ontario council of folk festivals
The OCFF Celebrates 2011 Estelle Klein Award Winner Paul Mills
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What is “Traditional� Music and Why Should We Care?
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Your Guide to the 25th Annual OCFF Conference in Niagara Falls
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Conference Program 2011
SOCAN_OCFF2011_pressready.pdf
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9/13/11
2:23 PM
Happy 25
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Anniversary!
SOCAN salutes the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals on 25 years of great music. C
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SOCAN is Canada's performing rights organization for music creators and publishers. On behalf of our 100,000+ members, we distribute royalties from licence fees collected for music use in Canada and around the world. Visit www.socan.ca for more information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome to the 25th Anniversary OCFF Conference.......................................................................4 The President’s Message….................................................................................................................5 Executive Director’s Message.............................................................................................................6 2011 Estelle Klein Award Winner Paul Mills…................................................................................7 The OCFF Taylor Mitchell Bursary...................................................................................................8 What is “Traditional” Music and Why Should We Care?.................................................................9 2010/11 Board of Directors...............................................................................................................11 Panel Descriptions............................................................................................................................12 Official, Alternate and Family Showcase Artists............................................................................16 Volunteers.........................................................................................................................................19 2011 OCFF Youth Program, Participants and Youth Mentors......................................................20 OCFF Conference Panelists.............................................................................................................22 The OCFF Presenters Program.......................................................................................................25 CAPACOA’s The Succession Plan Program....................................................................................26 Presenters Program Participants....................................................................................................27 Exhibit Hall.......................................................................................................................................29 New Members....................................................................................................................................30
ontario council of folk festivals
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2010/11 Executive Committee President Scott Merrifield...........................smerrifield@eastlink.ca Vice President Katharine Partridge....katharine.partridge@sympatico.ca Treasurer Tamara Kater...................... tamara@folkmusiccanada.ca Interim Secretary Jerry Switzer.....................jswitzer@feehelygastaldi.com Member-at-Large Dan Greenwood ........................ greenwoodd@socan.ca Directors Richard Flohil.................................rflohil@sympatico.ca Jane Harbury........................................jane@harbury.ca ShoShona Kish........ shoshona@diggingrootsmusic.com Larry LeBlanc............................................ ljle@aol.com Brad McEwen..............................mill_race@yahoo.com David Newland...................... david.newland@gmail.com Kuljit Sodhi...................................... kuljit@galitcha.com
STAFF Executive Director Peter MacDonald...... pmacdonald@ocff.ca Office Manager Jennifer Ellis......................... jellis@ocff.ca Membership Services Manager Bob LeDrew..................... bledrew@ocff.ca Membership Services Coordinator Olga Zuyderhoff..................admin@ocff.ca Conference Coordinator Jean-Marc Lalonde..... conference@ocff.ca Youth Program and Art Beat Coordinator Chris MacLean.............. cmaclean@ocff.ca
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Phone: 1-866-292-6233 or 613-560-5997 Fax: 613-560-2001 www.ocff.ca
The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the OCFF. Questions or comments regarding Folk Prints should be brought to the attention of Peter MacDonald at pmacdonald@ocff.ca. Articles and photos may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the author and/or photographer.
Mailing address: 508-B Gladstone Avenue Ottawa, ON K1R 5P1
Cover photo by Karen Flanagan McCarthy. Paul Mills is the recipient of the OCFF’s 2011 Estelle Klein Award. Please visit www.ocff.ca/advertising.html for ad rates, formats and sizes. Submissions (max. 500 words) and pictures welcome! We cannot guarantee inclusion of your submission in Folk Prints (but we’ll try!). Please send submissions in text format only. If you have pictures, call us before sending them.
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WELCOME TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OCFF CONFERENCE: PRELUDE TO A YEAR OF CELEBRATIONS! On a cool afternoon in October of 1986, the Ontario Alliance of Folk Festivals (OAFF) met in Toronto to continue a discussion that had been around a while – to form a group of like-minded festival organizers around a basic list of needs. During the year that followed, the (renamed) Ontario Council of Folk Festivals was incorporated as a not-forprofit organization and began its work in the fall of 1987. Can you believe that we are now celebrating our 25th annual conference? It’s the start of a year of celebrations that will culminate in the 25th anniversary of the OCFF itself at our 2012 conference in Mississauga. For those who have been attending since the early days, the changes in the folk community and the environment in which festivals are presented have been huge. For newer attendees, this event can be overwhelming and needs to be taken in bite-sized pieces! The membership of the OCFF has grown and shifted and the conference has tried to respond accordingly over the years. We’re trying some new things this year, and bringing back some old chestnuts that we haven’t seen for a while, along with our favourite regular activities: - We’ve got TWO keynote speakers this year – Eric Baptiste at Friday’s SOCAN Welcome Reception and Loreena McKennitt at Saturday’s Keynote Lunch; - Take in a First-timers’ Orientation session happening on both Friday and Saturday
– get pointers from conference veterans; - The Gala Dinner on Saturday evening will honour Paul Mills, our Estelle Klein Award recipient, along with Songs From the Heart winners and our generous sponsors and partners; - We are hosting a very special dialogue on the Value of Presenting in Canada – a discussion that will contribute to a large study on what we do and why it has great value for our communities; - Social Media is a focus of two panels: one for relative newbies and one for those already using it and who are racing to embrace the mobile technology revolution; - Festival organizers will have lots of opportunity to meet and interact, including two specific sessions – a meet and greet on Friday and a Round Table session on Saturday, to discuss ways that the OCFF can better serve member festivals; - The Presenters Program, supported by OMDC, FACTOR, FMC and CAPACOA, will connect presenters from outside Ontario with official showcasers and other exportready artists; - House Concerts return as a subject of discussion and debate on Sunday morning – where do they fit in our community? - Michael (A Man Called) Wrycraft is back after an absence of a few years, to talk about graphics and design as part of the Record Production panel; - Touring and Crossing
Borders (on Saturday) is always a timely discussion, but more now in fortress North America; - Funding sessions for both performers and festivals is front-and-centre on Saturday afternoon; - Returning by popular demand - Wolf Kater’s ukulele building workshop; - Plus there’s a ton of showcasing: Officials, Sponsored, Youth and Private along with hallway jams, Campfire Sessions and all-night jamming in a space set aside with the cooperation of the Marriott hotel. One thing is sure – there is more to do than you will have time to accomplish! Be sure to introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met. Ask for help if you need it – from staff, volunteers and other delegates. We urge you to pace yourself, focus on your goals and remember to breathe! Thanks go out to the entire 2011 Conference Steering Committee for their keen oversight and immense contributions to the programming and shape of the conference this year: Joeann Argue Erin Barnhardt Jennifer Ellis Richard Flohil Mike Hill Larry LeBlanc Peter MacDonald Chris MacLean Brad McEwen Scott Merrifield Paul Mills
The president’s message
We’re here! For the 25th time, this very special gathering of people who love folk music has come together, this year in a new location, Niagara Falls. I remember fondly the early days when there were only 6 folk festivals in Ontario and we came together to try to help one another put on better and better festivals. It was a fairly low key, but very rich exchange. It is mind-boggling how Ontario folk festivals, the OCFF and the conference have grown in 25 years, but the original vision and purpose is still very much alive. Only now there is so much more. The OCFF’s mission is to support the growth and development of folk music in Ontario by supporting the growth and development of presenters and performers. In keeping
with that, the four streams of conference programming, (presenters, performers, general interest and youth) are meant to provide stimulating opportunities to learn, share, and become better at what we do. Even before last year’s conference was over, the staff, Board and other volunteers were already planning for this year. It is a lot of work – work that is done with love, care and dedication. As a result, we are very fortunate and grateful for the excellent calibre of speakers and panelists who are here to share their knowledge and expertise. And of course there is lots and lots of music. The 26 official OCFF showcases are only part of the rich array of talent that is also presented through the sponsored showcases of our partners, and the private showcases that will adorn the late night and early morning hours. And now that we are all here, each of us will make our contribution and share what we create together. We all have something to offer and will get out of this in measure with our participation. This includes the formal program as well as the informal networking and business that can be conducted in the Exhibit Hall, hotel corridors and post-conference follow-up with contacts made.
by Scott Merrifield
Each OCFF member also has an important role in sustaining and improving our organization. I therefore urge all members to be sure to vote, before 3:00 p.m. Saturday, to fill three positions on the OCFF Board of Directors, choosing from among the seven strong candidates who have generously agreed to stand for election. And also be sure to attend the Annual General Meeting on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. For me personally, filling the shoes of our Past President, Paul Mills, has been a daunting challenge over the past year, which has only been possible by sharing the load with dedicated and talented group of fellow directors. We have all benefitted greatly from the vision, leadership, wisdom and diligence Paul gave us during his tenure as President and continued as Past President. But this is only a small part of the contribution that Paul has made and continues to make to the folk community, both in Ontario and nationally. So I am delighted that we celebrate his achievements as this year’s recipient of the Estelle Klein Award. Happy 25th Anniversary everyone, and have a great conference! Scott Merrifield
ArtsCan Circle 3K - 5K FUNdraiser Run/Walk Departs from the main lobby on Saturday at 8:30am. Help us raise money for a great cause!
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executive director’s message
We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. I realize that fact every day as I get settled in my office for another shift in the folk salt mines. Surrounding us here in the office are posters of OCFF events recent and long past and of member festivals. We display annual festival brochure covers from the very inception of that tradition. We are immersed in a visual reminder of what has been built by others and to which we have a tremendous responsibility. And then there’s the music of our community which fills
the air and reminds us further of the rich talent that makes up the OCFF membership – artists all, whether they play and sing, produce the music or design artwork and video that helps us relate to it on a deeper level. Each of our member festivals and organizations are driven by a deep, abiding purpose: to share folk music and to help create opportunities for more people to embrace and love it, and its creators – in many cases our individual members. We are all dedicated to improving our work, to finding new and exciting ways to do it and to enjoying the results we achieve. Our annual conference has been a touchstone in my own life since I started attending it in 1996. It’s been my oasis for connecting with what nourishes my musical passions. It’s where I find a large number of my closest friends. It’s where I can debate, discuss and differ with my peers and those I aspire to have as peers. It’s an intense microcosm of the folk community in Ontario, across Canada and internationally. It’s a lot like going “home”
by Peter MacDonald
for an important holiday. It’s where my heart can be found each October. I am ever grateful for the love and support of my family - Trish, Kate and Neil: you keep me grounded and evermindful of life’s priorities. I value immensely the talented, dedicated and fun OCFF staff – Jennifer, Bob, Olga, Maggie, Jean-Marc and Chris. I appreciate the oversight and care shown by our Board of Directors, especially President Scott and Past President Paul. I get to conspire with amazing music industry partners across the country and I can easily say that the OCFF’s funders and sponsors are the best any ED could hope for – we continually find new ways to get important work done together on limited resources. It’s a job with many benefits and blessings. My hope for each of you is that you take a lot away from the conference, while leaving a bit of yourself for others to share. Those who follow will appreciate your broad shoulders.
ART BEAT AT THE OCFF The Art Beat program is a way for OCFF member performers to give back to the community where the annual conference happens to be located. Art Beat artists perform hour-long workshops and concerts for those who don’t normally have the opportunity
to experience a live folk music performance. The experience is a rewarding one for both the artists and the recipients of the program. This year, OCFF delegates have donated their time and talents to visit a number of schools, long-term care facili-
ties and special venues in and around Niagara Falls. Performing artists are often the most generous of people, and the OCFF is proud of the willingness of musicians to share their creative work with others, both as part of Art Beat and the whole year round.
