It's great to be back on the South Shore after 6 weeks on the road. It was a fabulous tour with a couple of conferences, many new friends, invitations to come back and play again. One of my favourite comments from a host after my performance, "That was absolutely great. This is why I host house concerts."
But that was then and this is now. The life of an independent musician comprises so much more than the time on stage. I had a conversation at the NERFA conference with someone who is not a musician and she asked if I did music full-time. I said, "The short answer is Yes. The long answer is that I'm a small-business entrepreneur whose product is music, so I do booking, rehearsals, recording, bookkeeping, sales, purchasing, etc, etc, etc."
The next project is the completion of Craftsman, the new album. The CD will comprise 11 instrumental pieces. Three of them are guitar solos and the other eight have other instrumentation on them to complement the guitar sound. There will also be a bonus track, which will be a guitar-only version of one of the eight. The album is being produced by David Findlay at Otitis Media in Lunenburg, NS. The recording is more or less complete and we still have final mixing and mastering to do which will take place over the next couple of weeks.
To help with the cost of production and marketing, we're going to be launching a crowd-funding campaign in January. Details are still being worked out but the campaign will allow you to pre-purchase CDs and downloads of the music - you'll get your copy in advance of the official release. You will also be able to arrange a house concert - I will come to where you are and play for you and your friends or you will be able to book a two-hour instructional workshop with your humble correspondent and learn some of the techniques and tips and tricks of finger-style guitar.
In addition to finalizing the CD, I'm booking some tour dates in the spring to coincide with the official release. The current target date is the beginning of April and I already have a couple of dates lined up. The spring tour may also tie in to a collaborative project with another South Shore musician. Watch this space for more details.
Finally, a huge Thank You to all the people who supported me along the Finger-Style and Fall Colours Tour. Meeting house concert hosts and becoming friends, sharing a stage with other musicians, just hanging out at conferences listening to others play and seeing places in the world I've never been before - these are some of the reasons I became a musician.
Best wishes for the holiday season - Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice - whatever your reason to celebrate, we wish you a happy time.
Cheers, Bob
Visit the website at bobardern.ca
December 4, 2013
November 11, 2013
Musings from The Road
This will necessarily be a quick note. Your humble correspondent has been on the road for nearly 6 weeks and have been having great fun and adventures. I'm sitting in the foyer of the Outer Space in Hamden, CT doing a quick update while waiting for sound check for the gig.
Last weekend was my first attendance at the North East Regional Folk Alliance Conference (NERFA) in Kerhonkson, NY and it was a great experience. Thanks to the NERFA board for all the organization that goes into putting on a conference of that size. I met a number of people during the weekend and as soon as I get home next Sunday, I'll be updating my e-mail list and a putting in a much longer blog entry with some stories from the road. I've been pretty good about keeping a journal so I can remember all the details of the Finger-Style and Fall Colours Tour.
The tour so far has included Montreal and Missisauga, Williamsport and Lock Haven PA, Hopkinton and Westborough, MA, Tiverton, RI, Kerhonson and Hyde Park, NY, Montpelier, VT and soon-to-be the afore-mentioned Hamden, CT. Still to come are Morrisville, VT, Framingham, MA, Lubec, ME and Breadalbane, PEI. Details of the remaining dates are on my website Performance page and I'd be honoured if you get a chance to come out to one of them.
Many thanks are due to a load of people we've met along the way. Aside from new fans, I have a load of new friends. One of the benefits of playing in new places is meeting new people and when those people make me their friend it's a additional plus.
Keep watching this space for more details. One of my favourite places is coming up - Lunenburg, NS. I won't be playing out but it's my own home and my own bed and my sweetie, Julia. And we've just added a date in December at Fundy Folk at the Evergreen Theatre in Margaretsville.
Hope to see you on the road and wish you safe travelling wherever the music takes you.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
Last weekend was my first attendance at the North East Regional Folk Alliance Conference (NERFA) in Kerhonkson, NY and it was a great experience. Thanks to the NERFA board for all the organization that goes into putting on a conference of that size. I met a number of people during the weekend and as soon as I get home next Sunday, I'll be updating my e-mail list and a putting in a much longer blog entry with some stories from the road. I've been pretty good about keeping a journal so I can remember all the details of the Finger-Style and Fall Colours Tour.
