I have spent the summer writing with a lot of talented young people - defined herein as anyone more than ten years younger than me :) It's brought back to me how much I learned from co-writing when I was doing so much of it in Nashville during the late nineties up to 2004. I’ve had the pleasure of crafting songs with Carrie Day, Marty Pawlina, Ciara Proznik, Chloe Albert and Ruth Blakely and I’m writing tomorrow with Jay Willis and Marissa Kochanski. All are very talented songwriters many of whom have been active members of a songwriting circle I belong to that has convened the first Monday of each month on and off for more than a decade. Each has their own special tools that they bring and all of whom I’ve learned a great deal from.
Alberta has so much talent. I’m just looking over the roster right now for the Alberta contingent that will be at Folk Alliance in Memphis this coming February. The Memphis Project sponsored by the Bow Valley Music Club (with assistance from Alberta Music and CKUA) are putting together a package of Alberta Artists that are going to showcase Alberta Tunesmiths at this very prestigious conference just a year before it moves to Toronto. The list is a who’s who of Alberta singer songwriters including: Leslie Alexander & Jenny Allen; Chloe Albert; T. Buckley Duo (Tim & Derek Pulliam); Lucas Chaisson; Kat Danser; Lindsay Ell; Braden Gates; Lizzy Hoyt; Nancy Laberge Trio (Nancy, Sarah Nielsen, Mark Cassano); Tim Leacock; Matt Masters; 100 Mile House (Denise Mackay, Peter Stone, Scott Zubot); Pearband (Denis & Lynae Dufresne, Craig Bignall, Aaron Young); The Travelling Mabels (Keith & Lana Floen, Eva Levesque, Suzanne Levesque); Emily Jill West and Brooke Wylie.
Wow I think I'm gonna go!