2011 ESTELLE KLEIN AWARD WINNER PAUL MILLS by Bob LeDrew Paul Mills – the modest engineer of a “Canadian sound” and recipient of the 2011 Estelle Klein Award. Paul Mills’s reaction to being told he had been selected as the 2011 recipient of the Estelle Klein Award? “Frankly, I was stunned. For somebody like me, who’s been behind the scenes all his life, this was a little bit more surprising than it would be for some other folks.” Somehow, this seems a characteristic response for the man who’s been a consummate – but quiet – builder of sounds for everyone from Stan Rogers to Sharon, Lois & Bram to Rodney Brown to Ron Hynes. The Klein Award, named for Mariposa legend Estelle Klein, has been given to a number of seminal figures in its decadelong history – Klein herself, Sharon, Lois & Bram, and Richard Flohil – but Mills’s selection this year completes a legendary triumvirate: Mills, luthier Grit Laskin (2010), and Stan Rogers (2007). Mills, of course, was the producer of many of Rogers’s records, and Laskin was his luthier. In fact, Mills still has one of Stan’s Laskin guitars in his studio, The Millstream. But while Mills will forever be tied up in the Stan Rogers mythology, there’s a lot more to him than that. Starting in the 1960s at the legendary Smale’s Pace coffeehouse as part of Kingston Trio-esque singing groups, Mills pursued two paths that might not have been parallel, but at least
crossed regularly – music and its creative work, and engineering, building on his studies to work on the technology of music and sound. Mills’s studies in chemical engineering led to engineering the chemistry of music, as producer of the foundational CBC Radio show “Touch The Earth” with Sylvia Tyson, as the planner in charge of designing a number of CBC facilities, and of course, as a producer of more than 150 records since 1973. As the full-time proprietor of The Millstream, Mills is now not just a producer of music, but books – he just helped “The Singing Quilter” Cathy Miller produce The Singing Quilter Songbook, with songs, stories, photos and even a few quilting patterns to boot. What characterizes Mills’s work as musician, producer, and leader within the folk music industry, is a spirit of partnership and a passion to build. The OCFF’s Peter MacDonald says, “I knew Paul by reputation before he joined the OCFF Board of Directors. He dove right into the task of renewing the organization. My working relationship with him took a new, vibrant turn when the Board hired me as Executive Director and he became my supervisor. Paul was encouraging and supportive. As Past President, he continues to challenge the staff and his Board colleagues to keep the OCFF membership primary in our focus. Paul always gives his very best to the folk community – often at the expense
of his own dreams and goals!” “The award is really given for community builders – people who have helped the community. I guess I’ve done that, and being recognized for it – it’s a thrill, getting that recognition,” says Mills. “Folk music is music that has something to say. Having been part of folk music for over 50 years, I’m still drawn to it because it has something to say.” Talking about Stan’s song “The Idiot”, Mills observes “That song is also about the pride of being independent, of making your own way in this world. Stan wrote a lot about that part of the human condition – I’m not just gonna lie down. ‘Free in the Harbour’ is another one… Fierce independence.” While Mills’s placid demeanor doesn’t immediately say “ferocity,” it’s not hard to hear that emotion in many of the recordings he’s worked on, from the East Coast’s Terry Kelly to Ontario’s Tanglefoot to BC shantyman Tom Lewis, 7
and even in his own solo work or as half of Crabtree & Mills with Joanne Crabtree. Even with five decades in music behind him and a thick head of grey hair rather than brown, it’s a certainty that the fierce independence that Paul Mills has engineered for himself is in no way diminished by time.
THE ESTELLE KLEIN AWARD Estelle Klein had an impact on folk music in Canada that is difficult to quantify. She was not the founder of the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1960, but she spent more than a decade as its artistic director, essentially striking the mold for what most people think of
as a folk festival – daytimes full of workshops, crafters, artisans, and recreation, followed by evening and nighttime concerts. The festival flourished under her leadership, and many of those who are now considered leaders and central figures in folk music – both onstage and behind the scenes – were mentored by Klein or learned by watching her. Klein was a keen judge of artistic potential – artists such as Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Buffy SainteMarie were all performers at Mariposa before they went on to worldwide fame. And she was a tireless worker and volunteer in the community throughout her 74 years, serving almost until the end of her
life as board chair for ArtsCan Circle. The Fall 2000 issue of Folk Prints, honouring Estelle with the award which bears her name, called her “a living encyclopedia of musical, cultural, programming and organizing information and experience… [who] remained true to her finely honed principles. Estelle Klein died June 17, 2004. In an appreciation in Sing Out!, Richard Flohil wrote “Estelle helped me to understand the amazing scope and vitality of traditions and the value of both the commonality and the uniqueness in human expression.” It’s doubtful that anyone who cares about folk music could ask for a better legacy.
THE OCFF TAYLOR MITCHELL BURSARY Despite being only 19 years old, Taylor Mitchell was already making a significant impression on many people in our community. Shortly after attending the 2009 OCFF conference, Taylor died tragically while touring in Nova Scotia. Her loss touched the music community deeply, just as it did her friends and family. Emily Mitchell, Taylor’s mom, established a trust fund to support the OCFF Youth Program – a program that benefited Taylor as a musician. The Shelter Valley Folk Festival made an additional contribution that will help to keep it going for at least another year. In 2010, Maria Tullio was the first recipient of the OCFF Taylor Mitchell
Bursary, an award of $500 to help cover the costs of attending the OCFF conference. This year’s recipient is Binaeshee-Quae Couchie-Nabigon from Pic River, Ontario. In July 2011, Binaeshee-Quae released an EP of her jazzyalterna-folk and was invited to perform at the Red Rock Folk Festival and at the Winnipeg Folk Festival as part of the Young Galaxy Performers Program. Catch Binaeshee-Quae and the other youth performers at the Youth Showcase on Saturday, October 15, 2–4pm in Salon A of the Marriott Gateway on the Falls Hotel. Alumni from the OCFF Youth Program will also be performing in their own private show-
case room on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15 in Room 321. If you are interested in contributing to the OCFF Taylor Mitchell Bursary fund, please contact the OCFF office at 1-866-292-6233.
WHAT IS “TRADITIONAL” MUSIC AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE? by Anne Lederman
I would guess that most people, when they hear the word “traditional,” think “old,” “passed down over generations,” “music of the past,” etc., and while they may be intellectually curious about such “old” music, the idea doesn’t immediately quicken the blood, so to speak. Maybe we need a new word. So who are “traditional” artists in Canada? Ashley MacIsaac? Nathalie MacMaster? Great Big Sea? Genticorum? The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band? Njacko Backo? Loreena McKennitt? Figgy Duff? Oliver Schroer? I say “yes” to all of the above, and many, many more. Every one of these artists, for a significant part of their careers, plays (or did play) “old” music. Does it cease to be “traditional” when you add an electric guitar? How about a drum kit (got Bob Dylan in trouble)? How about a tabla on a Celtic tune, or a djembe In a klezmer band? How about when an artist plays both old and new music as so many “folk” and “roots’ musicians do? And why should we care about old music anyway? Well the simple answer is that as a member of a music-consuming public, you shouldn’t – at least not just because it’s old. I am the first person to say that if music doesn’t speak to you now, if it is not moving, meaningful, beautiful or inspired right now, it doesn’t deserve to live as a live performance.
It may deserve to be preserved for all kinds of reasons, not least of which because it may be inspiring to whole new generations in future. What it can tell us about who we are and where we have come from will always be invaluable. But that is the business of collectors, educators, preservationists, historians, archivists. It is not the business of performers and audiences. The business of performers is to inspire an audience now. And the business of audiences is to be discerning enough to recognize a performance worthy of appreciation -- even a performance that’s outside their experience. (Nothing is more sad to me than to see obviously passionate and brilliant musicians from other cultures fail to captivate folk festival audiences, because people just don’t get it.) However, there is no “you should care” about this, there is, ultimately, only “wow” or “ehhh. . .” (not to be confused with “eh!!!”). Those of us who have found great inspiration in old music can only hope that our talents are such that we can inspire audiences. Play it like it used to be? The “old-time” way? Probably not. Most people who aspire to play it “traditionally” are likely failing. And I, for one, find the tiresomeness of a performance to be directly proportional to how important it is to the performer to think they’re preserving the past and
telling me about every page of every book they learned the piece from. On the other hand, old styles of performance can be much more moving than new ones. I was personally disappointed to hear so little a cappella singing at the Miramichi Song Festival in the mid-90s, because I find the old storytelling character of the a capella versions, with their fluid timing and vocal agility, far more exciting than the regularized 3-chord guitar versions that have generally replaced them. I find a solo fiddler creating an entire musical world in one rhythmic melody often far more exciting than a whole carefully arranged band. The point is that things can go either way. When Ian Bell and I released the Muddy York recording of 19th century Ontario music in 1984, we were no more playing it like they had in the 19th century than Ashley MacIsaac was when he recorded “Hills of Glenorchy” on Hi How are You Today? Yes, our instrumentation was a little closer to things they had – piano, button accordion, bagpipes, but certainly not our style of playing or the type of arrangements we put together. Those were done for maximum dramatic effect for the on-stage folk world of the late 20th century. They were as purely a product of our 1960s and 70s influences as Ashley’s are of a slightly later generation. 9
Bob Dylan sang old songs, as did the Grateful Dead. The important thing is not whether or not they sang them, but that their love of old music completely informed what they did as contemporary musicians. Without Woody Guthrie (who himself learned from Cisco Huston and many others before him), there would have been no Bob Dylan; without Harry Hibbs, no Great Big Sea; without John Allan Cameron, no Ashley MacIsaac; without Buddy MacMaster, no Natalie. You might prefer one or the other. That’s great – choose your poison. They are all part of the world of traditional music. Those old tunes and songs have been honed by generations of players and singers. Just like fine wine, age may have increased their value a thousandfold, or it may have turned them into undrinkable swill. Old songs are full of old values, including xenophobia, women-bashing, overt nationalism (“us” is always better than “them”), etc. Some of them deserve to die. But, you are not only paying for a violin when you buy a Strad, you are
paying for the story that comes with it. Sometimes the story is actually better than the instrument, or song, or tune (we’ve all been there). But in the best cases, (loyalty, betrayal, love, lust, revenge – what’s not to like?) both the story and the tune will leave you feeling richer. And what of new music written by “trad” artists? As a traditional fiddle player, if I write a new tunes that other fiddlers start to play, or if I start performing solely completely my own material, am I no longer a traditional artist? There is an unbroken line between past and present on which I and many Canadian “roots” musicians move easily back and forth. That’s true for those known as songwriters, fiddlers, or world music groups, whether they are performing mostly old or mostly new music. So, what I am saying here, essentially, is that “traditional” music is not always old, nor traditional. I will get you interested in the old music and stories I love by any means necessary. Adding a kalimba to a Métis tune? Get a tabla
player or a Carnatic violinist to improvise around an old reel? Create a steel band arrangement or perform with an orchestra? Play a tune written yesterday next to one that was written 300 years ago? I’ll do all of that and more. If, after that, I or my fellow “traddies” can’t interest you in this music, c’est la vie. If no one is interested, we will all have to stop performing it and become historians. But that’s not going to happen, because the music I’m talking about is simply some of the richest, most creatively inspiring around. That it’s loaded with stories about who we are and where we came from, that those stories drip out of every note of those wonderful swirling melodies, assures me that it will continue to be heard. Maybe we just need a new word. Join Anne Lederman -- fiddler extraordinaire, singer of songs old and new, composer, improviser and multi-instrumentalist – and musical friends for the traditional music workshop in the Hennepin South room at the OCFF conference, 3:00pm Saturday.
Ontario Folk Festivals – you are invited to a Volunteer Coordinator Gathering! Are you a volunteer coordinator of an Ontario Folk Festival? The Ottawa Folk Festival will be hosting a gathering THIS NOVEMBER of coordinators to talk shop all weekend about volunteer management (i.e., crew structures, application processes, and so much more). This is VERY low cost as we will be billeting through local volunteers and will be organizing potlucks - essentially the only cost is getting yourself to Ottawa! Contact Emily Addison, Community Engagement & Volunteer Manager at volunteers@ottawafolk.com.
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2010/2011 Board of Directors Richard Flohil
Brad McEwen
Richard has worked full-time in the music industry as a writer, editor, publicist and concert promoter for some 40 years. A former festival artistic director and event coordinator (Mariposa, Southern Comfort Blues Festival), he continues to work with a wide variety of roots music artists, from Loreena McKennitt to Downchild, from Justin Rutledge to Jeff Healey. He was the 2006 recipient of the OCFF’s Estelle Klein Award.
Brad McEwen is the AD of the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Music. Because it was inspired by similar events held in the UK, a significant part of the content is British and Irish music. However, an equally significant number of acts represent a variety of world cultures and the multinational character that is Canada today. Brad is an avid musician in his own right, helping to preserve and spread trad music well beyond his home community.
Dan Greenwood (Member-at-Large)
Scott Merrifield (President)
Dan has worked on behalf of songwriters and publishers for over 25 years in various roles at SOCAN, where he is currently responsible for strategic and corporate planning and operational change (re-engineering), in the role of Vice-President of Corporate Planning and Business Change. Dan holds a BA in economics, studied the music and recording business at the Recording Arts Institute of Canada, and completed an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.
A founder and past Artistic Director of Northern Lights Festival Boréal, Scott was also involved in OCFF in its early days and gave workshops at early conferences. Since 1992, he has been presenting 6-10 house concerts per year in Sudbury. In 2008, Scott retired from his job as Director of Policy & Planning for FedNor, delivering community-based social and economic development programs throughout Northern Ontario, including extensive work with Aboriginal communities.
Jane Harbury
David Newland
Having founded Jane Harbury Publicity in 1988, Jane ran the small, versatile and effective company, working on contract for some clients and on a project basis for specific clients or events. Late in 2000 Ms. Harbury formed Planet3 Communications Ltd. with Joanne Smale. In January 2004 Harbury stepped down from the partnership and reactivated Jane Harbury Publicity, returning to focus more strongly on her first love - the arts and developing artists.
