Myk Freedman Makes Room for an Ensemble of One
(This article was originally published in Spring 2015.) Myk Freedman is best known as the lap-steel-wielding leader of the nonet St. Dirt Elementary School, whose [...]
Sound notes
The Passion and Curiosity of Barbara Hannigan
“An absolute stroke of luck for opera” is just one of the countless accolades Canadian-born, Amsterdam-based soprano Barbara Hannigan has received for her performances of both [...]
James O’Callaghan’s Bodies-Soundings
First-place winner, Musicworks’ 2014 Electronic Music Composition contest
James O’Callaghan’s Bodies-Soundings, winner of Musicworks’ 2014 Electronic Music Composition contest, is a highly suspenseful acousmatic piece in which sounds are partially [...]
Shannon McKee's "The Copy Room"
First-place winner, Musicworks’ 2014 “Sonic Geography” Writing contest
As I step into the undersized side room of the middle-school office, I want to remove my high heels. I want to kneel on the thin, brown carpet and touch my forehead to the ugly floor. I want [...]
Features
Jean Derome’s Reflections of Joy
ALIVE IN MUSIC
Over the past four decades, Jean Derome’s musical interests have spanned everything from standards to skronk. He has composed graphic scores for large ensembles, created[...]
The Mystical Instruments of Walter Smetak
In March 2014, I found myself facing the late Walter Smetak’s Pindorama, a seven-foot-two-inch-tall instrument installation comprising seven calabash gourds arranged in a diamond-like[...]
Vancouver's Intercultural Music Scene
ALL VIBRANT ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Intercultural music-making in British Columbia is nothing new. Gold seekers brought the violin to the province’s north in the 1890s, and their jigs and reels were quickly adapted by the region’s[...]
Cris Derksen enhances her sonic adventure
THE POWWOW FACTOR
Some musicians fall in love with an instrument at a very young age and never look back; others experiment with many different ones before they find the ideal match for their talents.[...]
Reviews
Matana Roberts. Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee.
Constellation Records, CST110.
A Year in the Country, Audiological Case Study #6.
DJ Sniff. Incredulous Cuts—Reinterpretations of the Doubtmusic Catalogue.
Doubtmusic, DMV-201.
Send + Receive: A Festival of Sound, 16.
Various venues in Winnipeg. October 1–4, 2014.