Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 4

Art Rate Monitor At The Art Gallery of Ontario

From a media release

Art Rate Monitor
At The Art Gallery of Ontario 

First-of-its-kind museum activation invites visitors to discover how their heart reacts as they encounter great art
With wearable tech and a personalized wrap report, visitors can see what moved them as they explore the AGO

AGO’s Art Rate Monitor is free with general admission until November 19 

TORONTO — Since launching in September, the Art Gallery of Ontario’s innovative Art Rate Monitor has been asking visitors “how does your heart react to our art?” And today, halfway through its limited-time run, early results suggest that it is Modern Art that is setting Toronto hearts a-flutter.

Designed by the AGO with Zulu Alpha Kilo and technology partners WXM Tech, this first-of-its-kind activation pairs wearable heartrate monitors and beacon technology to track visitor heart rates as they move across four levels of the museum. Free with admission and available to visitors of all ages, more than 3,000 visitors have chosen to participate so far. 

The details of their visit are shared back to them via a personalized shareable digital wrap report, which summarizes their physical responses to select artworks, revealing what moved them most, what calmed them down, what colour drew them in and where they lingered the longest. It also assigns participants to one of eight playful art personas from Muse to Powerhouse. 

“People come to the museum for many reasons – to play, to learn, to decompress, to be alone, to connect, or to be inspired. And now, for the first time, we’re able to showcase some of the very real physiological impacts of spending time with art,” says Herman Lo, Senior Director, Visitor Welcome, Art Gallery of Ontario. “The Art Rate Monitor is a playful and insightful way to show visitors that each AGO visit – and visitor – is unique. This is the gallery of us.”

What's Your Art Rate?

With a collection as diverse as the city it calls home, it’s not surprising that early results among AGO visitors are eclectic. To date, the AGO has found that:

German artist Gerhard Richter’s sensitive photo-painting Helga Matura (1966), currently on view as part of Moments in Modernism, is proving a visitor favourite – with most participants spending the most time with this painting. It’s also the work that’s making 20- to 30-year-olds’ heart rates go slo-mo.Visitors aged 30 to 40 are enjoying Otto Dix’s satirical style of realist painting, spending the most time with his eerie Portrait of Dr. Heinrich Stadelmann (1922).Meanwhile, in the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art, Japanese-Canadian artist Kazuo Nakamura’s lush Landscape (1963) is setting the hearts of visitors over 40 racing.

As for colour preferences? Seems visitors across all age categories remain firmly in their Greige era. We love an overcast GTA day. 

Free with general admission, the Art Rate Monitor continues through Nov. 19, 2024.The AGO is always free for Ontarians under 25, AGO Members, Annual Passholders, and Indigenous Peoples. For more details on how to become a Member or Annual Passholder, visit ago.ca. 

Grenada Tourism Authority Reveals Carriacou’s First Underwater Sculpture Park: A World Adrift

From a media release

Grenada Tourism Authority Reveals Carriacou’s First Underwater Sculpture Park: A World Adrift

Supporting Environmental and Economic Restoration Post-Hurricane Beryl

St. George’s, Grenada (October 2024) – The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) is excited to announce the official unveiling of A World Adrift, a breathtaking new underwater sculpture park located off the shores of Carriacou, Grenada’s sister island. 

A World Adrift - underwater sculpture park at Carriacou (Photo courtesy of the Grenada Tourism Authority)

Designed for everyone from experienced divers to curious tourists to explore through snorkel or glass bottom boat, this stunning installation, created by world-renowned artist Jason deCaires Taylor, was initially scheduled for earlier this year but was postponed following the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in July. 

While the main island of Grenada was unharmed and remains open to tourists, the unveiling of the new park symbolizes Carriacou’s resilience, playing a crucial role in regenerating the island’s marine life and supporting its economic recovery.

A World Adrift - part of the underwater sculpture park at Carriacou (Photo courtesy of the Grenada Tourism Authority)A World Adrift

A World Adrift features a striking fleet of 30 boats, each one helmed by a fearless local schoolchild, symbolizing hope, leadership, and the importance of the next generation in safeguarding the environment. 

The boats, designed to resemble delicate paper origami, highlight the fragility of the ecosystem, with the children representing the future stewards of the environment. The sculptures are made from high-grade stainless steel and pH-neutral marine cement and are submerged 5 to 8 meters below the surface, creating diverse habitats for coral growth and marine species.