The tour so far has included Montreal and Missisauga, Williamsport and Lock Haven PA, Hopkinton and Westborough, MA, Tiverton, RI, Kerhonson and Hyde Park, NY, Montpelier, VT and soon-to-be the afore-mentioned Hamden, CT. Still to come are Morrisville, VT, Framingham, MA, Lubec, ME and Breadalbane, PEI. Details of the remaining dates are on my website Performance page and I'd be honoured if you get a chance to come out to one of them.
Many thanks are due to a load of people we've met along the way. Aside from new fans, I have a load of new friends. One of the benefits of playing in new places is meeting new people and when those people make me their friend it's a additional plus.
Keep watching this space for more details. One of my favourite places is coming up - Lunenburg, NS. I won't be playing out but it's my own home and my own bed and my sweetie, Julia. And we've just added a date in December at Fundy Folk at the Evergreen Theatre in Margaretsville.
Hope to see you on the road and wish you safe travelling wherever the music takes you.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
October 6, 2013
Finger-style and Fall Colours
I'm excited. It's almost time to get out and play some music. Your humble correspondent is just about ready to load up the tour bus, plug in the tunes and let it roll down the highway. On October 10th, I'm starting out on a 6-week adventure to play 17 shows and a finger-style workshop and attend two conferences. All the details of dates, locations and time are on the Performance page of my website.
The Finger-Style and Fall Colours Tour first date is October 11 at the Side Door CoffeeHouse in Pierrefonds, QC (Montreal - the west island). From there it's a family Thanksgiving weekend, then off to Toronto on the 17th to play The PaintBox Bistro for Coast to Coast Folk - four fine musicians from BC, Ontario and Nova Scotia. As soon as we finish that show, I'm heading off to Mississauga for this year's Folk Music Ontario conference.
I'll be playing some private showcases at FMO followed by a feature set at the Hamilton Folk Club on October 22. Then I'm then off to the Northeastern US to play Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine. Nestled in there is my first attendance at the North East Regional Folk Alliance in upstate New York, where I'll be playing a few guerrilla showcases. After all the US dates, it's back across the border and over to PEI for a return to The Dunk to make up the date that was snowed out in March.
In between all the preparation for the tour, I've managed to get into the Otitis Media studios in Lunenburg and spend some time with producer David Findlay. We're working on my new CD, titled Craftsman, which is scheduled for release in early 2014. Aside from the acoustic guitar by yours truly, Craftsman also features musical contributions from Kev Corbett, Alyssa Wright and David Findlay. We've completed a preliminary mix of the tunes and I'll have a few pre-release copies with me on the road. It's going to be a good one. If you liked Wires Rosewood & Roots, we think you'll love Craftsman.
I hope to see you out at a show on the tour or just hanging out along the way. I have some off days in the schedule which I'm hoping to get some more writing done and start organizing some spring and summer shows. - Ah, the glamourous life of an independent musician. I'd give it all up but it's just too much fun.
See you on the road.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
The Finger-Style and Fall Colours Tour first date is October 11 at the Side Door CoffeeHouse in Pierrefonds, QC (Montreal - the west island). From there it's a family Thanksgiving weekend, then off to Toronto on the 17th to play The PaintBox Bistro for Coast to Coast Folk - four fine musicians from BC, Ontario and Nova Scotia. As soon as we finish that show, I'm heading off to Mississauga for this year's Folk Music Ontario conference.
I'll be playing some private showcases at FMO followed by a feature set at the Hamilton Folk Club on October 22. Then I'm then off to the Northeastern US to play Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine. Nestled in there is my first attendance at the North East Regional Folk Alliance in upstate New York, where I'll be playing a few guerrilla showcases. After all the US dates, it's back across the border and over to PEI for a return to The Dunk to make up the date that was snowed out in March.
In between all the preparation for the tour, I've managed to get into the Otitis Media studios in Lunenburg and spend some time with producer David Findlay. We're working on my new CD, titled Craftsman, which is scheduled for release in early 2014. Aside from the acoustic guitar by yours truly, Craftsman also features musical contributions from Kev Corbett, Alyssa Wright and David Findlay. We've completed a preliminary mix of the tunes and I'll have a few pre-release copies with me on the road. It's going to be a good one. If you liked Wires Rosewood & Roots, we think you'll love Craftsman.
I hope to see you out at a show on the tour or just hanging out along the way. I have some off days in the schedule which I'm hoping to get some more writing done and start organizing some spring and summer shows. - Ah, the glamourous life of an independent musician. I'd give it all up but it's just too much fun.
