, is the recipient of the 2010 Estelle Klein Award.
The award recognizes the work of an individual or group that has made significant contributions to Ontario’s folk music community in memory of Estelle Klein, a long-time advocate of Canadian folk music and one of the early founders of the folk festival scene in this country.
“If there were a modern-day example of the Renaissance man, Grit Laskin would most certainly be it,” said Paul Mills, OCFF Board President and a longtime friend and partner of Laskin.
Since William “Grit” Laskin became an apprentice to Canadian luthier Jean Larivée, he’s followed the passion of making guitars that are pieces of sonic and visual art. Working on his own and building 10 or so instruments each year, he was the first maker of musical instruments to receive Canada’s most prestigious craft award, the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence (in 1997).
Laskin came to early fame for having made guitars for iconic folk singer Stan Rogers. Rogers’s son Nathan still plays Laskin 6- and 12-string guitars. Laskin instruments are played by dozens of the world’s greatest musicians in many genres.
Renowned flamenco guitarist Paco Pena has called his Laskin guitar “the finest instrument I have played in all my travels.” Other players and admirers include Rik Emmett, Ottmar Liebert, Beppe Gambetta, and James Keelaghan. Laskin instruments are also known for their intricate and breathtaking inlay work on headstocks and fretboards, and for his innovation in making guitars more comfortable to play with beveled armrests and ribrests.
But while Laskin’s talents as a luthier may be his claim to fame, he’s been an inspiration and a leader in many fields. He has spent decades writing and performing on his own and with others including The Friends of Fiddler’s Green. His songs have been recorded by artists such as the Tannahill Weavers and Pete Seeger. Next year the folk music world will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Borealis Records. A thriving small label with more than 100 releases, Borealis was founded in part by Laskin, who continues to play an integral role in its success. He was a founder of the Canadian Folk Music Awards and the Association of String Instrument Artisans. And on top of all that, he’s written books, lobbied governments, and coordinates Canada’s oldest adult folk music camp.
“Grit’s unstoppable energy and dedication to his beloved folk music sets him apart, and that’s why he is an ideal recipient of the Estelle Klein Award,” said Mills.
The Estelle Klein Award is named in honour of the long-time artistic director of the Mariposa Folk Festival. Klein joined the festival in its early days and guided its development for 16 years. Her work is widely regarded as having set the model for Canada’s folk festivals.
Past recipients of the Estelle Klein Award include Estelle Klein (2000), Jackie Washington (2001), Ian Tamblyn (2002), The Friends of Fiddler’s Green (2003), Sylvia Tyson (2004), Ken Whiteley (2005), Richard Flohil (2006), Stan Rogers (posthumously 2007), Bernie Finkelstein (2008), and Sharon, Lois & Bram (2009).
The award will be presented during the Gala dinner at the OCFF annual conference in Ottawa, October 14 – 17, 2010.
Aengus Finnan appointed Touring and Audience Development Officer at the Ontario Arts Council
The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) has hired artist, educator, producer and arts administrator Aengus Finnan as Touring and Audience Development Officer. He replaces Mark Hammond, who served as Interim National and International Touring Officer from June 2008.
In his new role, Aengus will work to reinforce OAC’s ongoing commitment to touring, presenting and audience development for the arts.
“We consider the issue of building audiences the biggest challenge facing artists and arts organizations today,” said John Brotman, Executive Director. “With his 15-year experience as an established artist and at the helm of a successful music festival, we know that Aengus will bring leadership to this area.”
Based in Northumberland County until recently, Aengus is a singer-songwriter who has released two acclaimed albums. He founded the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, where he served as volunteer Artistic Director for seven years and as Executive Director for five years. He also co-founded The Way We Feel, an annual concert celebrating the songs of Gordon Lightfoot.
Over the course of his eight-year touring career, he performed at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, the Yukon International Storytelling Festival, and in Yokohama, Japan. Aengus is also a recipient of the New Folk Award at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas.
As an educator, Aengus has worked in schools throughout the province, and in Aboriginal communities in Northern Ontario and the Arctic. He is the founder of Art Beat, an arts education outreach initiative offered by the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals.
Aengus is a founding board member of the Arts Council of Northumberland, and a former Board President of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals.
Aengus was awarded The Commemorative Medal in Honour of the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for his humanitarian and cultural work in Canada. He was twice nominated for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts.
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For further information, contact:
Geneviève Vallerand
OAC Communications Coordinator
416-969-7434 / 1-800-387-0058, ext. 7434
gvallerand@arts.on.ca
Ontario Council of Folk Festivals – Songs from the Heart Competition
The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF) is pleased to present the Songs From the Heart songwriting competition. Now in its 16th year, this event highlights the talents of Ontario songwriters and provides an opportunity for the winners to showcase their work for festival artistic directors and other presenters.
This contest is open only to residents of the province of Ontario, Canada. The Songs From the Heart competition is a juried process. The jury will select one English-language winner and one French-language winner. Each will receive a Galaxie Rising Stars Award in the amount of $1,000 and registration for the annual OCFF conference for one person.
A separate jury, coordinated by the Ontario Arts Council, will select the winner of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from among the top fifteen songs (not including the Galaxie Rising Stars Award winners). The winner of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award receives $1,000 and registration for one person to the 2010 OCFF conference.
The English and French Songs from the Heart Award winners, along with the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award winner, will be invited to showcase at the OCFF conference in Ottawa, October 14 – 17, 2010.
Deadline to submit your entry is May 31, 2010. The submission fee for OCFF members is $18.00, and for non-members it is $26.00. For more information on the contest, visit OCFF Songs from the Heart Awards at Sonic Bids.
Please note: OCFF one-year Individual Memberships are available for non-OCFF members directly through OCFF. For all membership opportunities, and a list of benefits, please see our website – www.OCFF.ca.
Folk singer Ana Miura Named General Manager of Ottawa Folk Festival
By DENIS ARMSTRONG
Ottawa Sun
After years as a local folk music icon, Ana Miura’s finally got a day job, and it comes with an office, a computer and a water cooler.
In February, she became the new general manager of the Ottawa Folk Festival, but she hasn’t exactly traded in her guitar for a laptop. Not yet, anyway, not with the launch of a brand new album called The Kindness of Years and an Acoustic Waves gig at the Great Canadian Theatre on Sunday (March 14).
Miura, who’s recorded three albums and heads the Babes For Breasts campaign, came to the festival’s top job last summer, when Chris White, the festival’s founding artistic director, recruited the motivated Miura to co-ordinate the festival’s Britannia Park gardens when she wasn’t playing the main stage with Bruce Cockburn, Joel Plaskett and Steven Page.
To read the full article, see Folk singer Ana Miura Gets a Day Job.
New Executive Director of the OCFF – Peter MacDonald
ONTARIO FOLK ORGANIZATION HIRES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Press Release – OCtober 20, 2008
The Board of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF) is thrilled to
announce the hiring of Peter MacDonald as its new Executive Director, a
position he assumes November 3rd. Mr. MacDonald was the successful candidate
in a rigorous nine month long national search, and replaces Erin Benjamin
who left the OCFF in early 2008.
Mr. MacDonald has been active in the Canadian folk music community for more
than a dozen years as an artist manager, concert presenter, and owner of
Nutshell Music Inc., providing production support to many member Festivals,
organizations and artists as well as various corporate and not-for-profit
clients. He is also a long-time member of the OCFF and a former member of
its Board of Directors, where he served as Treasurer during a critical and
successful period of deficit reduction.