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor shared his vision for the project, stating, “A World Adrift is a powerful reflection of the delicate balance between humanity and the ocean. Each boat in the fleet represents resilience, with the local children serving as guides through uncertain waters—a metaphor for our collective journey in addressing environmental challenges.”

From the original underwater sculpture, park, "Visissitudes" in Moliniere Bay, Grenada (9 November 2007, 12:11/SunCat at 12° 05′ 11.37″ N, 61° 45′ 59.13″ W/CC BY 2.0)Eco-Conscious Tourism

This installation is the second underwater sculpture park in Grenada, following Taylor’s iconic first park off mainland Grenada, which debuted in 2006 and welcomed a new installation in November 2023. 

Recognized as one of National Geographic’s 25 Wonders of the World, both parks are part of a broader effort by the GTA to position Grenada as a leader in eco-conscious tourism. A World Adrift not only promotes sustainability but also serves as a key driver for economic recovery by attracting visitors to both Carriacou and Grenada.

Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, echoes this sentiment, stating, “A World Adrift is more than an attraction—it is a call to action, reminding us of our collective role in the stewardship of the planet. As we rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, this installation provides a source of hope and a tangible means of recovery for both our environment and economy. It acknowledges the fragility of our world while celebrating its capacity for renewal. We invite travellers, conservationists, and art lovers alike to engage in this shared journey of resilience and regeneration.”

A World Adrift - sculpture park at Carriacou, Grenada (Photo courtesy of the Grenada Tourism Authority)Getting There...

For travellers looking to experience A World Adrift, private charters can be booked through one of Grenada’s many dive shops, offering guided tours for an up-close look at this extraordinary blend of art, conservation, and economic revitalization.

As Grenada continues to lead the charge in eco-conscious tourism, A World Adrift promises to be a must-visit destination for those passionate about art, marine life, diving and environmental conservation, while supporting the economic recovery of Carriacou and Grenada.

For more information about the destination and this new installation, you can check out this link: www.puregrenada.com.

Grenada, photo by Cindy Lane Ross (CC0C/Pixabay)Grenada  

Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean, a hidden gem with unspoiled beauty offering a lifestyle so pure and authentic that you will feel instantly renewed. Famed for its aromatic spices and organic chocolate, the tri-island destination of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique is located in the eastern Caribbean. 

The Pure Grenada experience beckons visitors to its 40 white sandy beaches including the world-famous Grand Anse Beach, 15 breathtaking waterfalls, six chocolate factories, four rum distilleries, and more than 30 unforgettable dive sites, including the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean ‘Bianca C’ and the World’s First Underwater Sculpture Park. Grenada was also named the world’s first ‘Culinary Capital’ by the World Food & Travel Association (WFTA). The World Travel & Tourism Council “Safe Travels” approved destination is committed to protecting your health and safety while allowing you to tailor a beyond-the-ordinary experience of a lifetime. 

To plan your next vacation to Grenada, visit www.puregrenada.com

Space For Art | Youngplace Toronto: Another DECADE November 7 to December 15, 2024

From a media release

Youngplace Toronto
Another DECADE
November 7 to December 15, 2024

Sketch Working Arts: Renaissance, LALA J, Niles X, | dis assembly: Adam Wolfond |Flavio Belli: Zach Atticus, Richard Hambleton | Intergalactic Arts Collective: Maxine Heppner, Jessie Garon, Suzanne Liska, Tracey Norman, Sara Porter, and Jessica Runge

Check It Out Here

Organized by Koffler Arts, the DECADE project celebrates 10 years since Youngplace at 180 Shaw St. opened as a vibrant hub for arts and culture in the west end of Toronto.

In 2023 Artscape went into receivership, leaving the fate of many cultural spaces at Youngplace unknown. From February through May 2024, Koffler Arts highlighted eight artists with studio space in the building, shining a spotlight on the importance of affordable spaces for artists to create work in Toronto. 

The second part of the exhibition Another DECADE (Nov 7 - Dec 15), curated by David Liss, focuses on the arts organizations who have called Youngplace home over the past decade. 

Artists & Organizations

SKETCH Working Arts is a community arts organization that engages young Queer, Trans, and Black, Indigenous and other racialized young people navigating poverty, living houseless, or on the margins to experience the transformative power of the arts; build leadership and economic self-sufficiency in the arts; and cultivate environmental and social change through the arts. The SKETCH portion of the exhibition will be curated by artist and creative Renaissance in partnership with exhibition curator David Liss, and include Renaissance’s own work as well as artworks by LALA J and Niles X.

dis assembly is a lab for neurodiverse artistic experimentation involving processes that explore the conditions and techniques for human and more-than-human relation and support. Another DECADE will include work by non-speaking autistic poet and filmmaker, Adam Wolfond, the co-founder and co-director of dis assembly.