See you on the road.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
September 3, 2013
September in the rain
September has started with rain and more rain and we had to move the Lunenburg Heritage Bandstand Concert inside. The sun came out about 10 minutes after the show was over — good to see that Murphy's Law hasn't been repealed. It was a pleasure to play both Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival and the Bandstand Concert series and I want to say thank you to the good people at the FH Society for inviting me to participate in both events. I love living in a town which has its own folk festival.
Now that the summer is winding down (I refuse to believe it's over yet), it's time to start getting ready for October and November happenings. Given the whirlwind that was August, I'm happy that there is very little on my calendar for September. I will be playing and playing and playing to get ready for a fall tour and also to finalize the music for the new album (as mentioned in last month's post).
October sees me off on my travels to attend a couple of conferences (Folk Music Ontario and North East Regional Folk Alliance) and play some gigs over a 6-week spell. The tour will take me through Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachussets, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and Prince Edward Island. More details on dates and locations will be coming out soon. My most recent purchase was a GPS to help me navigate.
The tour will be a big adventure. In order to play in the US, I acquired a P-3 visa which is good for a year and I'm planning on doing more in 2014 in support of the new CD. I have a few opportunities out west and in between the practice sessions, I'll be spending my time arranging dates. Ah, the glamourous life of an independent musician.
But before September is over, I have one more gig booked. I'll be down at The SeaDog Saloon in beautiful Shelburne, NS on Sept 27 to play the Friday Night Hootenany. Come on down to Dock Street for some good food and good tunes. There may be a couple of others that I'm working on as well. I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, enjoy the musical journey, wherever it takes you and I hope to see you along the road.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
902-640-2892 (voice)
Skype: bobardern
Facebook: /BobArdernGuitar
Twitter: @BobArdernGuitar
In management partnership with littleacornmusicmanagement.com
Now that the summer is winding down (I refuse to believe it's over yet), it's time to start getting ready for October and November happenings. Given the whirlwind that was August, I'm happy that there is very little on my calendar for September. I will be playing and playing and playing to get ready for a fall tour and also to finalize the music for the new album (as mentioned in last month's post).
October sees me off on my travels to attend a couple of conferences (Folk Music Ontario and North East Regional Folk Alliance) and play some gigs over a 6-week spell. The tour will take me through Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachussets, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and Prince Edward Island. More details on dates and locations will be coming out soon. My most recent purchase was a GPS to help me navigate.
The tour will be a big adventure. In order to play in the US, I acquired a P-3 visa which is good for a year and I'm planning on doing more in 2014 in support of the new CD. I have a few opportunities out west and in between the practice sessions, I'll be spending my time arranging dates. Ah, the glamourous life of an independent musician.
But before September is over, I have one more gig booked. I'll be down at The SeaDog Saloon in beautiful Shelburne, NS on Sept 27 to play the Friday Night Hootenany. Come on down to Dock Street for some good food and good tunes. There may be a couple of others that I'm working on as well. I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, enjoy the musical journey, wherever it takes you and I hope to see you along the road.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
902-640-2892 (voice)
Skype: bobardern
Facebook: /BobArdernGuitar
Twitter: @BobArdernGuitar
In management partnership with littleacornmusicmanagement.com
July 29, 2013
Almost August and it's getting busy
July has flown by. I'm reminded of a line from Al Stewart's song Time Passages, "The years run too short and the days too fast." I have a line in my song The King's Shilling, "Time seems to move slower the older I become" but I think I'm wrong and Al has it right.
As you would expect, music is what makes the days go by so quickly. I'm working on the follow-up to Wires Rosewood & Roots and have most of the guitar parts done. David Findlay, my producer, has done some initial mixing on the guitars and in a moment of inspiration, started tinkling on his piano and we ended up with a couple of piano parts for one of the new pieces.
I've been releasing some of the guitar parts as we get them finished and you can find them all on my website here.
We're aiming to have the CD (as yet with no title) released in early 2014. We still have a lot to do but the timing should work. I'm part way into composing the 11th of 12 tracks and the musical gods have been whispering melody fragments in my ear for the 12th so the composition phase is well on the way to completion. Then it will be time to sit down in the Otitis Media studio with David in his producer's hat and add the other instrumentation to complement the guitar.
In the meantime, Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival is coming up for the weekend of August 8-11 and your humble correspondent is honoured to be in the line-up. On Saturday afternoon from 3:30 to 5, as part of the Festival's School of Folk, Scott and Ryan Huppman, Christine Campbell and I will be hosting a guitar workshop in the Central United Church Hall. There will be three different playing styles so bring your guitar and pick up some tips and tricks.
