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Reading… Recently finished reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (it’s like Harry Potter for adults) and The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Both fantastic reads – highly recommended. I’m now onto slightly easier reading: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Not exactly fine literature, but entertaining nonetheless. Scottish warriors – need I say more?
Listening to… Lots of music in French – it’s nice to go back to my roots. The music site 8tracks allows you to stream playlists that others have put together, and I’ve discovered lots of great music this way. One of my favourite playlists was created by…Nikki Yanofski, of all people. She’s compiled a list of her favourite French songs, and they’re all pretty awesome. Have a listen here.
Watching… Flight of the Conchords’ newest endeavour: a song they wrote to raise funds for a sick kids charity in NZ. They interviewed kids to get ideas for song lyrics (with brilliant results), and even reunited with Murray for a band meeting. My heart is so happy to see them together again.
Discovering… This great blog called 5 Things To Do Today. Appeals to the incurable list-maker in me, and tons of great ideas to boot. Very inspiring.
Learning… About emotional intelligence. I’ve been on two separate courses on EI this summer, which have helped me become increasingly self-aware of my emotions and how I react to people and situations. I definitely want to keep exploring this topic more deeply and meaningfully.
Loving… The fantastic new haircut I got last night. I feel like a million bucks.
Hating… The lingering hot and humid days – I want fall to be here NOW!
Feeling… Excited about a night out with friends tonight. It will include Bridesmaids (the movie), a tasty meal, cupcakes, and copious amounts of wine. It’s all good.
Wishing… I didn’t have to clean my loft this weekend, but it’s quite filthy. I know I’ll feel better afterwards, though…
What have you been up to this week?
In a fantastic mood right now because I am officially ON VACATION for the next two weeks – woo hoo!
I thought I’d share a few thrilling performances to go perfectly with my mood.
This first clip goes to show that you can make the best of any situation, no matter where you are. These are prisoners at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Centre dancing to a choreographed version of MJ’s Thriller:
Those who know me well know about my slight obsession with anything created by or featuring Taika Waititi. This video is part of the closing credits of the 2010 coming-of-age film Boy – Taika (as MJ) and the other stars of the film mix Thriller Haka moves with the Maori-language song, Poi E. Flippin’ brilliant!
And finally – Buckingham Palace Guards having fun with what would otherwise be pretty mind-numbing work:
Now if only I could find a copy of my figure skating club’s 1984 end-of-year show…we performed a Thriller number (complete with dry ice and full makeup and costumes) and it was awesome!
Happy Friday – enjoy!
Reading… The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. I was intrigued by the book after reading a great article about it in the October 2011 edition of Vanity Fair magazine. Although it’s a novel about baseball, it’s not really about baseball… I’m really enjoying it so far.
Listening to… Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s United We Swing album. It has definitely helped bring up my energy level while making books and other lovely items.
Watching… 8th Fire – Indigenous in the City on CBC Television. A fascinating documentary on some of Canada’s Aboriginals living in our cities, how they got there, and how they are coping. I loved the story about rap group Winnipeg’s Most, but the explanation about the Indian Act, 1876 made me very angry at the injustices inflicted on Aboriginal peoples.
Discovering… Toronto’s lovely Roncesvalles neighbourhood. I had never really had the chance to look around the area until this afternoon, while on a fun date. The traditionally Polish neighbourhood has lots of funky little shops, cafes and restaurants that I’m looking forward to exploring further.
Learning… To let go of the need to always be doing something and to just listen to my body when it’s tired. For several weeks now, I’ve been rediscovering the joy in guilt-free naps. Fantastic.
Loving… The birthday wishes from friends and family this week. I felt surrounded by so much love and warmth.
Hating… Constantly cold feet. Despite the thick woolly socks and shoes that I wear inside my loft, my poor toes are always freezing because of the cement floors. Thank goodness for heating pads and hot water bottles, I tell ya.
Feeling… Exhausted after a long week on the road for work. Ten-hour days, too much night driving, and very little sleep made for a somewhat cranky birthday girl!
Wishing… I wasn’t having to do so much travel in Ontario during the winter months…although I am grateful not to have to do it on crutches with a broken ankle this year.
What have you been up to this week?
