The Open Stage Adventure

Month: July 2017

Venue: The Amsterdam Bicycle Club, Toronto

July 26, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Some events make it worthwhile to stay up past my bedtime. The Amsterdam Bicycle Club’s Monday night open mic has been going strong for almost five years and seems to attract not only a high caliber of music but a great diversity of styles. Rap, electronica, folk, originals, covers, solo and full band numbers all graced the stage. According to Justin, a regular at the ABC, it is also a community of musicians who are very supportive of each other.

The internet led me to believe that sign-up started at 9:30, music at 10:00, three songs/15 minutes per performer was the drill. It is such a popular spot that, in an attempt to get everyone on stage, sign-up actually started at 9:00, music at 9:30 and two songs per performer.

       

Special thanks to Justin, Michel & Laura, Kunle, and India for taking a moment to chat and making the night even more memorable!

[Amsterdam Bicycle Club 54 The Esplanade, Toronto; Mondays 9:30 pm (sign up at 9:00); no cover]

Venue: Free Times Café, Toronto

July 26, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I took advantage of a Monday trip to Toronto to return to the Free Times Café, one of the longest running open mics in Ontario.  Although there were no familiar faces the Free Times Café never seems to change. Our host, David (subbing in for Miranda Signe?), kept things running smoothly despite multiple stage configurations. Everything from heartfelt original tunes and beautiful finger style guitar to solo tambourine  and well known covers. Everyone is welcome.

 

   

   

[Free Times Café, 320 College Street, Toronto; Mondays 7:30pm (sign-up at 7:00); no cover]

Hillside Festival 2017 – Singing Workshop

July 18, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Hillside Festival (in its 34th year) is my favourite event of the year – a weekend of fabulous food, music and community – and this year my contribution is to run a group singing workshop. So many benefits of singing together and such a fitting place to celebrate this.

Thank you to everyone who took a precious festival hour and shared it with us at the singing workshop. For those of you who attended the workshop (and maybe even those who didn’t), you might be interested in having some of the links and resources I mentioned. Here they are:

All Together Now – workshops, women’s choir, co-ed choir, women’s music weekend

Choir Nation – has drop in choir groups in Toronto, Niagara and Hamilton

Choir! Choir! Choir! – drop-in group singing that also does lots of performing (Clinton’s Tavern, Toronto)

Choir Place – helps you find a choir (international)

Sing Out – supports and promotes traditional and contemporary folk music

Research on the benefits of singing: 

Singing & Health – research review

Singing Changes your Brain – article in Time magazine

The Neurochemistry of Music – Mona Lisa Chanda & Daniel Levitin

My Mission:

The goal of this website is:

1) to explore open musical spaces (jams, open stages, song circles) and what draws us to them; and

2) to promote and celebrate these events and venues where people come together to share music.

I would like to forge and strengthen connections between the various musical communities and promote grassroots folk music.

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