On Sunday afternoon at 3:00 I'll be playing on the Bandstand Stage in the park next to the Town Hall. This stage is open to the public and you don't need a festival pass - just bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy the music.
There's lots more news to come, including an upcoming tour in the fall and some plans for 2014 already. Thanks for listening.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
As you would expect, music is what makes the days go by so quickly. I'm working on the follow-up to Wires Rosewood & Roots and have most of the guitar parts done. David Findlay, my producer, has done some initial mixing on the guitars and in a moment of inspiration, started tinkling on his piano and we ended up with a couple of piano parts for one of the new pieces.
I've been releasing some of the guitar parts as we get them finished and you can find them all on my website here.
We're aiming to have the CD (as yet with no title) released in early 2014. We still have a lot to do but the timing should work. I'm part way into composing the 11th of 12 tracks and the musical gods have been whispering melody fragments in my ear for the 12th so the composition phase is well on the way to completion. Then it will be time to sit down in the Otitis Media studio with David in his producer's hat and add the other instrumentation to complement the guitar.
In the meantime, Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival is coming up for the weekend of August 8-11 and your humble correspondent is honoured to be in the line-up. On Saturday afternoon from 3:30 to 5, as part of the Festival's School of Folk, Scott and Ryan Huppman, Christine Campbell and I will be hosting a guitar workshop in the Central United Church Hall. There will be three different playing styles so bring your guitar and pick up some tips and tricks.
On Sunday afternoon at 3:00 I'll be playing on the Bandstand Stage in the park next to the Town Hall. This stage is open to the public and you don't need a festival pass - just bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy the music.
There's lots more news to come, including an upcoming tour in the fall and some plans for 2014 already. Thanks for listening.
Cheers, Bob
bobardern.ca
June 3, 2013
June - and we finally turn off the furnace
Yay! The long-awaited summer appears to have started. It's been a long spring but at last we've had a couple of days sitting on the deck after work with a G&T. Life is good!
A Weekend in New Orleans
We have become complacent about travel. Your humble correspondent was in N'awlins for a weekend in May to attend the 9th Annual Zone Music Reporter Awards as a Nominee. Sadly, Wires Rosewood & Roots did not win the Best Album Instrumental Acoustic award but it was still a great honour to have been nominated. Thanks to everyone who voted for me and to all the radio stations who play the CD.
The weekend was a blast (aside from the travel there which was a fog-delayed pain in the butt.) The Friday night Meet & Greet was a great time and I met a bunch of people in real life who were hitherto just e-mail and Facebook contacts. The Awards Show itself was obviously the reason for the weekend - think of the Grammys with the focus on instrumental music - and it was also a blast to head off to the French Quarter after it and have a burger and a beer at the Hard Rock Cafe. About 15 of us outlasted the rock 'n rollers and closed the place! New Age Rules, OK!
Gigs in Toronto
So now it's on to planning for the fall but before that, we have a quick trip to Ontario coming up. I am excited to have been invited by Alan and Joanna Mills to play an O'Hara House Concert. Joanna and I have been working on the date since last year's OCFF conference and it's now set for June 22. If you're in the city, it would be great to see you at the show. Contact and ticketing information can be found here. There's a backyard barbecue planned and the concert will be al fresco (weather permitting).
If you can't make that date, you'll have another opportunity on June 27th. My friend Shawna Caspi and I are doing a double bill at the renowned Free Times Cafe (College St just west of Spadina). No cover, pay what you can to the donation jar. Kick-off is 9:30pm. Shawna is a great musician, insightful lyrics, wonderful voice and fine finger-style guitar playing. I'll be doing my best to keep up.
And on the Friday night before all this (June 21st), I'm very pleased to be appearing live in the studio on Acoustic Planet, hosted by Steve Clarke, on Mix 88.1FM, Erin's Community Radio station. You can listen on-line or over the air the old-fashioned way if you're within range. I'll be playing live on-air showcasing some of the my new tunes and spinning some favourites from the musical world.
Nova Scotia New Age Blues
As I mentioned in the May blog,we've been shooting more videos in conjunction with Analog Songs. We shot two videos one day in April both of new pieces of music. The first of these videos was filmed in the Old Blacksmith's Shop in Lunenburg (which is now the headquarters of the Ironworks Distillery). The song is called Nova Scotia New Age Blues and is scheduled for release on June 10th. Watch this space for the official announcement and details on where you can watch it.
In the next issue...
More about the upcoming fall tour. Several dates are confirmed in New York, Pennsylvania and New England with negotiations underway to add more.