I discovered Spoon about 7 years ago, thanks to one of Paste Magazine‘s ever-wonderful CD samplers. I Turn My Camera On, from the 2005 album Gimme Fiction, was the catchy tune that caught my attention:
I took an immediate liking to the Austin, Texas-based band’s 2007 album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, especially the You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb track. As if the song itself wasn’t fantastic enough, the music video includes PAPER CUTOUTS. *happy sigh*
The Underdog is another favourite song from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (it can also be found on the Horrible Bosses and I Love You, Man soundtracks):
So much crafting to do, so much great music to keep me motivated – it’s all good!
Reading… Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham-Dixon. After seeing his painting The Deposition (which moved me to tears) at the Vatican, as well as the Caravaggio and his followers in Rome exhibit at the National Gallery in Ottawa this past summer, I’ve taken an extra keen interest in the talented but troubled artist.
Listening to… Cary Brothers’ cover of “Something About You”. I have always loved Level 42′s original song; this version is a bit more mellow, but just as beautiful.
Watching… The Walking Dead. After a friend raved about this AMC show, I made the mistake of watching the first episode just before going to bed. But I still got hooked.
Discovering… The fun in crafting again. The past few months were so busy with prepping for craft fairs and filling orders for shops and customers that I was too tired to really enjoy it. After a wonderfully restful holiday (with many naps), I am enjoying staying up late and making a mess with art and craft supplies again. It’s great to have my mojo back!
Learning… So much from my recent adventures in online dating. I keep discovering new things about myself (in a good way) every time I interact or meet someone new. It’s been a surprisingly pleasant experience, so far… I’ve even gone so far as to recommend online dating to other friends (which I never thought would ever happen!).
Loving… Handmade Ryan Gosling – This site is like porn for crafty girls. Without the nekkid porn shots.
Hating… The dread I feel about my work schedule – 11 events to organize and implement in 7 weeks means travel in winter conditions, sleepless nights in hotel rooms and back pain from too much stress. I hope I make it to March in one piece.
Feeling… Melancholy after spending 2.5 hrs on the phone with my oldest friend, who lives far away. So many of my closest friends live in other parts of the world, and I miss them dearly. I wish we could see each other more often.
Wishing… The mild weather could last all winter: +5C in January? Yes, please!
What have you been up to this week?
I discovered Hawksley Workman several years ago when a friend sent me a mix CD that included the song Jealous of your Cigarette. Not only is it a fantastic song, its music video is just so much fun:
Did you notice that the entire video was filmed in a single sequence? Yah. Freakin’ amazing.
Hawksley definitely lives on the eccentric side of the street, but he is incredibly creative and prolific – not only as a singer-songwriter, but also as a producer (working with Great Big Sea, Serena Ryder, Hey Rosetta!, and Tegan and Sara, amongst others).
Another of my favourite songs of his – Warhol’s Portrait of Gretzky – was released on the 2010 album Milk (warning: strong language):
I has the pleasure of seeing Hawksley perform in December as the Vinyl Cafe Christmas tour’s invited guest (an interesting choice for Stuart McLean). He definitely has a cabaret flair about him, but he is quite entertaining. And man, that voice.
Finally, here is a slower, sadder (but just as beautiful song) – Autumn’s Here:
For some reason, this song gets to me every time. Love it.
Reading… Just finished reading The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides – brilliant. I love everything this man writes – now, if he published more than once every 10 years, I’d be completely ecstatic. Now I’m on to Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham-Dixon.
Listening to… Fitz and the Tantrums – Groovy tunes that make you want to dance all day:
Watching… Saw Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows this week. The chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law is amazing (and I don’t even like Jude Law). Guy Ritchie has done a fantastic job directing this film, and I hope there are many more to come.
Discovering… Lots of new music, especially with all the “best of 2011″ lists floating around the internets.
Learning… Italian (and loving it). I definitely need to apply myself and practice more, but I am picking it up fairly quickly (being fluent in French certainly helps).
Loving… The calm after the storm. The past few months have been so crazy with a heavy workload and travel related to the pesky day job, teaching bookbinding workshops, preparing for and selling at craft fairs, and trying to keep the local shops stocked with merchandise (I could barely keep up with the demand!). I’ve been resting, relaxing and reflecting this past week, and it feels wonderful.