Flavio Belli has been an active contributor and participant in Toronto’s cultural scene since the late 1960s, working as an artist, gallerist, curator, programmer, consultant, collector, facilitator, and advocate in both the public and private sectors. 

Another DECADE will include work by Belli and two artists who he has represented as a commercial dealer: the late Canadian-born, legendary New York street artist Richard Hambleton (aka Shadowman) shown by Belli in his first gallery in the 1970s, and Zach Atticus, a Toronto painter represented by Belli’s current gallery.

Intergalactic Arts Collective (IGAC) is a dynamic group of movement-based artists who come together with the shared purpose of uplifting each other and the community through sharing resources and creating space for people to engage with Dance. 

Another DECADE will include a video art piece by IGAC’s six artists: Maxine Heppner, Jessie Garon, Suzanne Liska, Tracey Norman, Sara Porter, and Jessica Runge.

Youngplace Toronto (Photo by Jeff Hitchcock, CC by 2.0)

The DECADE project comes at a time of economic challenges in Toronto that demand consideration of how artists and arts organizations can inhabit the city, contribute to its vitality, and achieve greater security for the future of Youngplace and other cultural spaces across Toronto. 

Art Book | Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First And Last Love

From a media release

Art Book | Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First And Last Love

Buy It Here

Both personal and universal, Harris’s multimedia works weave together legacies of family dynamics, queer histories, and Afro-cosmopolitanism.

Lyle Ashton Harris: Our first and last love, now available, charts new connections across the artistic practice of New York-based artist Lyle Ashton Harris (b. 1965, Bronx, NY). Informed by an adolescence that unfolded in New York City and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as several years spent living in Ghana, Harris explores the complexities of African and African American collective identity while forging his own personal narrative as a Black queer man. The retrospective exhibition chronicles Harris’s approach to representation and self-portraiture while tracing recurrent themes and formal techniques in his work over the last 35 years.

Central to this curated selection is Harris’s most recent series titled Shadow Works, mixed-media assemblages of photographic prints embedded in Ghanaian printed textiles with cowrie shells, pottery, handwritten notes, clippings of the artist’s dreadlocks and other personal ephemera. In both the artist's solo exhibition and this book, these works serve as thematic anchors underscoring Harris’s layered approach to his ongoing creative explorations.

Lyle Ashton Harris: Our first and last love accompanies Harris’s recent successful exhibition, of the same title, at the Queens Museum. To herald the opening of the show, the Queens Museum honored Harris at its annual gala along with stellar figures from the worlds of art, fashion, and business.

Lyle Ashton Harris: Our first and last love, is now available from Distributed Art Publishers, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Walmart.

Lyle Ashton Harris (Photo by Lloyd Foster)ABOUT LYLE ASHTON HARRIS

LYLE ASHTON HARRIS (b. Bronx, NY, 1965) was raised in New York City and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Harris obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts. He attended the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program.

Harris has cultivated a diverse artistic practice, ranging from photography and collage to installation and performance art. His work explores intersections between the personal and the political, examining the impact of ethnicity, gender, and desire on the contemporary social and cultural dynamic.

Harris’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; the Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Pérez Art Museum, Miami; Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, Switzerland; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain; Tate, London, UK, among others.

Harris has also presented performances at a range of venues, at Volksbühne Grüner Salon sponsored by KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (2019); a lecture/performance on Andy Warhol presented by the DIA Art Foundation, New York (2018); and an installation/performance at Participant Inc., New York (2018); and a lecture/performance on experimentation, politics and sexuality in the work of filmmaker Marlon T. Riggs at Griffin Art Projects, Vancouver BC, Canada (2020).

Harris received a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2016), the David C. Driskell Prize from the High Museum of Art, Atlanta (2014), and the Rome Prize Fellowship (2000) among other awards and honours. Harris joined the Board of Trustees of the American Academy in Rome from 2014 and was appointed a trustee of the Tiffany Foundation in 2016.

His work is available from the following fine art galleries: Salon 94 (New York, NY, USA); David Castillo (Miami, FL, USA); Maruani Mercier (Brussels, BE). Harris is a Professor of Art at New York University and lives in New York. 