David Newland is the Editor-in-Chief at Canoe.ca. He has appeared at numerous Ontario festivals as a singersongwriter, host and performer. David is a past Director of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, host of the Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert series and a co-founder of the Corktown Ukulele Jam.
Tamara Kater (Treasurer) Daughter of an instrument-builder father and a community activist mother, Tamara grew up surrounded by musicians and people building community organizations. A passionate music enthusiast, Tamara has worked in arts management and community outreach for more than a decade. Tamara is the incoming Executive Director of Folk Music Canada.
ShoShona Kish
Katharine Partridge (Vice President) Katharine volunteered as business and production manager for Shelter Valley Folk Festival’s first five years and served as Chair of its inaugural board. She has given presentations on governance, board/staff relationships, and green initiatives at OCFF and Folk Alliance conferences. Katharine is a communications and stakeholder engagement specialist, managing a Toronto-based boutique consultancy advising international clients on sustainability issues.
Kuljit Sodhi
ShoShona Kish is a multidisciplinary artist who has fused her art school training with her first loves, music and songwriting. She is the co-creator and front woman for the Juno-nominated group Digging Roots. In addition to her work with the band, she is also a passionate advocate for First Nations arts and arts education.
Kuljit Sodhi is the creator and leader of the very successful world music ensemble Galitcha. After ten years of civil engineering Kuljit embraced music full time in 2002. Since then Galitcha has traveled around the world sharing music made in Canada. Kuljit divides his time between practicing, writing, promoting and performing his music.
Larry LeBlanc
Jerry Switzer (Interim Secretary)
Larry LeBlanc’s roots in Canada’s folk community reach back to the late ‘60s when he contributed to such CBC Radio programs as Sunday & Friends, Folk Circle and Touch the Earth. In the 1970s he was music producer of CBC’s Morningside and Dayshift programs. Larry was the Canadian bureau chief of Billboard from 1991-2007. With his wife, radio promoter Anya Wilson, Larry also operates the publishing firm Brycemoor Music.
Jerry is the chair of Tottenham Bluegrass Festival (1991 to present) and legal counsel for several arts organizations, clubs, charities, foundations and associations. In addition, Jerry is a Director and Officer of community organizations relating to business and cultural events and a member of the South Simcoe Ramblers bluegrass band. Jerry is involved in the musical community at all levels, and is a songwriter and performer.
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showcase artists
Ann Vriend Ann Vriend has headlined festivals
in Germany, Poland, and Australia. Her album “Love & Other Messes” has critics raving: “The rare feat of sounding at once comfortably familiar and intriguingly original.... veer(ing) effor tlessly between straight-ahead, quiet country, to soul-wrenching blues, to folkinspired storytelling.... Don’t miss her.” - 3.5/4 Stars, Toronto Star
Beaucoup Blue Billboard Magazine World Song-
writing Contest Grand Prize Winner & top 40 AMA Radio Chart toppers. Beaucoup Blue father and son David and Adrian Mowry’s music is steeped in the roots Americana musical history. Combining fine guitar work and familial harmonies in original song writing and traditional renditions.
Cindy Doire Cindy Doire has a footloose wan-
dering soul. With a sultry voice that can whisper in your ear and startle your heart and a wail that can pin you against the back wall and shatter your soul, she’s a troubadour that’s blessed with a gift of creating songs you will remember. illustrates their growth since the group’s creation in 2002. 16
Dave Gunning Multiple award-winning recording
artist, Dave Gunning has eight critically acclaimed CDs to his credit. Dave and his latest releases, “We’re all Leaving” and “a tribute to John Allan Cameron” scored five East Coast Music Award nominations and took home two 2011 East Coast Music Awards for Roots Traditional Solo Recording and Producer of the Year.
Fish and Bird Previously a duo, Fish & Bird be-
came famous for the mindblowing fiddle playing of Adam Iredale-Gray and the compelling songs and voice of banjoist Taylor Ashton. As a fivepiece, they are now also famous for Zoe Guigueno’s upright bass mastery, Ben Kelly’s unmistakeable drumming, and Ryan Boeur’s tasty guitar wizardry.
Jadea Kelly “Jadea is one of the shining jewels
in the crown of Canadian songwriters.” - Tom Power CBC. Blessed with an achingly distinct voice, Jadea is known primarily for her vocal recordings with Catherine MacLellan and Canadian metal band, Protest the Hero. Her album, Eastbound Platform, received a nomination at the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMA) for new/emerging artist of the year.
Kevin Fox Manitoba Hal Dubbed “a cellist and guitarist of Manitoba Hal has a passion for rare talent… with a voice that soars like an angel” (Toronto Star), Kevin has been captivating audiences across Canada with his unique musical tapestry of cello-driven pop songs. Whether performing on his signature instrument, which he plucks, taps and loops, or with his guitar, an evening with Kevin Fox is never to be forgotten.
Lake of Stew Lake of Stew is a friendly acoustic
singing string band from Montreal. Their songs are all original, inspired by old-time country, folk, bluegrass, and jug band music, featuring great vocal harmonies. Their shows are energetic and fun, inspiring audiences of all ages to sing and dance along.
the blues and the ukulele. Using looping technology he creates a one-man-band performance with traditional blues arranged in fresh and inventive ways and his witty stage banter entertains even the most jaded audiences. Yes that is a Ukulele!
Matt Masters Masters has a can-do cowboy
attitude. As a songsmith creating new contributions to the C&W canon, Masters stands tall. His workhorse attitude shows in the 100 gigs he did in 100 towns to celebrate Alberta’s centennial. Catchy honky-tonk tunes performed in his signature voice.
MAZ Whoever said that Folk music Layah Jane Layah is a velvet-voiced tunesmith
of tender, clever, conscientious Canadiana that seeps into the soul. Recommended if you’d like to hear Sade act Alt/Country, and Joni Mitchell rock Reggae, Layah and band-mate Oliver Johnson take “a delicious, deep-groove approach” (Roots Music Canada) with their onstage burst of Folk/Soul joy.
could not be reinvented? Musician and composer Marc Maziade has roundly succeeded with Telescope, his first album, by leading his band “MAZ” in making a brilliant marriage between electric Jazz and French-Canadian folk music. Pierre-Olivier Dufresne (violin), Gabriel Godbout-Castonguay (keys) and Benoit Coulombe (double bass) bring their personal flavour to the arrangements, making of MAZ a unique, contemporary universe deeply-rooted in tradition.
showcase artists
Meaghan Blanchard Meaghan Blanchard is a 22-year-
old singer/songwriter from Hunter River, PEI. Her latest album, “Chasin’ Lonely Again”, won a 2011 ECMA award. Her first album, “Changing Things”, won four Music PEI Awards. She has performed for the royal couple William and Kate during their visit to PEI this summer. She has also played the Cavendish Music Festival, the PEI Jazz and Blues Festival and the Indian River Festival in 2011.
Rob Szabo Rob Szabo is a tireless touring
troubadour, acclaimed songwriter and producer. Press folks say he has the “soul of a poet” and compare him to “prime Costello”. Jo Beattie says Rob sings “soulful confessionals with a curious blend of hope and melancholy.” Rob plays honest intense music for music lovers.
Oh Susanna In a career spanning over a decade,
Sherman Downey and T he Ambiguous Case Sherman Downey and The Ambigu-
Rob Heath A singer/songwriter in the tradition
Silver Roots NYC-based Silver Roots – com-
Oh Susanna released five critically acclaimed records noted for their contemplative, thoughtful, folk-inspired songs that transport listeners into an imaginary emotional landscape. Her recent release, SOON THE BIRDS, explores the timeless themes of love, loss and longing through soaring melodies and vivid lyrics.
of Harry Chapin, John Prine and Steve Earle, Rob Heath recently won the Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Songwriting Contest for his song “Starlight Tours”. He is a past New Folk winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and won a Canadian Radio Music Award for songwriting.
ous Case’s first release is not just a collection of fun songs about muddy jackets, lost kittens and cheap suits. Beneath it all, there is a certain sweetness found. An energetic live show coupled with an obvious love of what they do continues to earn the band a devout fan base.
prising Juilliard graduates Shawn Wyckoff (flute), Maria Millar (violin) and Michael Haas (cello) – performs a rich blend of folk and classical music from over 15 countries. Weaving it all together are Silver Roots’ original compositions, a pioneering voice in the realm of classical/world fusion.
Terra Hazelton and Her Easy Answers With Her Easy Answers on the bandstand, Genie-nominated Terra Hazelton will lead you back to a world of arch-top guitars, heartthrob sidemen and the classy dames who ruled them. It’s throwback to the jazz and blues of the 20’s and 30’s, renewed.
TECMA he Dardanelles Nominees The Dardanelles
have, in short time, become one of the hottest exports in East Coast music. Armed with guitars, accordions, fiddles and bodhrans along with an energy more often found in 3-piece punk acts than 5-piece folk acts – they’ve found themselves smack dab leading a Newfoundland folk revival. To put it bluntly, The Dardanelles in one performance can change the way you think about traditional music.
Tricot Machine Intriguing, « La prochaine étape »
(meaning the next step) is taking its name from the next logical step following a process started in 2007 when the band released their selftitled debut album. Along with a certain maturity gained upon time, the new songs are still colorful and touching, honest and off the beaten path.
Troy MacGillivray and Louis-Charles Vigneau Troy MacGillivray & Louis-Charles
Vigneau ... an uncanny combination of innate musicality, driving rhythm and brilliant technical mastery of a multitude of instruments that showcases a deep and abiding love for the traditional music they grew up with!
Woody Holler and His T he Light of East Orchestra Ensemble Woody Holler And His Orchestra Recent winners of the 2011 Jack Richardson Music Award for World Music, this Ensemble has thrilled audiences across Southwestern Ontario with their sensitive renditions of traditional music from the eastern end of the Mediterannean! CBC’s “In Town and Out”, “Bandwidth”, and “The Bridge”, have broadcast their music.
are purveyors of western swing. Greg Lowe, Daniel Koulack and Richard Moody, out-right veterans of the jazz scene, team up with Woody and his honed voice. They bring you finger-snapping shuffling swing beats, honey-slowed love croons and show-stopping “extreme” yodeling . 17
showcase showcase artists artists showcase artists
Alternates Alternates
Bill Bourne Canadian Juno Award winner Bill
Bourne has received international acclaim for his recordings and live performances. A veteran of the international blues and roots music scene, life of the road is reflected in Bill’s music – powerful rhythms and soulful songs, steeped in blues, world beat, Cajun, Celtic, folk, Latin, funk, poetry and more.
Jay Aymar Jay Aymar is a Canadian songwriter
Lindy
who mixes elements of country and folk music with strong narrative writing. Recently Jay’s song ‘My Cherry Coloured Rose” was covered by Ian Tyson on his latest release From Yellowhead to Yellowstone. A 2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards - Emerging Artist of the Year nominee.
Lindy is a musician’s musician. Just ask any of Canada’s most beloved indie darlings. Leslie Feist, Ron Sexsmith, Hayden, Tegan & Sara, Serena Ryder, and Luke Doucet are not just aware of Lindy’s music - they are fans. Gordon Lightfoot once called Lindy “the greatest folk vocalist in Canada”.
Cara Luft Kim Stockwood Cara Luft is a widely-respected Accomplished artist Kim Stock-
Tannis Slimmon Named Canadian Folk Music
well-traveled member of the Canadian folk/roots music community. Since leaving The Wailin’ Jennys she has wowed audiences and critics with her solo performances across North America and Europe: evocative and insightful songwriting, fully accomplished and intricate guitar and banjo playing, and a distinctive compelling voice.
Dennis Stroughmatt et l’Dennis EspritStroughmatt Creole learned Creole
language, fiddling and folklore at the feet of masters living in French Creole communities around Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and later, Lafayette, Louisiana. Listen carefully and you’ll hear “the missing link” between Louisiana and the Maritimes traditions. Music Mentors Roy Boyer, Charlie Pashia, others. Ensemble size varies. 18
wood’s remarkable talent, versatility and personality have kept her in the public eye for over a decade. As a performer, Kim is a Juno and ECMA multi-awardwinning ar tist, with smash hits like “Jerk” and “Happy Baby”, with pop supergroup Shaye. As a personality, Kim has played host to the Junos, EZ Rock Morning Show and Entertainment Tonight Canada, to name a few.
Les Surveillantes This Winnipeg group redefines the
fun fact in the most contagious of ways. As a tight unit around two microphones, the complicity between bandmates is palpable. In fall of 2010 they released their first album, La racine carrée du coeur, showing the originality and genuine nature of Les Surveillantes.
Awards’ Contemporary Vocalist of the Year in 2008, Tannis Slimmon brings years of performance experience to the stage with memorable songs from her critically acclaimed albums, Oak Lake and Lucky Blue. She has been called “a breathtaking vocalist with a bright and angelic disposition” (Exclaim). www.tannis.ca
TTheheBoxcar BoxcarBoysBoys are a Toronto-
based group of five young performers (sousaphone, clarinet, violin, accordion, and trombone) who deliver a veritable gumbo of wild gypsy, old-jazz, and folk music always performed with a good-time New Orleans spirit. Audiences sing and dance along to their quirky original tunes and fun favourites!