Hating… The thought of having to go back to the pesky day job on Tuesday morning. :(
Feeling… Grateful for the amazing people, adventures and opportunities that came into my life in 2011. May 2012 be even more amazing!
Wishing… I could come up with a great plan to quit the pesky day job once and for all. I will definitely keep working at it…
What have you been up to this week?
In the same vein as last week’s Tuesday Tunes post, I’d like to introduce another group from New Zealand that has caught my attention [and my heart]: the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.
What’s so cool about a ukulele orchestra, you say? Well, the incredibly creative and inventive group of artists who form this ensemble (including one of its founding members, Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame – do you see a trend here?) have a knack for taking retro tunes and giving them a beautiful, new life. They also have a wicked sense of style and humour. And they love Canadians (well, Canadian ukulele virtuoso James Hill).
Take Bonnie Tyler’s classic It’s a Heartache, for instance. Just when you thought this song couldn’t be any more melancholy…
We can never have too much Prince in our lives, can we? Especially a ukulele version of I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man:
Close your eyes, and imagine you’re on a safari, beside a beautiful waterfall. This tune immediately comes to mind, doesn’t it? (please excuse the video quality and simply focus on the voices and the ukes):
And finally, this is for all us vertically challenged people (aka Short People, a cover of Randy Newman’s classic):
And because I just can’t stop, here are a few more awesome covers, should you wish to further your discovery of the WIUO:
Hey Ya – yes, the Outkast version!
The Bucket – Kings of Leon cover
Dreaming of You – The Coral cover
I’ve had an obsession with all things Kiwi for some time now. It started with Flight of the Conchords, then progressed to the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, Neil Finn, Taika Waititi, Age Pryor, and most recently, The Phoenix Foundation. New Zealand has produced some pretty kick-ass, creative types, all of which seem to have an awesome, quirky sense of humour.
The Phoenix Foundation has numerous connections to writer/director/artist Taika Waititi. Several of the band’s songs can be found on soundtracks for Waititi’s two feature-length films, Eagle vs. Shark and Boy. I love the dream-like quality of many of their pop melodies – they remind me of happier versions of Great Lake Swimmers or Arcade Fire songs.
The video for Going Fishing [from the band's debut album, Horsepower] contains hilarious clips from Eagle vs. Shark [which stars Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame, in case you hadn't recognized him]:
40 Years was directed by and also stars Taika Waititi. I love how it was filmed in one long, single shot:
And finally, a video for Pot, from The Phoenix Foundation’s most recent album, Buffalo:
ENJOY!
I first heard Ari Hest‘s sweet voice on a Paste Magazine compilation a few years back – the song was “They’re On To Me”:
In 2007, after getting out of a record deal, Ari came up with an interesting project: Every week for a year, he wrote, recorded and released one new, original song. I have to admire him for committing so fearlessly to such a huge, creative endeavour – I’m not sure I would’ve had the guts to announce my intentions so publicly! I’ve listened to many songs from the 52 project, and they’re impressive. You’d think pumping out so many songs in a short period of time would make for pretty mediocre results – but not so…
Ari does an awesome cover of my favourite song ever – Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah:
And finally, I’ve Got You:
Wanna hear more? Visit his website and click on the “See/Hear” button on the bottom right corner. Enjoy!
In the same spirit as Film Fridays, I’d like to share some of my favourite musical discoveries. Music has always been such an important part of my life. Thanks to my older cousins (who I greatly admired), at a young age I discovered the Bee Gees, Rick Springfield, CCR, Adam Ant, and so many others. To this day, I love finding new (or new to me) artists – if you read this blog at all, you’ve definitely noticed this!
My latest obsession is William Fitzsimmons, a most charming singer-songwriter living in Illinois. I only discovered his music a few weeks ago, but after downloading his latest album, “The Sparrow and the Crow“, I haven’t been able to stop listening to it. If I had followed TV shows like Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy, I would have discovered him much earlier.
His regular posts on his Facebook fan page show a quirky, witty sense of humour (I actually look forward to his status updates). His bio is also quite fascinating.
He also has the soothing, haunting voice of an angel – not exactly what you’d expect from a guy with a Grizzly Adams-size beard.