A Weekend in New Orleans
We have become complacent about travel. Your humble correspondent was in N'awlins for a weekend in May to attend the 9th Annual Zone Music Reporter Awards as a Nominee. Sadly, Wires Rosewood & Roots did not win the Best Album Instrumental Acoustic award but it was still a great honour to have been nominated. Thanks to everyone who voted for me and to all the radio stations who play the CD.
The weekend was a blast (aside from the travel there which was a fog-delayed pain in the butt.) The Friday night Meet & Greet was a great time and I met a bunch of people in real life who were hitherto just e-mail and Facebook contacts. The Awards Show itself was obviously the reason for the weekend - think of the Grammys with the focus on instrumental music - and it was also a blast to head off to the French Quarter after it and have a burger and a beer at the Hard Rock Cafe. About 15 of us outlasted the rock 'n rollers and closed the place! New Age Rules, OK!
Gigs in Toronto
So now it's on to planning for the fall but before that, we have a quick trip to Ontario coming up. I am excited to have been invited by Alan and Joanna Mills to play an O'Hara House Concert. Joanna and I have been working on the date since last year's OCFF conference and it's now set for June 22. If you're in the city, it would be great to see you at the show. Contact and ticketing information can be found here. There's a backyard barbecue planned and the concert will be al fresco (weather permitting).
If you can't make that date, you'll have another opportunity on June 27th. My friend Shawna Caspi and I are doing a double bill at the renowned Free Times Cafe (College St just west of Spadina). No cover, pay what you can to the donation jar. Kick-off is 9:30pm. Shawna is a great musician, insightful lyrics, wonderful voice and fine finger-style guitar playing. I'll be doing my best to keep up.
And on the Friday night before all this (June 21st), I'm very pleased to be appearing live in the studio on Acoustic Planet, hosted by Steve Clarke, on Mix 88.1FM, Erin's Community Radio station. You can listen on-line or over the air the old-fashioned way if you're within range. I'll be playing live on-air showcasing some of the my new tunes and spinning some favourites from the musical world.
Nova Scotia New Age Blues
As I mentioned in the May blog,we've been shooting more videos in conjunction with Analog Songs. We shot two videos one day in April both of new pieces of music. The first of these videos was filmed in the Old Blacksmith's Shop in Lunenburg (which is now the headquarters of the Ironworks Distillery). The song is called Nova Scotia New Age Blues and is scheduled for release on June 10th. Watch this space for the official announcement and details on where you can watch it.
In the next issue...
More about the upcoming fall tour. Several dates are confirmed in New York, Pennsylvania and New England with negotiations underway to add more.
May 1, 2013
May - Videos, Recording, Awards and Festivals
As T.S.Eliot wrote in The Waste Land, "April is the cruelest month." This year, the weather gods gave us a pretty good example of that. Still, it's May now and we're moving on with barely a backward glance and the promise of warmer days.
I have to say, though, that April was pretty positive in a musical vein.
Videos
If you're following me on Facebook, you've already seen that I've set up a YouTube channel to collect my videos in one place. The lovely and talented Andy & Ariana who run the Night Kitchen monthly concert series in Wolfville have several videos of my performances. The Hamilton Guitar Association has one as well.
A few days ago, we added the first of the two videos we shot in March. Waiting For McAfee is a guitar instrumental that started during an attempt to repair broken anti-virus software. While I was chatting with their on-line support, their technician took over control of my computer remotely. As he tinkered around with the software, I was just watching so I picked up my guitar. I put the guitar into open G minor tuning (D G D G Bb D) and started noodling. After about 20 minutes of watching the remote session, I had the bones of a pretty good piece. They eventually fixed the software and gave back the computer and over the course of a few days, I finished the song.
As an aside, the software broke again several times and I went through several more on-line remote sessions and came up with another song, also in open G minor tuning. Its working title (stolen unashamedly from Douglas Adams) was McAfee are a bunch of mindless jerks who should be first against the wall when the revolution comes. It seemed a bit long to put on the back cover of a CD so its final title is Still Waiting.
You can watch all the videos and subscribe to my YouTube Channel here
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
The other major news is that I am delighted to announce that the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival has added me to their line up for the 28th annual edition of the festival in August. Details are still to come on the schedule but I can tell you that I will be involved in a guitar workshop and will be performing on the Bandstand Stage during the festival. The festival runs from August 8th through 11th. The line-up looks excellent and tickets are available on the website. Sorry, the early bird deadline has passed but it's still a great deal.
