Podcast Episode #2 – Al Chapman

MRU Conservatory Olympics Podcast #2 – Al Chapman by MRU Conservatory

In today’s podcast we hear from Al Chapman, Director of Arts Development for the Calgary Foundation for the Arts. Chapman was an instrumental figure for Albertan artists for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, being a key organizer for the Alberta Stage as well as the Cultural Olympiad. Al talks about his history of involvement with the AFA, and how his connection to professional artists through the grant and arts development community at a provincial level helped him provide the Olympics with a world-class display of a wide range of homegrown Alberta talent.

Monday, February 22

The Olympic festivities in Vancouver haven’t slowed down a bit from the day I arrived – indeed, strolling about the city has shown the myriad of art, music and culture that lie in and about downtown, in both an official Olympic capacity, as well as in the unofficial and unexpected “civilian” art & music. While my wanderings through the streets of Vancouver have resulted in a series of unexpected performances, one actually resulted in a last-minute gig near Grandville Island with Vancouver folk artist Jen Lauren.

A busy night at Alberta House, the local provincial pavilion representing the best of Alberta at the games

One of the city’s more inventive and tech-savvy buskers uses an electronic “Ewi” to simulate bagpipe sounds

Literally thousands of Inukshuks made by locals and tourists line the harbour coastline

I stumbled upon a group of buskers outside Vancouver City Centre station, and the tunes went well into the evening!

Just another busy Olympic evening on the legendary Robson Street.

A chance encounter with folk singer Jen Laurem resulted in an unexpected gig in Kitsilano, off of Granville Island

The Russian Pavilion by the Harbour, where spectators can get a sneak peak into the 2014 Winter Olympics

A group of Russian singers made it all the way to Vancouver to bring their song to the Olympics

Enormous crowds pack Vancouver’s Skytrain stations

Contemporary video art is displayed outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Robson Street

Thursday, Feb 19

The last few days in Vancouver have proven what unexpected musical run-ins await those who venture into downtown to take in the sights, sounds and culture of Vancouver. In the past few days of playing free, outdoor performances with a variety of Vancouver’s musical talent, the chance encounters that have taken place have led to a variety of exciting musical adventures. One of the mot unexpected and exciting of these encounters was a chance meeting with MRU Conservatory alumnus Warren Tse, whose work with Donovan Seidle and Dave Pierce spans back to their early years as members of the Calgary Fiddlers. Having been longtime friends performing in a variety of venues around Calgary, Warren and I took the opportunity to perform a few tunes out in downtown Vancouver – Warren has posted the video to his facebook.

Monday, Feb 15

It’s been an action-packed first few days at the Olympics out here in Vancouver! Between running around trying to catch all the shows and doing some busking of our own, I’ve only just had the chance to sit down at the computer and do some blog updating… here’s a few sights from the first days in Vancouver!

Thousands gather for the Saturday evening festivities in David Lam Park

A great night of music in Yaletown, Vancouver.

Saturday evening's festivities ended with a spectacular fireworks display

A busker's view from downtown Vancouver

An Olympic-sized crowd greeted our busking troup yesterday outside City Centre station!

Wilco at David Lam Park

Tonight I’ll be attending the much-anticipated concert by legendary alt-country stalwarts Wilco at David Lampark in Vancouver’s Yaletown. The concert is one of a series of free live music events held in Vancouver over the course of the Winter Olympics. I’ll be tweeting pictures from the event to our twitter account, so tune in there for the sights from the hottest concert event in Vancouver this evening! I’ll also be updating the blog with the latest connections with MRU faculty, staff and alumni. Check back soon!

Podcast #1 – Sheldon Zandboer

Today’s podcast features MRU Conservatory jazz piano instructor Sheldon Zandboer, who details the upcoming performances of a new show created with Calgary cellist/poet/singer/songwriter Morag Northey.

“Love Is the Subject” is an authentic and unabashed look at all facets of love and sexuality, which, as Zandboer explains, has a special significance during the Olympics, where the high concentration of young, nervous athletes often find themselves looking for a good way to blow of a little steam.

Blending song, poetry and free improvisation, Zandboer and Northey will construct a completely unique and one-of-a-kind show each time they perform “Love Is the Subject”. While no recordings of the show currently exist, we have our fingers crossed for a potential live mp3 later this month, so stay tuned!

Welcome!

Hello, and thank you for visiting the brand new MRU Conservatory blog! This pilot project will focus for the month of February on the activities of faculty, students and alumni in Vancouver for the 2010 winter Olympics. Stay tuned for a variety of sights and sounds from the city, and find out how the Conservatory is taking part in the celebration as the world comes to Vancouver!

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