He also does a fantastic cover of Go West’s “King of Wishful Thinking”:
Beautiful.
Is there anything this kid can’t do? Really. Who else (aside from David Bowie, who can also do no wrong) would dare take on an Arcade Fire song – and be so successful at it? Amazing.
Just needed to share this. Thank you for listening.
After a series of unfortunate events (nearly getting killed TWICE in as many days – first, by tumbling down the stairs and then by an idiot driver on the highway who neglected to check his blind spot), resulting in a painful and badly swollen ankle, I’ve chosen to spend a quiet, restful new year’s eve at home, by myself, safe from danger. No stairs or crazy drivers here, no sirree.
My new buddy will be here to keep me company:
That’s Crosley. He not only plays vinyl records, he converts them into digital files. Yah. He’s that amazing. And considering how many LPs I have lying around here, he’s gonna be busy for the next little while.
Where to start? That’s easy!
Followed by these guys…
There will be lotsa happiness goin’ ’round tonight. What else will be happening? Perhaps a little Pride and Prejudice action (the BBC/Colin Firth version). Along with some art journaling (I want to finish up a few travel journals that have gone incomplete for way too long…).
What are your plans for this evening?
Last night I had the most amazing opportunity to see The Canadian Songbook: A Tribute to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall, as part of the Luminato Festival. It was a recreation of Young’s 1971 concert by an impressive roster of talent, including Colin James, Holly Cole, Jason Collett, Cowboy Junkies, Issa [formerly Jane Siberry], Stevie Jackson [of Belle & Sebastian fame), Colin Linden, Steven Page [of Barenaked Ladies fame], Carole Pope, Sarah Slean, and many others…
Interspersed between songs were stories about Neil Young, his life, the recording of the famed 1971 concert, and so much more. What impressed me the most, I think, was that by the ripe old age of 24, he had already written such gems as Old Man, Heart of Gold, Ohio, and The Needle and the Damage Done. Makes everyone else look like a slacker. Hmph.
It was a fabulous night with fabulous entertainment. Well worth the price, even though my seat was partially obstructed by enormous speakers! I’m simply grateful for having gotten tickets in the first place…
If you weren’t able to enjoy this concert in person, it will be broadcast on CBC Radio 2 on June 29 & July 6. Check it out!
Yes, the song by Bonnie Tyler. Except this version is by the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra – and highly addictive:
I’ve been listening to it ALL DAY. I can’t get enough of it. Help!
While you’re at it, check out their live cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” – way cool!
If you look closely, you might notice that the second guy from the left is Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame. No wonder they’re so damn cool.
- I had a great time at the Gordon Lightfoot concert last night (it was pretty thrilling to see a Canadian icon in person):
- I haven’t disappeared from the face of the earth; I’ve simply been dealing with some life changes that include becoming newly single, finding a new place to live and everything in between. Part of the process is yucky and sucky, and yet it’s a time for great opportunies and changes. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason and it’s important to learn from every situation that comes your way, good or bad. Already, some good has come following the bad…more to come soon.
- Now that things have finally slowed down at the pesky day job, I’ve finally found the time to take a few workshops, such as a basic letterpress class -
- I even took my very first scrapbooking class (!):
- I’ve been busy making LP Journals to sell (available at nathalie-roze & co.) – by the way, you can learn how to make your own LP Journal on May 24, when I’ll be teaching a workshop at nathalie-roze & co.:
- I’ve been making bookbinding kits to sell (available at Urban Scrapyard):
- I completed a commission that had been in the works for a long time – a dos-à-dos (back-to-back) large-sized journal:
- I participated in several swaps on Swap-Bot:
- I even found the time to take a walk on the beach:
And yes, there is a beach in Toronto.
I’m happy to report that the bulk of the events I’ve been planning as part of my day job are now over – only four more to go until May, but who’s counting?
I feel like I’m finally getting my life back. Although I’m physically and mentally tired, at least I’m not suffering from the high levels of stress and anxiety of a few weeks ago. Last week I took two whole days off, and what a pleasure it was! B and I spent the day shopping at IKEA on Thursday – although I was only planning on buying a bookcase, we ended up with so much more: 3 bookcases, a coffee table, two side tables, two nightstands, wall-mounted shelving and a wall organizer thingy. Whew! That meant we spent a good chunk of the weekend putting things together, and we’re still not done!