T he F-Holes Don’t let their tongue-in-cheek name fool you – The F-Holes’ raucous live performance is a testament to their unique blend of country, Dixieland, and Manitoba roots music. Formed in Winnipeg in 2004, The F-Holes have shared the stage with Gord Downie, K’Naan, Martha Wainwright, Fred Eaglesmith and others. Their second album, Angel In The Corner, will be released August 27, 2011.
The Estelle Klein Award was designed and created by Ontario luthier Glen Reid
showcase artists showcase artists
Family Alternates
Mushfiq Ensemble Mushfiq Ensemble features two brothers as principal artists: Said Mushfiq
Hashimi, lead vocal and harmonium player, and Said Moheb Hashimy, who plays lead percussion. They are accompanied by their younger brother Shuja Sayed on support percussion, as well as Shalini Sahni who provides support on vocal, tanpura and khanjari. The Mushfiq Ensemble sings in 12 different languages, providing something special for everyone while conveying a feeling of unity and harmony amongst all.
Family
Shelley Bean and the Duckety Muds Newfoundland’s “Shelley Bean” draws upon a colourful repertoire Atlantic
Canadian folk music from her childhood. Traditional instruments and enchanting stories are also a parent pleaser. The former ECMA award winner’s past appearances include Stan Rogers Folk Festival and 2012 bookings include The Winnipeg Folk Festival and Woodford Folk Festival in Brisbane, Australia.
VOLUNTEERS The Board and staff of the OCFF would like to thank the many volunteers who give their time and efforts to make sure the conference runs smoothly. We couldn’t do it without you! Thanks! Margaret Almack Kelly Ambrose Jim Ansell Amy Arts Anne Barker Jenny Berkel Don Bird Lesley Marie Boileau Douglas Boyd Sarah Calvert Chloe Charles Acacia Christiansen Christine Cleary
Jonathan Davis James Dean Chantal Désilets Kathleen Dorner Gary Eisenhammer David Friend Tom Friesen Erin Hamayda Wayne Hosick Michelle Josef Julia Kater Heather Kelly Kristin Lindell
Kim Logue Bill Marshall Sam McLellan Phil Minissale Pat Moore Jim Mountain Sonny Ochs Steve Pritchard Kira Sheppard Patricia Sibley David Simard Margaret Stowe
Jessica Stuart Gautam Subra Kevin Swayze Aly Tadros Steve Tennant Sue Tennant Georgia Urban Chantal von Maydell Kate Vsetula Katie Watts André Woltemade Jennifer Woltemade-Bruce Peter Zanette
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YOUTH Program
Ryan Van Belleghem Belleghem’s musical accolades include the
LOWAC and DC Music Productions 2010 Young Artist of the Year Award, the 2010 Harbourfest Talent Contest winner and Q104, 89.5 MIX FM and KEMA music awards. Hailing from Kenora, Ontario his premiere CD “Another Man” is a wonderful collection of well crafted songs.
Megan Landry
Megan is a 15-year old musician from Ottawa. She’s already a two-time award winning songwriter with her songs BROKEN and FAIRYTALES. She started playing when she was four on a toy piano and wrote her first song when she was eleven. Having a career in the music industry is a vision she hopes to realize one day.
Chris T hompson Chris Thompson is a young, talented fingerstyle
guitar player from Orillia, ON. He works extensively with the Mariposa Folk Festival Foundation, and competed in this year’s renowned Canadian Fingerstyle Guitar Competition. His technique and creative style continue to develop as this young ar tist emerges onto the instrumental music scene.
Binaeshee-Quae Couchie-Nabigon Carolynne Colbeck Japhy Sullivan Binaeshee-Quae translated from Ojibwe to English 19 years old and raised in Ottawa, but currently Japhy Sullivan is a fellow who sings, plays the is Bird-Woman, which is a very fitting name for this artist because even at the ripe old age of four, she knew she had an undying love for singing. Binaeshee-Quae’s musical style is a jazzy-alterna-folk mix. Her sound is quirky and warm with big feelings.
fiddle and is very pleased to meet you. If you are not pleased to meet him, just say so and he will instantly evaporate. Apart from playing music, Japhy enjoys writing 50 word bios and referring to himself in the third person.
living in Oshawa studying Music Business Management at Durham College, Carolynne enjoys baking, skiing, cycling, camping and reading. Her real passion is music and she can’t wait to attend the conference and learn more about the industry in which she wants to create her career. Carolynne is participating in the Youth Presenter Program.
2011 Silent Auction Friday and Saturday, 9:00am – 8:00pm Oakes NE, Mezzanine Level Donated items include: 1/2 day of mastering from João Carvalho Mastering; OCFF Lifetime Membership, Gold Tone Resophonic Ukulele, one day of recording at The Millstream, Ticketpro Gift Basket, 2012 OCFF Conference Registration, CD sets, and more….
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YOUTH MENTORS
Jason Fowler Jason Fowler is a Toronto guitarist/singer/
songwriter/producer with six albums under his own name. He has played on over 100 albums with a who’s who of Canadian roots artists. He is the musical director/guitarist for renowned Irish tenor John McDermott. Earlier this year he played guitar, ukulele and kalimba for the Toronto production of The Lion King.
Ian Tamblyn Mae Moore Ian Tamblyn has been writing since the age of Two Juno nominations, two SOCAN awards and chart successes, Mae Moore has forged a career sharing stages with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Richard Thompson and other folk/rock luminaries. Her instruments are guitar and dulcimer. In 2011, Mae released Folklore, her eighth recording. An ardent environmentalist /eco farmer, she will attend the OCFF via train.
seventeen. He has released 32 CDs and albums – all independently – and has received and been nominated for several awards including the OCFF Estelle Klein award (2002). In 2007 and 2009 Ian held teaching and guiding positions in the Canadian Arctic with a group called Students on Ice. For 12 years Ian worked in schools through MASC.
2011 OCFF Youth Program Five performers and one young presenter will take part in the 2011 OCFF Youth Program. Participants in the Performer Stream are chosen by a jury and matched with a mentor who works with them before, during, and for up to a year after the OCFF conference. During the conference, mentors attend workshops with their protégés, and spend time one-on-one developing showcase performances. They also accompany the performers at the Youth Showcase. The youth and mentors in this year’s program are: Binaeshee Quae Couchie-Nabigon of Pic River, who will be mentored by Katherine Wheatley; Megan Landry of Ottawa, with mentor Mae Moore; Japhy Sullivan of Maberly, mentored by
Shari Ulrich; Chris Thompson of Orillia, mentored by Jason Fowler; and Ryan Van Belleghem of Kenora, mentored by Ian Tamblyn. Your chance to hear these up-and-coming stars of the future will be the Youth Showcase Saturday afternoon from 2-4 in Salon A. Participants in the Presenter Stream are recommended by OCFF member festivals, artists, agents, managers and venue operators. These youth are interested in pursuing careers in the music industry, but not necessarily as musicians. This year, Ottawa’s Carolynne Colbeck will attend youth-specific workshops, showcases and sessions with various industry professionals in addition to having full conference access as part of the program.
Shari Ulrich Shari Ulrich has been a fixture in Canadian music
since the Pied Pumkin in the early 70’s. Her defection to the Hometown Band led to her solo career as a singer songwriter and 2 Junos. She just released her 7th solo album, and her 19th including her work with the Pumkin, UHF, and Barney Bentall & Tom Taylor.
Katherine Wheatley Katherine has been a regular at folk festivals,
concert series and clubs across Canada since the release of her first CD. As well as her own career, she is a member of the Toronto band, Betty and the Bobs and a guitarist in Wendell Ferguson’s trio “The Smoking Section.” Katherine’s music has been used for documentaries, TV series and films.
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ocff conference panelists
Matt Andersen
If there is a single performer in Canada ready to take on the late James Brown’s mantle as the “hardest working man in show business” it has to be Matt Andersen. With a talent even larger than his frame, the singer, songwriter and guitarist delivers more than 200 actionpacked shows every year – at festivals, concerts, and club venues from one side of Canada to the other.
Derek Andrews
Derek Andrews is as arts consultant and concert producer. He is a guest curator for the Luminato Festival and his Global Café artist roster uses the Canada Council’s Career Development program to retain his management services. Derek is a passion advocate for creative approaches in music, especially when used as a tool for breaking down cultural barriers.
Sam Baijal
Samir (Sam) Baijal has been the AD at the Hillside Festival in Guelph, ON since 1998 - and the winter version “Hillside Inside” for the last five years. He has worked full-time for over 25 years at the U. of Guelph, programming entertainment on and off campus, special events and promotions. A past board member of the OCFF, Sam’s favourite pastime is going to concerts – LOTS of them!
David Barnard
David is a cultural consultant with the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Arts Presentation Fund. He has held a variety of roles previously: radio producer/host; event programmer, planner, and production coordinator; journalist; facilitator; publicist and marketer. Add to that spouse and father. The assortment of experiences is proving helpful in his current line of endeavour.
Ian Bell
Raised in darkest southwestern Ontario, Ian Bell has performed across Canada and in the USA since the late 1970s. On his own and with groups including Muddy York, The Friends of Fiddlers Green, The Dawnbreakers, and The Allison Lupton Band, he has appeared at numerous folk festivals and in concerts and dances. Ian performs material from a large repertoire that includes both Canadian traditional music and his own songs and instrumental compositions.
Erin Benjamin
In March of 2008, Ms Benjamin assumed the position of Executive Director at CAPACOA. She joined the association after eight years as the first-ever Executive Director at the OCFF, which followed a decade-long career as a touring singer/songwriter. She brings a strong vision for the presenting and touring sector that focuses on relationship building, networking, out-reach and strategic advocacy.
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Ridley Bent
Ridley Bent’s storytelling and songwriting chops are sharper than ever. Tall tales, sweet rhymes, and love songs, with a dash of mayhem and murder on the side. The 7 time BCCMA winner has a keen fascination for characters whose life on the straight and narrow rarely lasts past the nearest exit to a short, crooked road.
Adam Brown
Adam Oliver Brown grew up in the Ontario Folk scene of the 70-80s as a kin of The Friends of Fiddler’s Green. Now he is a folkie in his own right as a co-founder and dancer with the international Maple Morris dance troupe as well as Board member of the Ottawa Folk Festival and ArtsScene Ottawa.
Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson is an Ottawa-based singer/songwriter. Much loved by fans and critics alike for his heartfelt and witty lyrics, he has also collaborated over the years with the likes of Kathleen Edwards, The Tragically Hip and most recently, The Weakerthans on their album, The Falcon Lake Incident.
Selena Burgess
Selena Burgess is a daily contributing writer on Babble. com and Social Media Maven for Borealis Records as well as her own brand. When the chaos permits, she is also an artisan for her crafty business, le petit rêve. In everything she does, Selena is a mother first and advocate for her First Nations communities and people.
Dave Cool
Dave Cool (yes, that’s his real name!) is the Community Manager for Bandzoogle.com, a website platform for musicians. He’s also Director of Member Services for the Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association (CIRAA), as well as manager for Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir, a secular, subversive gospel music band.
Kev Corbett
Kev Corbett trained as percussionist, toured heavily as a bassist, fell into songwriting, teaches drumming when not on the road, and is stunned that it all seems to be working. He enjoys long tours, new songs falling off the moon, and espouses a path-is-the-goal approach to both writing and touring.
Christy DiFelice
Christy is the Music Officer at the Toronto Arts Council. She holds an M.A. in Ethnomusicology/ Musicology from York University (2008), having concentrated on musics and cultures of the African Diaspora, specifically North American Jazz and Blues. She has previously worked with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Fine Arts Cultural Studies Department at York University, and as a music copyist.
Aengus Finnan Aengus is the OAC’s Officer responsible for the Provincial, National and International Touring program, National and International Residency program, Ontario Arts Presenters programs, and Audience Development portfolio. He was the founder of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, served as Board President of the OCFF and founded the Art Beat community outreach program.
Nathan Garber After a singularly unsuccessful career as a folksinger, Nathan distinguished himself for 30 years as an innovative leader in the nonprofit sector, serving as executive director, board member, and fundraiser for a number of internationally recognized organizations. In recent years, he has been helping nonprofits strengthen their boards and improve their strategic planning.
Bill Garrett Bill Garrett is a producer, musician and one of the founders of Borealis Records. He was also a staple at CBC Radio for 18 years, where he worked as a host, producer and manager. He has produced more than 65 folk, blues and jazz recordings, performs regularly with partner Sue Lothrop and along with Grit Laskin oversees the operations of Borealis Records.