The 24Th Annual World Creole Music Festival in Dominica Set for October 25-27, 2024

From a media release

The 24Th Annual World Creole Music Festival in Dominica
Set for October 25-27, 2024 

Dominica welcomes global travelers to three nights of pulsating rhythms on the Caribbean’s Nature Island 

ROSEAU, Dominica – September 2024 – Tickets are now on sale for the 24th annual World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), scheduled for October 25-27 at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Dominica. 

The World Creole Music Festival 2023 (Photo courtesy of WCMF)

As one of the Caribbean's most anticipated festivals, the event is the highlight of the island’s two-week celebration honouring its Creole heritage leading up to its Independence Day celebrations on November 3. 
Through music and food, travellers immerse themselves in Dominica’s rich culture with some of the top musicians from around the globe. Attendees can look forward to the best in Creole music, food, and art. This year's lineup includes standout performances by the iconic Marley Brothers, Stephen and Damian Marley, multi-talented actor and Afrobeat/R&B sensation Rotimi and the electrifying energy of Jamaican rising star Valiant. 

 Internationally renowned for its unique blend of musical performances set against the island’s stunning tropical backdrop, the WCMF will feature three days of live music, showcasing genres such as Cadence-lypso, Kompa, Zouk, Soukous, Bouyon, and Zydeco. 

This year’s star-studded lineup includes Kassav, Nadia Batson, Umpa, Subance, Mr. Ridge & Dirty Dawg Pudaz, Asa Bantan, Signal Band, Tian Winter, Skinny, Voice, Midnight Groovers, Gramps Morgan, and more. 

The World Creole Music Festival 2023 (Photo courtesy of WCMF)

“The World Creole Music Festival is one of Dominica’s most cherished cultural festivals, expected to surpass last year’s record number of visitors with one of the best lineups to date,” said Hon. Denise Charles-Pemberton, Dominica’s Minister of Tourism. 

“Every year, we are blown away by the increase in visitors to the island looking to immerse themselves in our iconic cultural offerings. We are thrilled to be able to share our island’s deep cultural heritage through traditional music, dancing and food with visitors from around the world during our annual World Creole Music Festiva, further celebrating Creole Heritage Month and kicking off Dominica’s Independence Day celebrations.”

The World Creole Music Festival 2023 (Photo courtesy of WCMF)Tickets

Festival tickets can be purchased online at THIS LINK 

Getting There

North American travellers heading to the festival will be able to take advantage of expanded nonstop service from Miami International Airport to Dominica's Douglas-Charles Airport on American Airlines. 

Daily flights will depart starting Tuesday, October 24 through Monday, October 28. This expansion reflects the growing interest among travelers not only to attend the festival but also to immerse themselves in the captivating experiences that Dominica offers. 

Additional details can be found at THIS LINK  For more information or to explore the island’s wide range of hotel offerings available for the event, please visit www.DominicaFestivals.com or follow @dominica.festivals on social media.   

 

Calibishie, Dominica, W.I., taken 22 May 2006 (© Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 4.0)About Dominica 

Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a, and not to be confused with the Dominican Republic) is the youngest Caribbean Island and the last to be colonized, ultimately earning its independence on November 3, 1978. Dominica lies south of Guadeloupe and north of Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean. 

Known for its unparalleled natural beauty, Dominica has become a top destination for those seeking both adventure and relaxation. Visitors can dive into the island's vibrant underwater world, embark on scenic hikes through lush rainforests, indulge in wellness retreats, and explore eco-tours that highlight the island's commitment to sustainability. 

The combination of these activities, along with the allure of the WCMF, makes Dominica an irresistible destination for those looking to experience the best of nature and culture. 

The World Creole Music Festival 2023 (Photo courtesy of WCMF)

Air travellers can connect to Dominica direct from Miami on American Airlines and make regional connections on Air Antilles, Air Sunshine, Coastal Air Transport, InterCaribbean Airways, Caribbean Airlines, Silver Airways - (Code share: American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and United), from the surrounding hubs of Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St Lucia, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

If travelling by sea, travellers may connect to Dominica on the L’Express des Iles ferry service from Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Lucia, and on Val Ferry from Guadeloupe and Martinique. 

Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume At The Birmingham Museum Of Art

Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume
Just closed☹️at the Birmingham Museum of Art

I try to visit art museums wherever I go, and the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama, is always a rewarding experience. Recently, I was just in time to catch the very last day of an exhibit of Disney costumes - the actual pieces worn in various films.

Despite its closure, though, I think the costumes are worth checking out in all their intricate detail. I left envying the work of the costume designers - it must be quite gratifying to have the kind of budget to realize those fantastical dream outfits.