More To Come
There's lots more news but we'll leave it there for now. I'm off to New Orleans for the 9th Annual ZMR Awards on May 11th. I'm honoured to have been nominated for Best Instrumental Album - Acoustic. The winner for this and the other categories will be announced at the show which promises to be a great evening's entertainment regardless of who wins.
I'll have more news on the other videos and the recording we did in April in another blog.
Visit bobardern.ca.
I have to say, though, that April was pretty positive in a musical vein.
- We now have the finished versions of the videos we shot in March - see the April Blog entry for the story.
- I was into David Findlay's studio for an afternoon and we laid down guitar tracks for three new songs. That makes seven towards the next CD.
- We did the initial shoot of videos for two of the new songs.
- The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival added your humble correspondent to the line-up for the 2013 festival in August.
- I've also been booking tour dates through upstate New York and New England in the fall - more on this later.
Videos
If you're following me on Facebook, you've already seen that I've set up a YouTube channel to collect my videos in one place. The lovely and talented Andy & Ariana who run the Night Kitchen monthly concert series in Wolfville have several videos of my performances. The Hamilton Guitar Association has one as well.
A few days ago, we added the first of the two videos we shot in March. Waiting For McAfee is a guitar instrumental that started during an attempt to repair broken anti-virus software. While I was chatting with their on-line support, their technician took over control of my computer remotely. As he tinkered around with the software, I was just watching so I picked up my guitar. I put the guitar into open G minor tuning (D G D G Bb D) and started noodling. After about 20 minutes of watching the remote session, I had the bones of a pretty good piece. They eventually fixed the software and gave back the computer and over the course of a few days, I finished the song.
As an aside, the software broke again several times and I went through several more on-line remote sessions and came up with another song, also in open G minor tuning. Its working title (stolen unashamedly from Douglas Adams) was McAfee are a bunch of mindless jerks who should be first against the wall when the revolution comes. It seemed a bit long to put on the back cover of a CD so its final title is Still Waiting.
You can watch all the videos and subscribe to my YouTube Channel here
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
The other major news is that I am delighted to announce that the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival has added me to their line up for the 28th annual edition of the festival in August. Details are still to come on the schedule but I can tell you that I will be involved in a guitar workshop and will be performing on the Bandstand Stage during the festival. The festival runs from August 8th through 11th. The line-up looks excellent and tickets are available on the website. Sorry, the early bird deadline has passed but it's still a great deal.
More To Come
There's lots more news but we'll leave it there for now. I'm off to New Orleans for the 9th Annual ZMR Awards on May 11th. I'm honoured to have been nominated for Best Instrumental Album - Acoustic. The winner for this and the other categories will be announced at the show which promises to be a great evening's entertainment regardless of who wins.
I'll have more news on the other videos and the recording we did in April in another blog.
Visit bobardern.ca.
April 4, 2013
April - It's a winter wonderland - oh wait - it's spring!
You wouldn't know it from the weather but spring has arrived on the South Shore. There's a few crocuses popping their heads out of the frozen soil and getting smacked by the weather. Waking up to a dusting of snow on the 3rd of April is not your humble correspondent's idea of spring.
And speaking of not my idea of spring, we've been shooting some videos over the last little while. Brandon Mercer and Chelsea Comeau are two hardy souls from the Halifax Centre for Arts and Technology and they came down to Lunenburg in March and we shot the footage for a couple of tunes from Wires Rosewood & Roots. The first part of the shoot was easy - it was indoors chez moi and quite comfortable. Then we went outside to about as cold a day in March as we could possibly have chosen.
The first piece we shot was Windrush and it was kind of a calm day during the morning. We wanted to have wind effects and there wasn't much in town so Bob the genius had the idea we could go to Hirtles Beach just down the shore. If there's wind on the South Shore, you can generally find it at Hirtles and we weren't disappointed. Brandon's first words were, "This is perfect." He and Chelsea set up some scenery shots of the waves and the whitecaps and the breakers washing over the rocks on the beach. Then they said, "OK, Bob, get out the guitar and play."
It took a few minutes to set up the shoot and then I played the song all the way through. By the time I was finished my hands were so cold I could barely move them so I had to go sit in the car with the heat full on to warm them up. Before long Chelsea and Brandon were in there with me. Even though they had gloves on it was just as cold for them behind the camera as it was in front of it. Once we were warmed back up, we went back out and did two more takes. At this point, the director (Brandon) said, "OK I think we've got enough footage." The cinematographer (Chelsea) agreed and there was a mad dash to pack everything up and load it all back into the car before frostbite set in.
