Live! MUSICA Stories
Laura Hickli’s ‘dark secrets’ are universal: Personal pop explorations
MUSICAlive! starts our conversation with Laura Hickli with the 2 of us giggling like idiots, which is rather strange given the somber topics she is addressing in the dark secrets EP: near death occurrences, questioning relevance and purpose. You know, lighthearted stuff! …
‘I really felt the emotions going through my fingers’: nobuka’s Interior Monologues
when first we spoke with the artist nobuka about his latest release, Monologues Int´rieur, we asked him if we should use his pseudonym for our interview. He confirmed that different musical agendas were released under that name and his own, Michel van COLLENBURG, so we might as well go with “Michel”. …
Esther Honens strikes again: No pianoless community is safe!
Early on in our conversation with Catherine McLelland & Amanda Smith of the Honens International Piano Competition (Director of Artistic Planning, and President and CEO respectively) about how the competitors progress from auditions to the Finale, I pause to …
Noah’s Points Of Light: They sparkle from his guitar strings
As happens with many musicians of his ilk (whatever he may consider his “ilk” to be), talking with a roots-centred singer songwriter like Noah Zacharin becomes a history lesson at several different points, whether it’s the genre definition of one of his influences,Guy …
Dancing with a piano Pt. 2: Trios, quartets & quintets of the Fire & Water exploration
The Women From Space Festival, happening in Toronto 3400 km away from our envious ears, has got a tiger by the tail with Myra Melford! We’re ostensibly talking with her before that adventurous musical event to highlight her most recent efforts with a group of colleagues who have become the Fire & Water quintet, on the Hear the Light Singing album, released in …
Dancing with a piano Pt. 1: Jarred Dunn and Fryderyk Chopin
When we ask concert pianist Jarred Dunn what his favourite piano so far has been, he begins speaking words with consonants & vowels in ways that are undoubtedly related to the Polish origins of the musical prodigy Chopin that Jarred waxes so poetically about. …