Female artists from Yellowknife were among the talented acts to entertain the unleashed post-COVID masses at Folk on the Rocks (FOTR) over the weekend.
Carmen Braden, Laurie Sarkadi, Miranda Currie, Grace Clarke and Brie OSA国际影视传媒橩eefe of Flora and the Fireweeds spoke to Yellowknifer about what inspired them to become musicians.
Carmen Braden
When Carmen Braden was five years old, her parents signed her up for piano lessons.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was really lucky to have Bill Gilday as a (piano) teacherSA国际影视传媒� so it was a credit to him,SA国际影视传媒� Braden said. SA国际影视传媒�(He) kind of got me started and kind of lit this fire in me.SA国际影视传媒�
Her uncle Pat Braden, a well-known musician across the North, was another major influence, she said.
She can recall one of her first times performing live in front of an audience SA国际影视传媒� it was at city hall when she was in her late teens.
SA国际影视传媒淚 can remember playing a double bass, a didgeridoo and singing at this community concert, and it just felt so fun and rewarding to have my own music happening in a way that I was exploring,SA国际影视传媒� Carmen said. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 really stuck with me through the rest of my musical journey.SA国际影视传媒�
She said she can take inspiration from whatever is around her and incorporate that in her musical expression.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 a big fan of reflecting my geographical environment of the sub-Arctic in my music but also just my home environment,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Although Carmen formally studied piano, sheSA国际影视传媒檚 going back to her roots, which is songwriting.
This fall, she is set to release a new album, Seed Songs. It was available at FOTR ahead of the official release. Some of the music she wrote on her latest project touches on her children and living through the pandemic.
Laurie Sarkadi
Sarkadi started her musical career on the piano with classical music lessons, around age seven.
She recalled taking all the Royal Conservatory exams through Grade 8.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think I really only found my voice when I got my guitar. I never sang and played the piano,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
But she didnSA国际影视传媒檛 pick up the strings until she was 40 years old.
SA国际影视传媒淚 bought myself a guitar as a present and I sort of taught my self to play a bit.SA国际影视传媒� Sarkadi said. SA国际影视传媒淭hen, about six months later, I started writing my own songs.
SA国际影视传媒淚 do really like blue musicSA国际影视传媒� music with heart,SA国际影视传媒� she said,
Relationships, the environment and social justice provide her with fuel for her compositions. This yearSA国际影视传媒檚 FOTR was actually her first time performing entirely original songs.
One of her first times playing live was during an impromptu jam session with YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Indio Saravanja at the Wildcat Cafe. Whenever she performs itSA国际影视传媒檚 always exciting, but SA国际影视传媒渋tSA国际影视传媒檚 always a little scary,SA国际影视传媒� she added. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a very concentrated experience.SA国际影视传媒�
Not only is Sarkadi a musician, but sheSA国际影视传媒檚 a writer of books. Her latest e-book titled My Free Trip to Santa Fe came out last weekend at Folk on the Rocks.
Miranda Currie
Currie was a six-year-old school girl when she excitedly carried a permission slip home that would allow her to learn to play a stringed instrument.
SA国际影视传媒淚 remember taking it home to my parents and being really nervous to ask my grandma,SA国际影视传媒� Currie said, SA国际影视传媒淕randma, I really want to play the violin.SA国际影视传媒�
Currie recalls her grandma replying, SA国际影视传媒淥h well, your grandfather used to play. He wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 very good, but we have this violin if you wanted to use that.SA国际影视传媒�
Playing the violin soon became her favourite growing up. Years later, she started to pick up the guitar. She also tried playing bass for a while in high school, she added.
In her 20s, she began to write songs.
Her mission as an artist is to create authentic Northern Indigenous content that is accessible to children and families.
Last December, Currie recorded Tickling the Taiga, her second childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 album. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 due for release this fall. She also has a Northern Indigenous childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 TV show in development.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 working on a few other things SA国际影视传媒� not with music SA国际影视传媒� but I just finished a short film thatSA国际影视传媒檒l come out in fall as well,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Grace Clark
Tears rolled down Grace ClarkSA国际影视传媒檚 cheeks as she watched musical mentor Andrea Becker perform at an album release function years ago.
SA国际影视传媒淚 remember sitting in the audience and watching her play her own original music and I just had a really overwhelming feeling, I actually started crying in the audience,SA国际影视传媒� Clark said. SA国际影视传媒淚 love watching her play music and see her passion for music.SA国际影视传媒�
Becker taught Clark how to play fiddle at age seven, about four years after sheSA国际影视传媒檇 started piano lessons. Both mentor and protege played at FOTR this past weekend.
Clark began singing and songwriting while in high school. She always writes from personal experience. One of the songs she composed when she decided to take a year off after high school was about the first time she and her twin sister were going to be apart for more than a week.
SA国际影视传媒淚 remember writing a song about leaving home, talking about my sister and experiences that have a impact on me,SA国际影视传媒� she said, adding that she also likes to have an aspect of nature in her songs.
Clark graduated in April from a contemporary music and technology program, majoring in songwriting and voice, at Selkirk College in British Columbia.
She got to record a song upon completing the program.
SA国际影视传媒淚 decided I wanted to release it as a live extended play, so ISA国际影视传媒檝e got that on Spotify and Apple Music,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
The extended play consists of five songs: Nice Girl, Man in the Moon, Good Intentions, State of Mind and Sweet Talk.
SA国际影视传媒淚 really wanted to have an acoustic feel because I think thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a nice way to connect with others when performing,SA国际影视传媒� she said of the project.
She and a former classmate are working towards producing more songs in the near future.
Flora and the Fireweeds
Brie OSA国际影视传媒橩eefe, founder of the Canadian folk band Flora and the Fireweeds, said she first got involved in music when she was about eight years old at YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Youth Choir, under the tutelage of director Bill Gilday. It was really important to her to learn how to sing.
During FOTR last weekend, she played alongside bandmates Kate Mansfield and Eva Paul on vocals, Jean-Michel Hivon on bass and David Dowe on drums.
Flora and the Fireweeds was formed in 2018. The moniker partially came from Starbucks, in an odd twist.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople donSA国际影视传媒檛 always understand my name, so when Starbucks started the campaign where you gave your name to get your drink, it was really annoying,SA国际影视传媒� OSA国际影视传媒橩eefe said, SA国际影视传媒淪o one day I said to the guy, can you just write SA国际影视传媒榙ragonSA国际影视传媒� or something on the drink and ISA国际影视传媒檒l pick that up because you arenSA国际影视传媒檛 going to understand my name.SA国际影视传媒�
That was when the barista said, SA国际影视传媒淪A国际影视传媒楽o you want me to give you a Starbucks name?SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�
The name was Flora.
OSA国际影视传媒橩eefe said Flora became her alter ego.
A lot of the groupSA国际影视传媒檚 music comes from everyday life, and one of their songs evolved from the time OSA国际影视传媒橩eefe lived in London, England for 12 years.
SA国际影视传媒淚 would take the night bus at night and there was always girls having a really hard time, like crying and just, you know, you saw people in these vulnerable moments in their life,SA国际影视传媒� OSA国际影视传媒橩eefe recalled, adding that her song Dying Girl took influence from those moments.
The band is expecting to release a new album in spring 2022, tentatively called Greenwood.