Next up was Waiting For McAfee, part of which we'd shot indoors earlier. For this piece, we went down to Blue Rocks, a lovely spot just along the shore from Lunenburg. It's a working fishing village and one or two lobster boats were bobbing in the water at their docks. All very scenic and picture postcard. Again, Brandon and Chelsea took a few scenery shots then we clambered down onto the rocks where Brandon said it would look good.
It may have looked good but the wind was right in the artist's face and blowing right down the open-necked sweater and shirt and I just could not play. They say you have to suffer for your art but this was too much. Back we went to the car to warm up again and we drove around for a few minutes, found another spot on the rocks but with a little shelter this time. Just like at Hirtles, we did the set up/play/car cycle and did two takes. The director asked, "Have you got one more take in you?" So being the battle-hardened veteran, I said, "Sure."
I know my playing was a little untidy to say the least. It certainly felt like my fingers weren't responding the way they should but Brandon was really excited. The sun had dipped to the perfect angle and he said it was the best take of the three. Fortunately, the soundtrack uses the recorded version of the music from the CD, not the live version.
I learned quite a bit about shooting videos that day. I learned, for example, that my three favourite words are, "That's a wrap." I also learned that there's a lot of sitting around while the director and cinematographer set up the shot. At one point after we were all back at the house I commented that we'd spent about 7 hours shooting what would eventually become about 7 minutes of video and the response was, "Yeah, that's about normal."
So then it was back to Halifax for Brandon and Chelsea to do the post-production work: editing, marrying the music to the playing, and so on. It sounds like the visual equivalent to audio mixing which can be a tedious process but they were looking forward to it because for them it's fun. It was a great time and I really enjoyed working with the two of them. They're young, enthusiastic and skilled - a pretty good combination. I'm just about to head into Halifax for a look at the finished work, which I'll be introducing to an eager world over the next while. Watch this space for details.
Visit bobardern.ca
.
And speaking of not my idea of spring, we've been shooting some videos over the last little while. Brandon Mercer and Chelsea Comeau are two hardy souls from the Halifax Centre for Arts and Technology and they came down to Lunenburg in March and we shot the footage for a couple of tunes from Wires Rosewood & Roots. The first part of the shoot was easy - it was indoors chez moi and quite comfortable. Then we went outside to about as cold a day in March as we could possibly have chosen.
The first piece we shot was Windrush and it was kind of a calm day during the morning. We wanted to have wind effects and there wasn't much in town so Bob the genius had the idea we could go to Hirtles Beach just down the shore. If there's wind on the South Shore, you can generally find it at Hirtles and we weren't disappointed. Brandon's first words were, "This is perfect." He and Chelsea set up some scenery shots of the waves and the whitecaps and the breakers washing over the rocks on the beach. Then they said, "OK, Bob, get out the guitar and play."
It took a few minutes to set up the shoot and then I played the song all the way through. By the time I was finished my hands were so cold I could barely move them so I had to go sit in the car with the heat full on to warm them up. Before long Chelsea and Brandon were in there with me. Even though they had gloves on it was just as cold for them behind the camera as it was in front of it. Once we were warmed back up, we went back out and did two more takes. At this point, the director (Brandon) said, "OK I think we've got enough footage." The cinematographer (Chelsea) agreed and there was a mad dash to pack everything up and load it all back into the car before frostbite set in.
Next up was Waiting For McAfee, part of which we'd shot indoors earlier. For this piece, we went down to Blue Rocks, a lovely spot just along the shore from Lunenburg. It's a working fishing village and one or two lobster boats were bobbing in the water at their docks. All very scenic and picture postcard. Again, Brandon and Chelsea took a few scenery shots then we clambered down onto the rocks where Brandon said it would look good.
It may have looked good but the wind was right in the artist's face and blowing right down the open-necked sweater and shirt and I just could not play. They say you have to suffer for your art but this was too much. Back we went to the car to warm up again and we drove around for a few minutes, found another spot on the rocks but with a little shelter this time. Just like at Hirtles, we did the set up/play/car cycle and did two takes. The director asked, "Have you got one more take in you?" So being the battle-hardened veteran, I said, "Sure."
I know my playing was a little untidy to say the least. It certainly felt like my fingers weren't responding the way they should but Brandon was really excited. The sun had dipped to the perfect angle and he said it was the best take of the three. Fortunately, the soundtrack uses the recorded version of the music from the CD, not the live version.