Saturday night we had tickets to see the Cowboy Junkies and Ryan Adams perform the Trinity Session Revisited. B loves the Junkies, and I love Ryan, so we figured it was a win-win situation. Until I checked my emails on Saturday morning and found one announcing that Ryan Adams would not be performing due to an unforeseen illness! What?!! I was sooooo bummed out! I was really looking forward to seeing him perform, especially this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvIRk8wvC_A
Since I’m not a huge fan of the Cowboy Junkies, it was hard for me to muster up any enthusiasm for the show. It was a nice show, but a bit too mellow for my taste (I think I may have even nodded off at one point – yikes!)… At least one of us had a great time – B loved the show (and Margot Timmins!) and raved about it. Lucky him.
Although I’m quite back to bookbinding just yet, by next weekend I’ll have my energy back, I’m sure. I’m really looking forward to crafting again – it’s been difficult and frustrating to not have the mental energy to do anything these past few months. And when I do get back to it all, my craft room will be super duper organized!
Looks like today is going to be a great day for staying in and making books. We got what looks like a foot of snow overnight, and today it will turn to freezing rain and ice pellets… As I said, a great day for sipping hot lemon & ginger tea and playing with paper. I have several commissions to finish before Christmas, so the timing is fantastic.
It’s been a busy weekend, so I haven’t had much time to work on my projects. Friday night, B and his friend John and I attended the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. One of B’s nephew’s was nominated for an award, so it was all very exciting. Unfortunately, there were so many technical glitches throughout the show that it was difficult to thoroughly enjoy the evening. First, they started 20 minutes late. Then, the teleprompter was showing the text backwards, and when they finally got it right, the text would disappear. I felt terrible for the poor awards presenters, left standing on a stage with no text to read; most of them were sponsors who had no experience or ability to improvise during awkward moments… Several times, when they listed the nominees in a certain category, as they called one artist’s name, another artist’s music would begin playing. Argh!
The event planner in me found it very painful to sit back and watch all of this. So many times, I wanted to run to the stage, push the production people aside and take over the damn show!
Despite the numerous glitches, there were a few highlights during the evening:
- Derek Miller‘s performance – I saw him a few years ago in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and this guy can really rock!
- Lorne Cardinal, aka “Davis” on Corner Gas – he presented one of the awards. When there were technical glitches during his part, he was the only presenter who was able to ad lib through it – this guy is so frickin’ hilarious!
In the end, B’s nephew didn’t win, but they did perform during the show – a great honour in itself. Unfortunately, it looks like the list of winners hasn’t even been posted to the CAMA website yet…
Yesterday my friend C and I checked out the first ever City of Craft event – I wanted to apply to this craft fair, but unfortunately missed the deadline. So I thought I’d check it out to see if it would be worthwhile to attend next year’s event.
What a disappointment. From a logistical standpoint, traffic flow was a nightmare. There was barely enough room for one person to walk in the aisles between tables. Because of this, you couldn’t really stop and look at anything properly, because people were shoving their way around you. The quality and variety of products was also disappointing. Am I the only person who doesn’t “get” crocheted penises and boobs??? Everything looked the same – it seemed to all be about buttons, yarn, and softies. Nothing really new or innovative. Nothing especially eye-catching. I left without buying anything – an extremely rare occurance for me.
My friend C was just as disappointed as I was with the event. She’s an event planner too (we worked together on Canada Day and Winterlude celebrations in Ottawa), and we started talking about all the things we would do differently to improve the event. Suddenly, it dawned on us – why not organize our own craft fair! We certainly have skills and experience on our side, as well as a few good contacts in the industry.
The idea of planning our own high-quality, curated arts & crafts fair was very appealing to us and we have already come up with a number of exciting ideas. I’ll keep you posted as we move forward with this project…
Yesterday morning on my way to work I I had a surprise encounter with Mark McKinney of Kids in the Hall and Saturday Night Live fame. Not exactly a household name, but for someone who grew up obsessed with KITH, I was starstruck. At first I wasn’t sure that it was actually him (he looks older than I imagined him to be) and so I couldn’t stop staring… I wish I wasn’t so darn shy so I could walk up to him and say hi. I’ve met a number of celebrities over the years, but don’t have any photos or autographs to show for it because of my immense fear of looking like a dork. Sigh.