Ariana Gillis Ariana Gillis may be only 20, but her songs display a maturity - and a variety of content - that surprises listeners. With an unusual vocal approach, she is a fresh and vital presence. Ariana’s songs cover subjects ranging from the friendship of two men buried next to each other in a cemetery to the return of slain soldiers from Afghanistan.
Eve Goldberg Eve Goldberg is a compelling performer and teacher with a “watercolour voice” and solid guitar style who has appeared at festivals, theatres, folk clubs, and house concerts across North America. She also helps run The Woods Music and Dance Camp and is the founder of the Parkdale Ukulele Group in Toronto.
Mary Granata Mary started The Granata Agency in 2001 in response to a friend’s request for booking help. The agency has since grown to include an international group of artists whose styles range from Blues to Folk, Americana to Soul. The Granata Agency specializes in a personal approach to booking and the business of music.
Mike Hill Mike Hill is the chair of the artistic committee as well as vice president of the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia. He has an extensive music background as a teacher. He has written for a number of magazines and newspapers in Canada and the USA, including a weekly column in the Toronto Star.
Grit Laskin Grit Laskin, a guitarmaker since 1971, originated body bevels and sideport soundholes. A founder of Borealis Records and the CFMAs, Grit co-directs The Woods Music & Dance camp and still composes and performs music. He’s a recipient of the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence, and was last year’s recipient of the Estelle Klein Award.
Anne Lederman Originally from Manitoba, Anne Lederman is a fiddler, singer, multi-instrumentalist (piano, tenor guitar, mandolin), composer, song-writer and story-teller whose explorations into the traditions of her own country and the world know no bounds. Anne has worked with bands Muddy York, The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, Siykha and Loka, among others.
Bob LeDrew Bob LeDrew spends part of his time as Membership Services Manager for OCFF. When not doing that, he’s a member of the board of the Ottawa Folk Festival, the Bob half of BobCat House Concerts, a podcaster, and a social media and PR consultant. He likes whisky.
David Ross Macdonald David Ross Macdonald has spent the last 15 years as a full time professional touring musician both as the drummer for The Waifs, The Audreys and Missy Higgins as well as an in-demand singer/songwriting guitarist.
Chris MacLean Chris MacLean is an award winning songwriter living in the hills of West Quebec. Recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s 2008 Colleen Peterson Award for Songwriting, Chris has two solo recordings, Learn to Be Loved (2000) and Feet Be Still (2009) which won her a CFMA nomination in 2010 for English Songwriter of the Year.
Joelle May A devoted music lover, Joelle May operates ModMay Promotions as an independent publicist, facilitating publicity campaigns for musicians, festivals and music organizations. She is a board member producing the new festival FolkWest in Victoria, BC and has been involved with the Mountain View Music Fest in Carstairs, AB since 2007.
Sean McManus Sean McManus is the Training Coordinator at Manitoba Music, where he produces a workshop series, manages a resource centre and consults with artists and industry professionals on all aspects of their careers. Sean has a Bachelor’s degree in music education and a Master’s in musicology.
Jean Mills Jean Mills has been researching, collecting and singing the traditional songs of Canada since her teens. She is particularly interested in the singing tradition of Eastern Ontario. Her background includes classical training on piano and viola and singing with the trio GreenWood. Currently, as part of a dulcimer duo with Angie Stock, Jean performs traditional songs and tunes of North America and the British Isles.
Paul Mills Part of the Canadian folk music scene for over 30 years, Paul has produced more than 130 albums working with artists like Stan Rogers, Sharon, Lois & Bram, and Ron Hynes. He is a founding partner of Borealis Records and operates his own recording studio, The Millstream. He is also a performing songwriter, instrumentalist and sometime children’s entertainer, and the recipient of the 2011 Estelle Klein Award.
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Trevor Mills Trevor Mills is the owner of Top Quark, a WordPress development shop specializing in plugins for festivals and conferences. He is a creative and intuitive developer whose high-profile music industry clients include Mariposa, Borealis Records, the CFMAs, the OCFF and CAPACOA. He lives in Barrie with his family and plays bass with Digging Roots.
Ana Miura Ana Miura wears many hats: Folk Singer/Songwriter, Founder/Director of Babes4Breasts and Sponsorship Manager at the Ottawa Folk Festival. Her most prized hat is “Mom”, but all hats have led her to the OCFF hoping to share knowledge, music and community with all of you.
Jory Nash Jory Nash is an award winning singer songwriter who blends elements of folk, jazz, blues and soul into an original stew of sound. He has recorded 6 critically acclaimed CDs, including 2009’s New Blue Day, which garnered a CFMA nomination and was named Penguin Eggs Magazine’s Album of the Year. Jory begins recording his next CD in early 2012.
Inga Petri
Ember Swift is an internationally touring artist and founder of the independent label Few’ll Ignite Sound. Having released 11 albums since 1996, she now resides part-time in Beijing, China and creates music that advocates cross-cultural communication. She is well known for her political activism, business acumen and her commitment to the career ideal: “independent by identity, not default.”
Steve Tennant Steve Tennant has been involved with Stewart Park Festival since its beginning. Because of this love of live music and wanting to share its eclectic benefits, he, with his far better half Susan and family, has been hosting house concerts under the banner “Music on McLean” in their home in lovely Perth. Steve also pens a music column entitled “Musical Musings”.
David Travers-Smith David Travers-Smith has produced and/or engineered recordings for The Wailin’ Jennys, Jane Siberry, Veda Hille, Oh Susanna, Luke Doucet, Jayme Stone, Melissa McClelland, Lori Cullen, Jim Byrnes, Kiran Ahluwalia, Kevin Breit, Harry Manx, and many more. Nominated twice for Engineer of the Year Junos, recordings he has produced and/or engineered have garnered 31 Juno Nominations with 8 going on to win their categories.
Inga has gained experience through diverse assignments in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors over the past 20 years. In 2007, Inga founded Strategic Moves, an independent consultancy that thrives on the cross roads of audience research, strategy and marketing. For the Value of Presenting Study, Inga formed a bilingual consulting team in partnership with EKOS Research Associates’ bilingual quantitative surveying team.
Sam Turton
Mitch Podolak
David Wilkes
Mitch’s career in folk music and broadcasting began when he was a teenager. Podolak hosted CBC Radio’s Simply Folk from 1987-1991. He primarily conceived and implemented the Winnipeg and Vancouver Folk Festivals, Winnipeg International Children’s Festival, West End Cultural Centre and Barnswallow Records, and assisted in the formation of the Edmonton and Calgary Folk Festivals and the Stan Rogers Folk Festival.
Tom Power Tom Power is a musician, broadcaster and writer, raised and based in St. John’s, NL. Tom hosts Deep Roots on CBC Radio 2, which focuses on playing the best in contemporary folk music. As a musician, Tom leads his own band, The Dardanelles, who have generated significant buzz in their short time together.
Dave Ruch Dave Ruch (it rhymes with “luck”) uncovers and performs traditional music of his native New York State. With a warm, easy stage manner and a great sense of fun, he fascinates modern day northeastern US folk audiences with their own musical heritage. His singing has been called “strong and engaging” (Sing Out! magazine), and his tunes “expertly played...with never a false note” (Living Tradition magazine, UK).
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Ember Swift
For 40 years, blues/roots/gospel singer and slide guitarist Sam Turton has dedicated his leadership to social issues (Wal-Mart, earthquake relief, emotional health), political battles (2004 US election, nuclear power, Afghanistan), and local community building. Coleader of the All Together Now music series, Turton’s passion is creating unity with song.
David Wilkes started in the music business at the The Bitter End Café. He discovered and became the first manager of Barry Manilow, Emmy Lou Harris and Jerry Jeff Walker. David joined Sire and then Vanguard Records as VP of A&R, booked Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, Emmy Lou Harris and John Denver. In 1995, David joined Mercury Records in an A&R capacity. David became VP of Koch Records in 2002 and remains a senior A&R consultant.
Bob Wiseman Bob Wiseman is a Canadian singer-songwriter and filmmaker. His outsider music blends folk, rock jazz and very often contains explicitly political themes. He was a member of Blue Rodeo from that band’s inception (1984) but quit the band after their 1992 album Lost Together. Since 1999 he has made super 8 films and videos which he accompanies live on accordion, guitar or piano.
Michael Wrycraft This cuddly, larger-than-life Juno Award-winning Graphic Designer/Emcee has a twisted sense of humour and a massive passion for music. Michael’s client list includes Lightfoot, Cockburn, Stan Rogers, Rush, Johns Cage, Gorka, & Cash, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings and Yoko Ono. Tickle your weary eyeballs at www. wrycraft.com.
the ocff PRESENTERS PROGRAM
The OCFF Presenters Program is now in its third year and continues to bring regional, national and international presenters to the conference to see showcases, network with peers and provide professional development for delegates. This year’s program focuses on Canadian festival presenters, especially those that have not previously attended the OCFF Conference. This program is supported by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) in a partnership with Folk Music Canada and CAPACOA. The 2011 Presenters Program was organized and will be managed at the conference by Folk Music Canada (FMC). FMC is dedicated to building strong relationships with organizations from across the country, and is delighted to be working closely with the OCFF to bring festivals, presenters and industry professionals together to develop markets, to network with peers and to participate in this annual
celebration of folk music. CAPACOA (Canadian Arts Presentation Association) is pleased to be able to partner with the OCFF on this year’s Presenters Program. As part of our ongoing partnership, CAPACOA will deliver its mentorship and peer network program for emerging arts presenters, The Succession Plan, at the OCFF Conference this year. The program’s objectives are to target, stimulate and facilitate business and mentoring relationships between professionals working in the folk, roots and traditional music industry in Ontario and national and international markets. Other goals include: • Providing professional market-development and export preparedness training opportunities; • Supporting the export of Ontario-made music on a national scale and Canadianmade music on a global scale; • Increasing the trade activity of OCFF members while
increasing overall market demand for live and recorded folk and roots music; • Increasing the number of OCFF members exporting high-quality, market-ready product. This year the Presenters Program features 19 presenters, agents, and industry professionals. These people are key workers in cultural industries who have a keen interest in (or profound curiosity about) Ontarian/Canadian folk and roots music. Presenters Program participants are committed to exploring and developing sustainable business relationships with conference delegates. OCFF delegates are encouraged to meet and speak with these guests, who will also be participating on panels and in mentoring sessions throughout the conference weekend. Please join us in welcoming these delegates to the OCFF Conference!
Welcome Reception Oakes North Friday, October 14 6:00 - 7:30 pm
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About The Succession Plan Program The Succession Plan (TSP) is a mentorship and
ccession Plan Program: peer network development program for emerging and
TSP Participants at the OCFF Conference:
Joey Balducchi, Spherical Productions mid-career presenters, agents, managers and other arts Tina an (TSP) is a mentorship network program forDesRoches, Eaglewood Folk Festival professionals.and Thepeer program seeksdevelopment to strengthen core Catherine competencies, provide leadership development and career presenters, agents, managers and other arts professionals. The McInnes, Home County Folk Festival Pearl Rachinsky, Folk on the Rocks equip participants with the tools necessary to be active strengthen core competencies, provide leadership development and equip Rob Reid, WFM (World Famous Music) participants in the development of arts and culture in their e tools necessary to be active participants in the development of arts and communities. Mentors: munities. The TSP comprises two components embedded in the OCFF conference’s Presenters Program: SamProgram: Baijal, Hillside Festival s two components embedded in the OCFF conference’s Presenters 1. One-on-one mentorship: Participants will work with Tammy Fox, The Collection Agency two mentors from the national community throughout the Mike Hill, Mariposa Folk Festival one mentorship:weekend Participants will work with two mentors from the national (2 hrs daily). Phyllis Stenson, Harrison Festival of the Arts throughout the weekend (2 hrs daily). 2. Opportunities to network with peers in small and in larger nities to networkgroups with to peers in small in larger groups discuss new you to visit our website www.capacoa.ca Wethe encourage discuss the newand realities of working in thetoarts or contact our Outreach and Membership Development working in the arts and relevant other relevant issues related and other issues related to their work.to their work. Manager, Erin Barnhardt, at erin.barnhardt@capacoa.ca The program is open to emerging and mid-career presentif you require further details. managers, arts administrators other arts arts en to emergingers, andagents, mid-career presenters, agents,and managers, professionalsfrom fromacross across the other arts professionals thecountry. country.
at the OCFF Conference:
pherical Productions Eaglewood Folk Festival , Home County Folk Festival olk on the Rocks World Famous Music)
e Festival Collection Agency Folk Festival arrison Festival of the Arts
to visit our website www.capacoa.ca or contact our Outreach and opment Manager, Erin Barnhardt, at erin.barnhardt@capacoa.ca if you ails.
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PRESENTERS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS Jason Arkley, Harvest Moon Festival Jason has worked closely with many organizations over
his 15 year career; including the CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival, CBC Radio, 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. He is passionate about grassroots events and the performers, volunteers and communities that make them happen. Currently he is in his 9th year as volunteer producer of the Harvest Moon Festival and a full time dad in Winnipeg.