I learned quite a bit about shooting videos that day. I learned, for example, that my three favourite words are, "That's a wrap." I also learned that there's a lot of sitting around while the director and cinematographer set up the shot. At one point after we were all back at the house I commented that we'd spent about 7 hours shooting what would eventually become about 7 minutes of video and the response was, "Yeah, that's about normal."
So then it was back to Halifax for Brandon and Chelsea to do the post-production work: editing, marrying the music to the playing, and so on. It sounds like the visual equivalent to audio mixing which can be a tedious process but they were looking forward to it because for them it's fun. It was a great time and I really enjoyed working with the two of them. They're young, enthusiastic and skilled - a pretty good combination. I'm just about to head into Halifax for a look at the finished work, which I'll be introducing to an eager world over the next while. Watch this space for details.
Visit bobardern.ca
.
February 11, 2013
February - Storms and Awards
Hi from the terribly snowy South Shore. Old Man Winter blew through here over the last couple of days and left us pretty well buried, although we didn't suffer as badly as some of our friends down the shore in Shelburne and Yarmouth. Today it's bright and sunny as usually happens after a nasty storm so I guess we should be grateful for small mercies.
As you may know if you've been following the Blog and my FB page, Wires Rosewood & Roots made the first cut for a couple of Zone Music Reporter Awards. The voting has been tallied from the qualification round and I am beyond excited to report that Wires has been nominated for Instrumental Album of the Year - Acoustic. In essence, all the people who listen, play, review and generally report on instrumental music think it's one of the five best acoustic instrumental albums of 2012. Of course, it would be a fabulous honour to win the award but it's fantastic achievement just to be nominated. Given the calibre (and the quantity) of instrumental music being released, to be considered one of the five best in class is beyond my wildest dreams.
The awards will be handed out on May 11 at the ZMR Awards Show - which is kinda like the Grammys for independent artists (and without so much industry hype and warnings from CBS about what's appropriate to wear on TV).
Producer David Findlay was very confident that we had made a good record and a great debt of gratitude is owed to David for both his playing and production as well as to my friends Kev Corbett and Alyssa Wright who added their musical talents to the album. Thanks are also due to Ed and Stacey Bonk of LAZZ Promotions. Ed and Stacey took me under their wing and did a fabulous job of promoting Wires when it first hit the street.
Thank you to everyone who has been playing Wires on the radio, in your CD players and on your iPods. Thank you to all the people who come out to my live performances. It's a treat to play for an audience and (as all my musician friends will attest) without the audience there isn't as much point to what we do.
Last and by no means least a particular thank you to all the people who voted for Wires Rosewood & Roots during the first round. Without your support, we could not have achieved the success that we've done. Oh yeah, a plug for your continued support on the next round. I'll shamelessly ask for your vote one more time because I truly would love for Wires to win but if it doesn't, we'll continue making music - soon as we finish digging out from under the snow.
Cheers, Bob
As you may know if you've been following the Blog and my FB page, Wires Rosewood & Roots made the first cut for a couple of Zone Music Reporter Awards. The voting has been tallied from the qualification round and I am beyond excited to report that Wires has been nominated for Instrumental Album of the Year - Acoustic. In essence, all the people who listen, play, review and generally report on instrumental music think it's one of the five best acoustic instrumental albums of 2012. Of course, it would be a fabulous honour to win the award but it's fantastic achievement just to be nominated. Given the calibre (and the quantity) of instrumental music being released, to be considered one of the five best in class is beyond my wildest dreams.
The awards will be handed out on May 11 at the ZMR Awards Show - which is kinda like the Grammys for independent artists (and without so much industry hype and warnings from CBS about what's appropriate to wear on TV).
Producer David Findlay was very confident that we had made a good record and a great debt of gratitude is owed to David for both his playing and production as well as to my friends Kev Corbett and Alyssa Wright who added their musical talents to the album. Thanks are also due to Ed and Stacey Bonk of LAZZ Promotions. Ed and Stacey took me under their wing and did a fabulous job of promoting Wires when it first hit the street.
Thank you to everyone who has been playing Wires on the radio, in your CD players and on your iPods. Thank you to all the people who come out to my live performances. It's a treat to play for an audience and (as all my musician friends will attest) without the audience there isn't as much point to what we do.
Last and by no means least a particular thank you to all the people who voted for Wires Rosewood & Roots during the first round. Without your support, we could not have achieved the success that we've done. Oh yeah, a plug for your continued support on the next round. I'll shamelessly ask for your vote one more time because I truly would love for Wires to win but if it doesn't, we'll continue making music - soon as we finish digging out from under the snow.
Cheers, Bob
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