The images from even a few of the pieces on display speak for themselves.

Beauty and the Beast

Belle (Emma Watson), designed by Jacqueline Durran; along with you know who.
L-R: Worn by Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which in A Wrinkle in Time (2018) - designed by Paco Delgado, Worn by Emma Stone in the 2022 film Cruella - From notes by designer Jenny Beavan, it was one of 47 costume changes for the film's star & Jasmine, worn by Naomi Scott in Aladdin (2019) - designed by Michael Wilkinson

From the designer's notes at the show: "Oprah's costumes were very technically complex because we were using materials that we're not used to like neoprene, plastic, metal and optic fibre."

Once Upon A Time

From the TV show Once Upon A Time (2011-2018): Hook, worn by Colin O'Donoghue, Cinderella, worn by Gerry Schram & Evil Queen worn by Lana Parrilla (designer: Eduardo Castro)

Alice Through The Looking Glass

From Alice Through The Looking Glass (2016) - designer Colleen Atwood: Iracebeth, the Red Queen, worn by Helena Bonham Carter & Mirana, the White Queen, worn by Anne Hathaway.

Stranger Things on Stage | Stranger Things: The First Shadow Hits Broadway March 2025

Stranger Things on Stage
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Hits Broadway March 2025

(New York, NY) Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions are proud to announce that the critically acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning, “mega five-star hit” (Sunday Times) play STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW will begin performances Friday, March 28, 2025 and officially open Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre (210 West 46th Street). 

A scene from the London production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Photo by Manuel Harlan

Based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry, and rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix global phenomenon, STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW is a new play written by Kate Trefry, directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin.

From the London premiere:

 The Facts 
By Kate TrefryOriginal Story by The Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne & Kate TrefryBased on the Netflix Series, ‘Stranger Things’, Created by the Duffer BrothersDirected by Stephen DaldryCo-Directed by Justin MartinCreative Producers The Duffer BrothersAssociate Producers Shawn Levy & Dan Cohen for 21 LapsProduced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions
Performances Begin Friday, March 28, 2025Officially Opens Tuesday, April 22, 2025At Broadway’s Marquis TheatreSIGN UP FOR FIRST ACCESS TO TICKETS HERE The ShowHailed by the Daily Telegraph as “The West End Event of the Year” and the recipient of nineteen 5-star reviews and twelve 4-star reviews, STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW opened in its world premiere production at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End, where it is currently breaking box office records and is now on sale through February 16, 2025. The West End production recently won several awards including two Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment and Best Set Design, the Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Set Design and Most Promising Newcomer, and the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play.
A scene from the London production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Photo by Manuel Harlan
The story is a prequel to the Netflix TV series, and takes place in Hawkins in 1959. Jim Hopper is a young man who's car won't start, and Joyce Maldonado is looking forward to the day she can graduate high school and skip town for good...
There's also a flashback to 1943, when the US government first experiments with force fields and accidentally finds themselves in Dimension X.
The production features state of the art stagecraft that brings the sci-fi story and its period setting to vivid life.

Dreamy Americana | Driftwood Pines: Crimson (Dusk Moon Records / 1 July 2024)

Dreamy Americana
Driftwood Pines: Crimson
(Dusk Moon Records / 1 July 2024)

Stream the "Crimson" EP on Spotify.

Oakland-based duo Driftwood Pines are headed by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter IJ Smith. Crimson is their debut EP, a four-song collection of instrumental pieces you'd loosely file under folk/Americana - with a difference.

Smith's lap steel guitar reigns supreme on three of the four tracks, with his mandolin a close second. But, underneath the familiar acoustic sounds, you'll find a thread of ambient syth that ties the sound together. 

It's most prominent on Truckstop Milkyway, where the ambient sound goes with the concept of wandering about the desert at night. It's a nostalgic sound that's enhanced by the newer addition. On the Tree is a song that conjures up images of retro drives in the country, lit up by a harmonica solo. 

It's Americana with a dreamy edge. 

Musician Names/Instruments: IJ SMITH (guitars, mandolin, lap steel, bass, percussion, synths), Tony Daquipa (drums/trap/percussion)

Websites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559910476423Instagram: driftwood_pines

Jazz/Classical Fusion | James McGowan Ensemble: Reaching Out (Independent / 24 May 2024)

Jazz/Classical Fusion
James McGowan Ensemble: Reaching Out
Independent / 24 May 2024)

Stream/Buy the Album on Bandcamp

Ottawa-based James McGowan and his big band released the successful fusion album Reaching In in 2023. Reaching Out is the follow-up for the 13-piece ensemble that blends elements of jazz and Western classical music into an eminently listenable mix.