Joey Balducchi Joey Balducchi runs indie booking agency Spherical
Productions, has booked 95 tours throughout Canada and has toured 10 times solo and with his band ‘Blind Mule’. He has been an in-house booker for 5 venues and the festival manager at the Hamilton Music Awards. Joey also created and organized his A Celebration of Hamilton Festival, and was the booking agent of the year at the HMAs in 2008.
Doug Cox, Vancouver Island MusicFest For 30 years, Doug has been blessed to work as a
producer of events and recordings, studio and touring musician, road and stage manager, music teacher, record label owner, publisher and media person. Currently, he produces the Vancouver Island Musicfest and works as a touring soundtrack and session musician. Doug is co-owner of a music lesson DVD company called Learnrootsmusic.com that has produced over 40 titles with worldwide distribution.
Sarah Craig, Caffè Lena Since 1995 Sarah Craig has been the Executive Director of the historic folk club Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY. She books 400 events per year, oversees the volunteer staff, and promotes shows. She has been a showcase judge for Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and NERFA, and serves on the strategic planning committee for Saratoga ArtsFest.
Erin Barnhardt, CAPACOA Erin Barnhardt is the executive director of Folk Music
Heather Daley, Alianait Arts Festival Heather Daley is the founding director of the Alianait
Robyn Boyd, Wooden Ship Productions Robyn Boyd started the Wooden Ship Productions agency
Simone Deneau, National Arts Centre Simone Deneau is the Producer of Variety and Community
Don Brownrigg, In the Dead of Winter Festival Don Brownrigg is one of four directors of the In the Dead
Tina DesRoches, Eaglewood Folk Festival Tina’s passion for music has taken her on quite a journey
Canada – a national ar ts service organization that supports the folk and roots music community through services for artists, festivals and organizations. She is also the Membership and Outreach Development Manager at CAPACOA, and previously worked at the OCFF and the National Arts Centre in community outreach and music education.
in 1991 to support traditional and contemporary music. Besides being an agent for the Wooden Ship roster, she is now acting as the petitioner for US visas for many artists and often does workshops on visa and US tax policies as they impact foreign artists.
of Winter Festival in Halifax, NS, as well as the music coordinator for the 2011 Canada Games. He is also an active musician, having toured Canada, New England and the UK…and is a former OCFF official showcase artist!
Dave Carmichael, Deep Roots Music Festival Dave Carmichael is a multiple East Coast Music Award
and Canadian Folk Music Award nominee. He is currently living in Montreal and calls the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia his home away from home. Dave is the Program Coordinator of The Deep Roots Music Festival in Wolfville, NS.
Arts Festival that takes place in Iqaluit and is highly regarded for its unmatched circumpolar world flavour. Alianait’s mission is to help build a healthier Nunavut through the arts and the organizers work closely with local community organizations to present family-friendly, alcohol-free events.
Programming at the National Arts Centre. This includes the newly-minted NAC Presents series of all-Canadian artists, popular Broadway performances and the entertainment world’s top performers. Ms. Deneau is also responsible for Fourth Stage Community Programming, which provides a superb performance space to the region’s developing and established artists.
over the past seven years; she started and organized her own folk festival (Minesing Unplugged), co-founded the Barrie Lawnchair Luminata summer series, ran a successful house concert series and sat on the board, executive and green committees of the OCFF. Tina is currently the AD of the Eaglewood Folk Festival.
Cheryl Ewing, CCI - Ontario Contact Cheryl Ewing has over twenty years’ experience in senior
arts management in the municipal, educational, for profit and not-for-profit sectors. She has been integral to the design of the innovative young audience programmes – eyeGO to the Arts and River Run Centre’s Linamar for the Performing Arts. She is the project manager for Ontario Contact as well as a cutting edge marketing research project, the CCI Audience Insights Study.
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PRESENTERS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS Joanna Maratta, BC Touring Council Joanna Maratta has been active in the arts for 30 years.
She is currently the Executive Director of the British Columbia Touring Council which produces the annual spring booking conference Pacific Contact. Prior to her current role with BCTC, Joanna was the founder and executive director of the Vancouver Fringe Festival for 13 years.
Catherine McInnes, Home County Folk Festival
Catherine McInnes has been the Artistic Director of Home County Folk Festival since 2006. She won Contributor of the Year award at the 2010 Jack Richardson Music Awards for her contributions in the London music community. She produces many concerts and events in London, including the 2011 JRMA awards.
Tim Osmond, Home Routes Tim Osmond tries to surround himself with music at all
times, even at his desk picking a banjo to the backingup beep of the dumptruck outside his window. (It’s an ‘F’ for all you string nerds out there). An accomplished banjo player and co-founder of Home Routes, he also hosts a bluegrass show on CJUM at the University of Manitoba.
Sue Panning, Canmore Folk Music Festival
Sue Panning is the AD for the Canmore Folk Music Festival. She has worked with the festival for the past six years – three as the Administrator and two as the Assistant Artistic Director, and has just completed her first year as Artistic Director. Sue also works part-time for Pacific Centre for Leadership working with corporations, not-for-profit groups, as well as local school groups to do team-building and leadership development.
Pearl Rachinsky, Folk on the Rocks Pearl Rachinsky is the Festival Coordinator for Folk on the
Rocks, Yellowknife, NT. Originally hailing from Alberta where her pursuits in promoting live music began, Pearl is entering her second year working the festival that takes place under the midnight sun. Pearl is also a visual artist and illustrator.
Rob Reid, World Famous Music (WFM) Rob Reid has worked in the performing arts for 8 years.
In 2010 he created World Famous Music (WFM), an independent concert production, booking agency and consulting company based in Ottawa. Previously Rob worked for the Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa International Jazz Festival, and the Canada Dance Festival at the National Arts Centre.
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Phyllis Stenson, Harrison Festival ofPhyllisthehasArts been the artistic director of the Harrison
Festival in BC for the last 28 years. The ten-day event has focused on culturally diverse music and dance since its inception. The organization also presents ten concerts during the year. She is a co-founder of WRAD, the Western Artistic Directors of Roots Music Festivals, now in its 12th year.
Volker Steppat, German Public Radio Bremen/Nordwestradio Volker Steppat is with Public Radio Bremen/Nordwestradio in Germany. He is a producer and presenter of 250 radio shows per year, dedicated to roots music, folk, jazz, and blues. In addition, he produces around 75 live radio concerts every year and has been working since 1970 as a concert producer. In the late 70’s he was employed as a product manager for Phonogram and Columbia Records.
EXHIBIT HALL The OCFF would like to thank the following organizations for participating in the 2011 Exhibit Hall. Exhibit Hall hours in the Oakes Foyer are: Friday, October 14 from 11:30am – 2:00pm and Saturday, October 15 from 12:30pm – 2:00pm Bandzoogle Dave Cool Montreal, QC www.bandzoogle.com
Folkway Music Rich Burnett Guelph, ON www.folkwaymusic.com
The Millstream Paul Mills Toronto, ON www.themillstream.com
SOCAN Coralie Hummel Toronto, ON www.socan.ca
Borealis Records Bill Garrett Toronto, ON www.borealisrecords.com
Folquébec Gilles Garand Montreal, QC www.folquebec.com
Music and Film in Motion Mike Large Sudbury, ON www.thinknorth.ca
Songwriters Association of Canada Isabel Crack Toronto, ON www.songwriters.ca
Broadway Music Heather Katz Orangeville, ON www.broadwaymusic.com
The Granata Agency Mary Granata Oak Ridge, NJ www.granataagency.com
Prologue to the Performing Arts Gina Del Monte Toronto, ON www.prologue.org
Top Quark Productions Trevor Mills Barrie, ON www.topquark.com
Canadian Music Week Bessie Bullard Toronto, ON www.cmw.net
Kate Reid Kate Reid Vancouver, BC www.katereid.com
Ron Belanger Guitars Ron Belanger Orillia, ON www.ronbelangerguitars.com
Wee House of Music Dave Gunning Pictou, NS www.davegunning.com
Folk Music Canada Erin Barnhardt St. John’s, NL www.folkmusiccanada.ca
Live Tour Artists Bob Wilson Oakville, ON www.livetourartists.com
Roots Music Canada Andy Frank Toronto, ON www.rootsmusic.ca
Wooden Ship Productions Robyn Boyd Chatham, NY www.woodenshipproduction
Calling All Writers
Do you have a story that you want to share with our readers? Is there an issue that you feel needs addressing? We welcome submissions (500 words or fewer) and photos. While we cannot guarantee that all submissions will be published, we will read everything that is sent to us. Please send submissions in text format only, and send low-res versions of any photos that you think might be appropriate accompaniments to your piece. *If you have an idea for a longer piece, please contact the office and speak to the OCFF’s Executive Director, Peter MacDonald.
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NEW MEMBERS The OCFF welcomes the following new Members who joined us since the last issue of Folk Prints. New Individual Members – ONTARIO Derek Andrews, Toronto Jim Ansell, Owen Sound Joeann Argue, Lakefield Andrew Armitage, Leith Mary Ashton, Ilderton Cameron Austin, Alliston Henry Bayne, Egbert Christine & Roger Bergsma, Barrie Brandon Besharah, Port Credit Yvan Bilodeau, Ottawa Jenny Bovaconti, Toronto Don Bray & Alyssa Wright, Orillia Irene & Peter Breichmanas, Dundas Stewart Brennand, Niagara Falls Adam Oliver Brown, Ottawa Lorraine Brown, Leith Mélanie Brûlée-D’Amour, Cornwall Shari Campbell, Toronto Mark Cassidy, Toronto David Celia, Mississauga Daniel Cooper, Guelph MJ Cyr, Toronto Kip Daynard, Huntsville Jean-Paul De Roover, Thunder Bay Tim Des Islets, Toronto Romina Di Gasbarro, Toronto Suzanne Doyle, Toronto Hilario Duran, Etobicoke Andrea England, Toronto Anwareen Farouk & Brian Lake, Ottawa Jaron Freeman-Fox, Toronto Nathan Garber, London Doug Gibson, Waterloo Emily Goss, Kenora Sarah Granskou, Kitchener Mushfiq Hashimi, Ottawa Curtis Heckaman, Hamilton Roy Hickling, Barrie Jacelyn Holmes, Toronto Frank Iacobucci, Toronto Christopher Jackson, Orillia Lynn Jackson, Kitchener Graydon James, Toronto James Jones, Huntsville Rory Jordan-Stevens, Huntsville Maria Kasstan, Toronto Heather Katz, Orangeville Joanne Landry, Sudbury Lise Larocque, Perth Daniel Latner, Toronto Amanda LeBlanc, Toronto Peter LeBlanc, Toronto Francine Leclair, Ottawa Katie Lem, Toronto Kristin Lindell, Toronto Michael-Owen Liston, Toronto Brian Litvin, Thornhill Bradley MacArthur, Orono Maria MacDonald, London Lynn Mantle, Toronto Donna Marchand, Toronto Richard Marsella, Georgetown
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James McEleney, Toronto Glenn McFarlane, Brampton Drew McIvor, Bognor Dee McNeil, Kingston Jen Metcalfe, Thunder Bay Joanna Mills, Toronto Michael Milton, Gooderham Mary Lou Minor, Port Colborne Jeff Moffatt, Kanata Tony Molesworth, Toronto Dani Nash, Toronto Susan Odle, Ottawa Michael Owen, Toronto Al Parrish, Kitchener Michael Peters, Toronto Stephanie Pierre, Ottawa Ryan Reid, Orangeville Nichol Robertson, Toronto Jeff Rogers, Toronto Natalie Rogers, Toronto Scott Rogers, Toronto Jeff Rothwell, Toronto Sean Russell, Toronto Shalini Sahni, Ottawa Alice Salway, Ottawa Lucas Schuller, Ottawa Loril Shannik, Brantford Stephen Shelton, Burlington Adam Shier, Toronto Mary Simon, Hamilton Alex Sinclair, Toronto Larra Skye, Toronto Bri-Anne Swan, Toronto Jerry Switzer, Tottenham Christopher Thompson, Orillia Grant Tilly, Toronto Tomkins/Hannigan Family, Baltimore Ryan Van Belleghem, Kenora Bethany Ward, Toronto Martin Weatherall, Stratford Jesse David Weeks, Toronto Katherine Wheatley, Guelph Neil Wiancko, Toronto Jeff Williams, Angus New Organizational Members AIM: Artists in Motion, Toronto Babes4Breasts, Ottawa Burns Wharf Theatre, Levack Canadian Independent Recording Artist’s Association (CIRAA), Toronto Canadian Music Week, Toronto Cesar Ricardo, Ottawa New County Rehab, Toronto Orillia Folk Society, Orillia Ottawa Blues Society, Ottawa Ottawa StoryTellers, Ottawa Prologue to the Performing Arts, Toronto Réseau Ontario, Ottawa River and Sky Music/Camping Festival, Sudbury Roots Music Canada, Toronto Stonecroft Folk, Ingersoll Top Quark Productions, Toronto