Last Saturday night I had the opportunity to see another of my fave celebrities: Mike Ford of Moxy Fruvous fame. I’ve mentioned my love for Moxy Fruvous in past posts, and my sadness at their now playing together as a group anymore. The show was a benefit concert held on Ward’s Island, one of Toronto’s islands just across from its harbourfront. B and I were excited about the ferry ride over to the island, we we’d never been there.
This is a shot of Toronto harbour taken from Ward’s Island:
When we landed, the show didn’t start for a while yet so we decided to explore the place. It’s very picturesque, with cottage-like homes (worth millions of dollars!). We came across a small beach where we found this piece of installation art:
Mike gave a great performance – I absolutely love his sense of humour and the playful songs that he writes. He even came over and greeted B and me during the intermission (he and B distantly know each other), which was thrilling for me. Fifteen years ago I’d have never thought I’d not only be meeting one of the members of Moxy Fruvous, but that my partner would befriend him! Very cool indeed…!
In bookbinding news…
I am very proud to say that this past Saturday, I taught my first male student! Teaching classes in a scrapbooking store, I can imagine how intimidating it must be for men to take a class there, even though I’m absolutely convinced that many of them would love bookbinding if they gave it a chance. Well, I’m happy to note that my student thoroughly enjoyed the experience and has vowed to come to my other classes. Yay!
And for an update on the bookcloth-making fiasco… I finally did manage to make a few half-decent sheets of bookcloth, although the PVA glue did seep through it in some parts. I’m not entirely happy with the final results, but it is much better than the first few sheets I attempted to make.
At first I had tried ironing a product called “Therm O Web – HeatnBond” onto the back of the fabric but that didn’t work. Not sure if I or the product was the problem…
I’ve since received some hints on making bookcloth from the ever-kind-and-helpful Astrid. And based on the amazing books she makes, I think I’d be crazy not to follow her advice! I’ll keep you posted on my future bookcloth-making adventures!
I mentioned earlier that my new job has taken the wind out of me – not only am I adjusting to a different routine than what I’d become used to, but my schedule is pretty crazy – aside from one out-of-town event I worked at on Monday, I have four more events between now and May 7, three of which are out-of-town… I love the job, but it’s completely drained me already! Hopefully things will slow down a bit in a few weeks…
All this means I haven’t had the energy to produce much this past week. I did manage to make two LP books, with plans to make more when I’m not as exhausted (I don’t like playing with sharp knives when I’m tired).
Yesterday I hit the mother lode when I visited my local thrift shop – I found several LPs of each of the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie! I couldn’t believe my luck – I’ll now have lots to choose from for my next LP books…
But best of all, I found a Stan Rogers CD! Here’s the folk-lovin’ Maritimer in me coming out! This particular CD contains Forty-Five Years, one of my favourite Stan Rogers songs. Incredible to think he was just 23 years old when he wrote it… For those who don’t know Stan Rogers, he was a folk singer from Ontario who lived in Nova Scotia for many years. His most famous song (one every Maritimer knows by heart) is Barrett’s Privateers – go to any Irish pub in Canada and you’re sure to hear it! Unfortunately Stan died at the ripe old age of 33 when the plane he was travelling on caught on fire in 1983. The smoke was so thick that no one could find their way out, so he used his booming voice to help direct passengers off the plane. He later died of smoke inhalation.
If you go to this website and click on the large red “iStan music player” icon, you can actually listen to a few of his songs, including Forty-Five Years. Be sure to listen to Northwest Passage while you’re there…
In all honesty, I must admit that until 10 years ago, I had no clue who Stan Rogers was. You see, I grew up in a part of New Brunswick that doesn’t much listen to traditional Celtic/Maritime music. Growing up on the U.S. border, we were mostly influenced by American pop culture. I got to know Stan’s music in 1997 when I had the most awesome summer job travelling across Eastern Canada with the beautiful schooner Bluenose II (the same ship that’s on our dime). I spent an entire summer travelling with sailors from Nova Scotia, so I couldn’t help but become immersed in Stan’s music (and Maritime music in general). Good times gone by much too quickly…