The album consists of instrumental tracks, along with spoken word by Ottawa-based English Poet Laureate Jamaal Amir Akbari that artfully weaves in and out of the music. Stylistically, it veers from jazzy to progrockish to contemporary classical moments. 

James McGowan is a pianist, composer, producer, and award-winning faculty member in Carleton University's Music program.

The Ensemble comes together as three quartets, McGowan and Ottawa-based Modasaurus, Quatuor Despax from Gatineau, Quebec, and four of horn players that include Ottawa Jazz Festival Artistic Director Petr Cancura, Mike Tremblay on tenor and soprano saxes, Mark Ferguson on trombone, and JUNO-award winning Ed Lister on trumpet. 

Modasaurus jazz-fusion quartet is McGowan on piano, Alex Moxon on guitar, JP Lapensée on bass, and Jamie Holmes on drums, with Quatuor Despax, violinists Cendrine Despax and Jean Despax, violist Maxime Despax and cellist Valérie Despax.

It's a 17-track mega-album that you can put on to enjoy the seamless changes of pace that each track offers. The musicianship is top tier, with standout guitar work from Alex Moxon. The spoken word tracks, titled Imagine (Part 4, 5 & 6) chart the journey from despair to hope. 

"Reaching Out tells my story through words and music of moving past grief to find strength in community. I truly think that everyone will be able to relate to it and find personal resonance in this journey," McGowan says in a statement.

Websites: 

https://jamesmcgowan.ca/https://jamesmcgowan.ca/epk-for-mediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModasaurusOttawa/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesjmcgowan/

Power Dream Pop | Spencer Skyline: Catalyst (October 18, 2024)

 Power Dream Pop

Spencer Skyline: Catalyst (October 18, 2024)
Single: The Chase (June 28, 2024)
Single: Right (August 23, 2024)

Listen to The Chase on Spotify

Spencer Skyline is a new artist out of St. Petersburg, Florida with a radio-friendly sound that ranges through pop rock to emo. The highlight of the release is his vocals, with an accomplished delivery that doesn't forget about the emotion.

While he started out studying in the field of engineering, a personal tragedy led to his determination to take his music to the next level.

"The night before I lost my mom we were actually at a music festival. At her funeral, people were throwing things in her grave, and all I had on me was a guitar pick. So I threw that in. And I promised that I would do something cool with my life."

He sings about love and making his way in the world, in a way that's easily relatable. Stylistically, he's firmly rooted in the early aughts - think Blink 182 and Linkin Park. He's working on a debut album, with one single released in June, and another coming up on August 23.

The full album, Catalyst, will come out in mid-October. The album is intended to be the first of a trilogy he's calling Stardust. 

The Chase (out now)

Power pop rock, or dream rock, as he likes to call it, is the tone of The Chase. It's a song that tells a story.

"'The Chase' is all about that relentless drive we feel when we're chasing our dreams, mixed with the inner turmoil that often comes with it. This song really dives into the raw emotions of ambition, self-doubt, and the fear of failure. It's about fighting for self-worth and purpose even when the odds seem stacked against us. 'The Chase' is my way of sharing the intense struggle of striving to fulfill my aspirations, and I hope it resonates with anyone who's ever felt that pressure to succeed," says Spencer.

Am I someone, or am I stardust? he asks, hinting at the theme of the upcoming trilogy.

Reality (to be released August 23)

I'm stuck in between my dreams and reality... (from the song Reality)

"'Reality' is a really introspective track for me, tackling the often harsh truths of adulthood. It's about the sacrifices we make chasing success and the disillusionment that can come when our dreams don't quite match up with reality. This song is a deep dive into the gap between our idealistic goals and the often tough experiences of real life. It speaks to anyone who's had to grapple with the complexities of growing up and finding their place in the world."

The remaining five tracks on the album keep up the pace. Hold On is another standout, driven by a relentless beat that adds urgency to his message about keeping the faith.

If you were fond of the early 2000s radio rock and emo, you'll enjoy the song and the upcoming album.

Musician Names/Instruments: Spencer Skyline - Vocals, guitars, synths; Jared Kneale - Drums/percussion; Kevin Gift Jr - Bass; Ryan Conners - Keys

Websites:

Official: spencerskyline.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/spencerskyline/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@spencerskylineInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/SpencerSkyline