New Out-of-Province Individual Members Charlie A’Court, Dartmouth, NS Fraser Anderson, Leran, Ariege, France Jeff Andrew, Vancouver, BC Nathan Aswell, Vancouver, BC Rosalyn Bennett, Winnipeg, MB Selena Bewsky, Winnipeg, MB Stewart Burrows, Dundee, QC Colette Cheverie, Stratford, PE Michele Choiniere, Saint Albans, VT Christa Couture, Vancouver, BC Marie-Josée Dandeneau, Winnipeg, MB Allison de Groot, Winnipeg, MB Cris Derksen, Vancouver, BC Jim Dorie, New Glasgow, NS Sherman Downey, Corner Brook, NL Maike Engelbrecht, Vancouver, BC David Essig, Nanaimo, BC Victor Fraser, Dartmouth, NS Steve Gates, Halifax, NS Mark Geddes, Charlottetown, PE Gilbert Family, Bridgewater, NS Deborah Henriksson, Västerås, Sweden JP Hoe, Winnipeg, MB Lizzy Hoyt, Edmonton, AB Prashant Michael John, Calgary, AB Kenya Kondo, Edmonton, AB Vanessa Kuzina, Winnipeg, MB Justin Lacroix, Winnipeg, MB David Nigel Lloyd, Bakersfield, CA Ryan MacGrath, Halifax, NS Décota McNamara, Samson Cove, NS Mae Moore, Pender Island, BC Marta Pacek, Melbourne, Australia Demetra Penner, Winnipeg, MB Terry Penney & Angie Wilmott, Lewisporte, NL Rosalee Peppard, Prospect Village, NS Debbie Peters, Whitehorse, YT Joel & Lauren Rafael, Escondido, CA Mark Reeves, Winnipeg, MB Dave Ruch, Buffalo, NY Ian Sherwood, Dartmouth, NS Patricia Sibley, Parksville, BC Kelly Sloan, Darthmouth, NS Sarah Spring, Kernersville, NC Gabrielle Papillon Strasfeld, Montreal, QC Amy Thiessen, Calgary, AB Lori Tremblay, Potomac, MD Shari Ulrich, Bowen Island, BC Buckman Coe, Vancouver, BC David Wilkes, Kinnelon, NJ New Out-of-Province Associate Organizational Members Artists of Note, Kaneville, IL Bandzoogle, Montreal, QC BC Touring Council, Vancouver, BC Folk Music Canada, St. John’s, NL Home Routes, Winnipeg, MB Lake of Stew, Montreal, QC MAZ Production, Montreal, QC The Blues Foundation, Memphis, TN The Crooked Brothers, Winnipeg, MB The Next Level Entertainment Consulting Inc., Edmonton, AB Updated October 2, 2011
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Thursday, Oct 13
Friday, Oct 14
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11:00pm 3:00am
11:30pm 2:00am
10:00am 10:30am 10:30am 11:00am 11:00am 11:30am 11:30am noon Noon 12:30pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:45 pm 11:00 pm
Midnight 2:00am
7:00pm 9:00pm 9:00pm Midnight
General Interest
Presenter
Presenters Program / Export Artists Meet and Greet
Festival Organizers Meet and Greet
Singalong Speakeasy S/C
Presenters Peer Networking Session
Stage Craft
aliennation S/C
Atlantic Eclectic S/C
Hennepin North Hennepin South
Building and Strengthening Your Organization
Auditorium
Lobby Main Lobby
Global Café S/C
Protest Songs Campfire
Youth Mentors S/C
Blues Jam Session
Toronto Blues Society S/C
Lobby Bar in Oakes Foyer Oakes NE
Oakes South
Official S/C (8:00-11:00 pm)
SOCAN Songs and Stories
Youth
Salon A
S.A.C. S/C
Official S/C
Friends of Bill W.
Oneida
All-Night Jamming
Priv S/C Orientation
First-Timers' Orientation
All-Night Jamming
Ontario
Third Floor
Touring and Crossing Borders
Social Media: Using Mobile Technology
The Value of Presenting: A Study of Arts Presentation in Canada (9:00 am-12:00 pm)
Niagara
Youth Program Room
Youth Workshop
Youth Program Orientation & Jam
Maple
11:00pm 3:00am
11:30pm 2:00am
10:00am 10:30am 10:30am 11:00am 11:00am 11:30am 11:30am noon Noon 12:30pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:45 pm 11:00 pm
Midnight 2:00am
7:00pm 9:00pm 9:00pm Midnight
Instr. Lock-Up Thurs 7:00pm - 11:00pm / Drop Boxes - Thurs 7:00pm - 11:00pm / Fri 9:00am - 11:00pm (Chippawa) Fri 9:00am - 3:00pm (Oakes N/E)
Performer
Manitoba Music Music and Film S/C in Motion S/C
PRIVATE SHOWCASES ON MUSIC FLOORS
SOCAN Reception & Keynote Address with Eric Baptiste
Exhibit Hall
Silent Auction Viewing and Bidding (Oakes NE) 10:00am - 8:00pm
Oakes NW
Mezzanine
Registration and Board Voting Thurs 5:00pm - 10:00pm / Fri 9:00am - 9:00pm (Mezzanine Foyer)
Showcase
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Saturday, Oct 15
Sunday, Oct 16
11:00am 12:30pm
9:30am 11:00am
11:00pm 3:00am
11:30pm 2:00am
10:00am 10:30am 10:30am 11:00am 11:00am 11:30am 11:30am Noon Noon 12:30pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:45 pm 11:00 pm Music Workshop: Traditional
One-on-One Sessions
Starting and Building a Festival
World Music Forum
The Festival Funding Crisis
Record Production
Funding for Performers
Meeting of Festival ADs
House Concerts: Where Do They Fit?
Audience Development: Non-Musical Content
Emergency Planning
Auditorium
Borealis Reception
Main Lobby
Gospel Singalong Jam
Global Café S/C
SFTH S/C
OCFF Song Swap Campfire
Lobby Bar in Oakes Foyer
Gala Dinner (5:30-7:15 pm)
Exhibit Hall
Oakes NE
Youth
Salon A
Oneida
First-Timers' Orientation
Ontario
Third Floor
Drop Boxes - Sat 9:00am - 3:00pm / Sun 9:00am - 1:00pm (Oakes N/E)
Performer
Official S/C
EKA Brunch & Interview
Friends of Bill W.
All-Night Jamming
Priv S/C Orientation
Meeting of Festival Board Chairs
Social Media: New Trends for Current Users
Festival Organizers Round Table
Niagara
Youth Program Wrap-up (10:3011:30 am)
Youth Program Room
Maple
11:00am 12:30pm
9:30am 11:00am
11:00pm 3:00am
11:30pm 2:00am
10:00am 10:30am 10:30am 11:00am 11:00am 11:30am 11:30am Noon Noon 12:30pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:45 pm 11:00 pm
ArtsCan Circle Fun Run & Walk Meet in Lobby Saturday at 8:30am
Silent Auction Payment and Pickup (Oakes NE) 11:00am - 1:00pm
Cedar Room S/C Folquébec S/C
Official S/C (8:00-11:00 pm)
Youth S/C
Ukulele Building Workshop
Silent Auction Viewing and Bidding (Oakes NE) 10:00am - 8:00pm
Keynote Lunch with Loreena McKennitt
Oakes South
PRIVATE SHOWCASES ON MUSIC FLOORS
OCFF Annual General Meeting
Oakes NW
Mezzanine
Hennepin North Hennepin South
Lobby
Presenter
Instrument Lock-Up - Sat 9:00am - 11:00pm / Sun 9:00am - 1:00pm (Chippawa)
General Interest
Registration - Sat 9:00am - 9:00pm and Board Voting - Sat 9:00am - 3:00pm (Mezzanine Foyer)
Showcase
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS The OCFF is very pleased to have two fabulous keynote speakers for this 25th anniversary conference. Eric Baptiste (CEO of SOCAN) and Loreena McKennitt (artist, music entrepreneur) are sure to provide compelling and inspiring presentations. Eric Baptiste will be our guest at the SOCAN Reception on Friday, October 14 at 6:00pm. Prior to joining SOCAN, Eric served as Director General of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). He currently serves as non-executive General Secretary of the board of Francophonie Diffusion and Chairman of both Radio NEO (non-commercial FM network devoted to new musical talent) and ISAN-IA (ISO’s audiovisual works identification standard). Previously, Eric served as General Manager of RFI (French public international radio) and CEO of 95.2 Paris (French commercial FM station). He has also headed several trade associations and inter-industry groups, including Musiques France Plus and Vive la Radio. A graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris and the École nationale d’administration, Eric was bestowed the French government’s award of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2006.
Loreena McKennitt will be our guest at the Saturday keynote lunch, sponsored by TicketBreak. McKennitt began her musical career by busking with her harp and started running her own record label, Quinlan Road, from her kitchen table. More than two decades later, Manitoba-born McKennitt has seen her “eclectic Celtic” blend of pop, folk and world music sell over 14 million copies worldwide. Her international tours have taken her around the world, with performances for such dignitaries as HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in honour of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. As a composer, McKennitt has written music for productions at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario and the National Film Board. She has three feature length film scores to her credit and has contributed to several soundtracks for both film and television. In 2007, McKennitt was nominated for a Grammy Award and was the recipient of a North American Folk Alliance Award. She has also won two Junos and a Billboard International Achievement Award.
Past Estelle Klein Award Winners 2010 2009 2007 2006 2005
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Grit Laskin Bernie Finkelstein Stan Rogers Richard Flohil Ken Whiteley
2004 Sylvia Tyson 2003 The Friends of Fiddler’s Green 2002 Ian Tamblyn 2001 Jackie Washington 2000 Estelle Klein
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Spotlight
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Showcase SATURDAY NIGHT SAMEDI SOIR AT/AU
S A LO N A
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MÉLISANDE
Midnight Minuit
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HAVE YOU MOVED..? …or has your contact information changed? Please take a moment to send us your new details, by e-mail (admin@ocff.ca) or by snail mail to:
OCFF 508-B Gladstone Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 5P1 Be sure to include your name, postal address, phone number, e-mail address and website, as well as any business contact information. Thanks for helping us keep our records straight!
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Sat 11:30 pm
Fri 1:30 am
"Reminiscent of Lucinda Williams and a slightly rebellious Mary Chapin Carpenter, (Grainne) Ryan’s earthy perspective goes one big step further in that her original compositions are instantly familiar-sounding, hook-laden songs that encourage you to kick up your feet and, in some cases, sing along." ~ Eric Thom, Roots Music Canada
Hailed as a "spine chilling talent" by the Toronto Star, acoustic folk/soul songstress Layah Jane is a 2011 OCFF Official Showcase performer. A Falcon Ridge Folk Fest Emerging Artist (2011), and the Ottawa Blues Fest's "She's the One" 2011 Band Category winner, Layah and band-mate Oliver Johnson make music that speaks courageous and tender to the hungry hearts of poets, activists, and lovers alike.
JARON FREEMAN-FOX
GRAYDON JAMES
& THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYTHING
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Fri 2:30 am
From Austin TX & Canada, The Sweetness is an anti-folk collective of singer-songwriters & musicians that formed this year at the 23rd annual Folk Alliance conference in Memphis. They debuted at SXSW, toured Europe & North America, & will embark on their second European tour this fall.
Sat 1:30 am
& THE YOUNG NOVELISTS
Fri 12:00 am / Sat & 12:30 am
Fiddler Jaron Freeman-Fox and his fiery band The Opposite of Everything combine sounds from around the world, and from other worlds all together! After a busy summer of touring Jaron's debut album Manic Almanac : Slow Möbius the band is back at OCFF with a fresh set of tunes and is ready to party!
When Graydon James & the Young Novelists released their EP A Small Town Eulogy in 2010, Exclaim! Magazine called it: "a work of unpretentious brilliance." This roots-rock group also claimed the Galaxie Rising Star award at the Burlington Sound of Music festival. Their widelyanticipated live album will be released in November followed by a full-length studio album in May, produced by Chris Stringer (Timber Timbre, Ohbijou).
MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE Fri 12:30 am / Sat 2:30 am
HOTCHA!
Canadian Folk Music Solo Artist of the Year, Maple Blues Acoustic Artist Award Winner, and Multiple Juno Award Nominee in both the Blues and Traditional Roots categories, Michael Jerome Browne introduces his new CD The Road is Dark - An acoustic blues road trip where the destination is love, death and drinking.
High-energy hillbilly swing duo blends old-time Western, bluegrass, early swing and country gospel, delivered with the energy of a runaway train. "This debut is sure to bring a smile to your face and a rumble and shake to your legs that'll make you want to dance around the parlour with a properly chilled mint julep." ~ Chris Burland, (ChartAttack.com). “The spirit and influence of Woody Guthrie is palpable.” ~ Mike Regenstreif (Sing Out!)
THE BOXCAR BOYS Fri 11:30 pm / Sat 2:00 am
REVERAND MAX WOOLAVER Fri 2:00 am / Sat 12:30 am
The Boxcar Boys are on the right track with their debut CD Don’t Be Blue. They deliver a veritable feast of wild gypsy, old-jazz, klezmer, and folk music, always performed with a good-time New Orleans spirit. "...guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step." ~ John Terauds (Toronto Star)
Reverend Max Woolaver is one of the most compelling Canadian singer-songwriters in Canada today. His soon-to-be-released CD Nazca Hummingbird delivers songs from the heart and soul that are deep with meaning and intent. “Last night I caved in...I’m a fan..” ~ Bob Snider. "Songs of brilliance and beauty...a Leonard Cohen meets Dylan saga of a whistle stop on Desolation Row.” ~ Fredericton Gleaner
Fri 11:30 pm / Sat 1:00 am
LAMA-palooza. Room 319. www.lamavision.com
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The Tunesmiths Room# 307 Patrick %UHDOH\ 1am saturday night Carrie &DWKHULQH 2am fri & midnight sat Scott &RRN midnight friday $VKOH\ &RQGRQ 11.30pm saturday night Layah -DQH 12.30am fri & sat nights David Ross Macdonald 1.30am fri & sat 'DYLG 1HZODQG 11pm saturday night Jory 1DVK 1am friday night .ULVWLQ 6ZHHWODQG 2am saturday night Ann 9ULHQG 11.30 pm friday night
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The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Annual General Meeting Oakes NW Room, Marriott Gateway on the Falls Niagara Falls, Ontario October 15, 2011 - 10:00 a.m. AGENDA 1. Welcome and Adoption of the Agenda – Scott Merrifield, President 2. Approval of 2010 AGM Minutes – Katharine Partridge, Vice-President 3. President’s Report – Scott Merrifield 4. Executive Director’s Report – Peter MacDonald 5. Treasurer’s Report and Audited Financial Statements – Tamara Kater 6. Appointment of Auditors for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2012 – Tamara Kater 7. New Business 8. Adjournment to Gala Dinner 9. Election of Directors – David Newland, Nominating Committee Chair 10. Adjournment
President’s annual Report In December of 2010, at the first meeting of the OCFF’s Board of Director’s after last year’s Board elections and Annual General Meeting, having just accepted the position of President, I outlined what I saw as the priorities we needed to address in the year that is now almost behind us: • The need to avoid losing momentum in implementing and reviewing the Strategic Plan created in 2009, with emphasis on truly serving all our classes of membership and fulfilling our mission “to support the growth and development of folk music in Ontario by supporting the growth and development of presenters and performers” • The need to eliminate the current financial deficit of the OCFF as quickly as possible • The need to continue our progress in developing excellence in governance at Board level and facilitating excellence in management of operations at the staff level • The need to address the 60
effectiveness of our communications vehicles, including the future of Folk Prints • The need to make our 25th Anniversary Conference the best ever at its 2011 location in Niagara Falls I now think these priorities make good headings to describe much of the progress our organization has made during the year from the Board’s perspective. Strategic Plan The plan which covers five years is now the basis of the Executive Director’s annual operational plan for the OCFF and its annual budget. Since the plan is now two years old, it is currently being reviewed as planned, to ensure it remains relevant and responsive to changes that taken place, both external and internal. This process is well underway, led by our Strategic Planning Committee, specifically our expert chair, Dan Greenwood, and Katharine Partridge. As a first step, the Board participated in a workshop facilitated
by Dan in September 2011 to assess internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats as well as the political, economic, social and technological environment we work in. The strategies contained in the plan will be reviewed to ensure they are still valid in the context of these analyses and if there are gaps that need to be addressed. The plan called for a name change for the organization to “Folk Music Ontario” to better reflect its new mission “to support the growth and development of folk music in Ontario by supporting the growth and development of presenters and performers.” The new name and mission will require the issuance of Supplementary Letters Patent, the legal framework for the organization under the Corporations Act, which in turn will require the approval of 2/3 of our membership. With new provisions in our by-laws that permit electronic voting, we will be proceeding with that process in the coming year.
Deficit Reduction While the accumulated deficit as shown in our audited statements is currently manageable, the Board, the Finance Committee (consisting of our Treasurer, Tamara Kater, Katherine Partridge, Jerry Switzer and me) and our Executive Director have taken steps to address it. As a result, although the operating deficit could not be eliminated in one year without seriously impairing our operations, it was reduced significantly and the current approved budget calls for a return to an operating surplus this fiscal year. Moreover, the Finance Committee developed, and the Board approved, new financial policies which preclude the approval of any budget with an accumulated deficit of more than 10% of annual operating revenues, and require any deficit budget to be accompanied by a plan to eliminate the deficit within three years, all within an overall context of conservative budgeting. Achieving Excellence in Governance and Management The Board continues to operate on a governance model that focuses the Board’s efforts on strategic direction, policy and oversight, leaving the responsibility for the day to day management of operations to the Executive Director. The current hard-working Executive Committee comprises myself, Katharine Partridge as Vice-President, Jerry Switzer as Secretary, Tamara Kater as Treasurer, Dan Greenwood as Memberat-Large, and Paul Mills (exofficio) as Past President. The Board was faced with two vacancies early in the year, when Bill Stunt, then our Treasurer, and newly elected director Rebecca Webster both resigned. Bill had been given demanding new responsibili-
ties in his position at work and Rebecca had irreconcilable scheduling challenges. The Board exercised its power to fill the vacancies by appointment, and through a process led by David Newland as Nominating Committee chair, we were able to welcome two excellent new directors, Brad McEwen and Jane Harbury, to the Board. Tamara Kater was chosen to succeed Bill as Treasurer. The Board was shaken by a sudden and serious health crisis that forced our Vice President, Kathy Partridge, to suspend her Board participation for a good portion of the year. Thankfully, she has recovered and resumed her responsibilities. In her absence, Dan Greenwood became interim VP and Chair of the Personnel, Policy and Governance Committee. We have signed a new greatly improved three-year employment contract with our Executive Director. We have also instituted an improved performance appraisal process for the ED, including the signing of an annual performance agreement that bases this appraisal on mutually agreed goals and measures. We have invested in professional development for our ED with a masters-level course in Not-for-Profit and Voluntary Sector Management at Carleton University and a workshop with Jerry Yoshitomi at the Port Huron Arts Leadership Institute. The Board is addressing its own professional development by committing to a Board Governance training session at its next meeting. Communications This is an ongoing work-inprogress that will carry over into next year. Consensus appears to be that the eNews issued biweekly by staff has become a very effective communications vehicle, whereas the print version of Folk Prints,
as we know it, needs a review. The OCFF website is undergoing significant upgrading. The Communications Committee is currently composed of Chair David Newland and Richard Flohil. 25th Anniversary Conference Although the 25th Anniversary Conference is still a few weeks away at this writing, the ED assures us that planning and preparations are on track. Excitement is building and expectations are high. The Conference Steering Committee has completed its transition from a Board Committee to an operational committee, chaired by the ED and comprising directors, staff and other volunteer members. Directors on the committee this year were Brad McEwen, Larry Leblanc, Joeann Argue, Paul Mills and me. The Board has committed to addressing conference evaluation and future planning at its next meeting after the conference. The 2012 conference will be at the Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre in Mississauga. Concluding Comments I would like to thank the Board for the honour of serving as President for the past year and for their diligence in supporting the important work of the OCFF. I would also like to thank Paul Mills for his inspiration and mentorship as Past President. Finally I would like to thank our very conscientious and hard-working ED, Peter MacDonald, and his team for supporting me and addressing the work of the OCFF and the needs of its membership as their preoccupation every single working day of the year. Thanks to the support of all of the above and all our members, this has been a most productive and rewarding year. 61
Executive Director’s Annual Report The time since our last Annual General Meeting has been a very productive for the OCFF. At last year’s conference, membership stood at 28 Festivals, 57 Organizations and 287 Individuals. Over the past year, we have seen an increase in membership: 28 Festivals, 64 Organizations and 364 Individuals (at September 23, 2011). We have continued to work towards the vision of the organization – “By 2015, facilitating a stronger, more engaged, connected and active folk music community in Ontario” – by focusing our efforts on improving what we do and how we do it, through the strategic plan we launched in 2010. The OCFF staff has worked hard this past year, with emphasis on four of the eight key Expanding member services - Worked with seven other Provincial Arts Services Organizations to launch the Arts Workers Health Insurance Plan for individual members. This came on the heels of having offered health benefits to our festival and organizational members the previous year. - Negotiated and offered network discounts for members to attend more music industry conferences. - Hired a dedicated Membership Services Manager to develop and renew member benefits. Engaging in more effective communications - Started work on a new OCFF web site to improve navigation 62
and interactivity. - Increased eNews to twice per month, plus special announcements as required; started sending regular eNews messages to the entire database of 9000+ entities instead of only to members - Received training and increased efforts on the OCFF Facebook page (1600+ “likes”) and started a Twitter account (180 followers). - Became more diligent in picking up the phone to talk to our members; somewhere along the way we all became too reliant on email to replace the connection with a live voice in real time. Renewing festival commitment - Increased festival representation on the Conference Steering Committee. - Began consultations on a festival-specific, non-showcasing gathering to happen outside the annual conference and ideally to be launched within two years . - Attended networking events across the country to promote our member festivals and encourage peer relationships. - Increased the print run of the annual brochure and the distribution of it beyond the provincial tourist info centers and member festivals. - Acted as a facilitator between festivals and funders in several specific instances. Improving organizational effectiveness - Started work on a new database management system to improve membership reten-
tion and increase administrative efficiency. - Refined the annual online collection of festival membership data in order to stay current with personnel and contact information for each organization. - Reworked all financial reporting and developed budget re-forecasting tools. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, we nearly eliminated the operational deficit without significant changes to the level of service delivery. The accumulated deficit is being overseen by the Board and Finance Committee and we expect that with diligent management and oversight, we can eliminate it within two years. Public funding has remained stable in the past year and we are particularly grateful for the ongoing operational funding provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Ontario Arts Council. Private funding through sponsorships has also remained stable, despite very challenging economic times. Earned revenues, largely around the conference, have increased slightly. Since the OCFF serves such a diverse membership, the Board and staff try hard to balance the needs of all members. Consultation and dialogue have become more important than ever before in an environment with numerous communications options. Staying connected is the single biggest challenge we face as a community, made more difficult by very limited resources
and the need to stretch volunteer time to fit the growing needs of our local communities. We are pleased to have such strong partnerships with music industry associations and regional presenter networks across the country. As often as possible, we exchange visits to our conference events and important meetings. This past year, we attended Canadian Music Week, Pacific Contact, NXNE, CAPACOA’s annual conference AND National Presenter Network Meeting held in conjunction with the Canada Council and Department of Canadian Heritage. We have begun regular teleconferences with the producers of regional Contact events so that we can all engage in frank discussion about the state of the art in professional development and showcasing models. Our annual conference is seen as the single best way to connect to the folk music community in
Canada, yet we all realize that we have a lot of work to do to make it even better! The OCFF staff has worked tirelessly on behalf of the membership over the past year. The team includes Jennifer Ellis (Office Manager), Olga Zuyderhoff as Membership Services Administrator, and Margaret Toner-Gaston, our contract accountant. A warm welcome to our newest staff members, Bob LeDrew as Membership Services Manager and Jean-Marc Lalonde, our 2011 Conference Coordinator. Sincere thanks and best wishes to Chris MacLean, who served us well as Membership and Outreach Manager for two years and continues to work part-time on the Youth Program and as Art Beat Coordinator. The OCFF is an essential component in the presenting community – for both presenters and performers. The structure of our membership
means that we have the added benefit of a strong community and industry component of managers, agents, publicists, record labels, small venues and volunteers of all kinds. We are seen as a strong, caring community dedicated to the preservation and expansion of folk music. We are proud to work in this community and we are proud of our membership’s dedication to our shared goals. We look forward to the coming year as we work together to improve our local communities and spread folk music from coastto-coast-to-coast. Sincerely,
Peter MacDonald Executive Director
2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards December 2 – 4 in Toronto, ON Hope to see you there!
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THANK YOU for your support! FUNDERS
PARTNERS
sponsors
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OMDC is proud to support the Presenters Program at the 25th Anniversary OCFF Conference. Our programs and initiatives are helping to build a thriving industry, a global audience and a wealth of opportunity for Ontario’s musicians and music companies. Be part of it.
OMDC.on.ca
We’ve got it going Ontario Media Development Corporation
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