For those of you who have been reading TWISI for years, you probably know that my favourite time of the year is during the Fringe Festival, which I call “Theatre Christmas” (to borrow from Mark Andrada), but recently I’ve discovered another favourite time of year, which is East Coast Music Week, which I will henceforth be referring to as “Music Christmas.” It is five days of music shows in different venues featuring over one hundred different East Coast music artists, as well as some international musicians, embedded within a conference that has an array of interesting panels for those in the business, networking opportunities for artists and industry professionals, and two big awards shows to celebrate the success of our local music industry. Also much of it is broadcast over ECMA TV, so, if you’re not in Charlottetown this week, you can tune in to a lot of the shows from home! Unlike Fringe, which happens in most Canadian cities at the same time every year, since 1994 the ECMAs move each year from a city on Mainland Nova Scotia, to one in New Brunswick, one on Prince Edward Island, one in Cape Breton, and to one in Newfoundland and Labrador. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have been able to attend ECMA Events in Halifax twice (2013 & 2018), Sydney (2016) and Saint John (2017), and I’m so grateful to be able to attend this year in Charlottetown for ECMA 2019! Like Fringe, for me, ECMA is a marathon of shows to see, reviews to write, and a deluge of content for my social media accounts. I hope you’ll follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@Twisiamanda); the fun for me begins at 7:15 AM tomorrow morning when I hop on the bus for Charlottetown. It’s going to be a time!
As someone who loves East Coast music, who loves writing about East Coast music, and who is always learning more about the artists who live and work on the East Coast, and the bright, rich, and vibrant histories of music in our provinces ECMA Week is an incredible opportunity for me to see bands and singer/songwriters whose work I’m not familiar with, for me to hear new music by artists I am familiar with, to network with people I haven’t met yet (which is nearly everyone; I’m shy and this aspect overwhelms me, but I’m determined to be better at schmoozing this year), and to gain a deeper understanding of the way the music industry works, as well as a deeper sense of what currently works well and for whom, and what maybe isn’t working so well, and to be able to hear different perspectives, and exciting, and innovative ideas and solutions.
I don’t remember the first time I realized that ECMA existed, but I do remember vividly the first ECMA events that I attended back in 2013. I attended the Awards Ceremony with my friend Heather Rankin that year, The Rankin Family was receiving a special 25th Anniversary ECMA, and I remember that night being utterly overwhelmed by the talent that surrounded me and, as someone who has been immersed in the theatre community since 1996, I was overwhelmed by how much amazing music there was in my backyard that I didn’t know. I think it was the next night I went to a Cape Breton Music Night at the Marquee and I saw Wendy MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond, Dawn and Margie Beaton, and Ashley MacIsaac perform live for the first time. It was, honestly, life changing. Then, I went to a Radio ECMA event at the Spatz where Jenn Grant sang Joel Plaskett’s “Nowhere With You,” and I knew right then that I wanted to be a part of the music community here as well as the theatre community. I knew I needed to know more, and see more, and hear more. I was so impressed and invigorated and inspired by the sheer calibre of the talent that was around every corner and through every door I opened. It still amazes and inspires me and makes me so proud to be an East Coaster. I knew I had to expand TWISI to be able to cover local music as well as local theatre.
I asked an array of different artists showcasing this week in Charlottetown what their favourite aspects of East Coast Music Week were. For many of them their favourite aspect of ECMA Week is social.
Rosanna Burrill from Hillsburn says, “As an artist, ECMA week is kind of like coming home. It’s hard to see fellow musicians perform throughout the year because we’re usually playing shows in different places, so it’s nice to all be in the same place at the same time. There are lots of great artists performing at this year’s ECMAs, and Charlottetown rocks, so it should be a fun week!”
The East Pointers (Jake Charron, Koady and Tim Chaisson) agree, “Our favourite thing about ECMA is having all of our best friends in the same city for a weekend! It’s all about catching up for us, playing music and just hanging out!” For Adyn Townes the social aspect of the week also ignites the artistic side. He says, “My favourite part of the ECMAs is catching up with old friends and being inspired by the music that they make. The east coast is so full of incredible songwriters and musicians, that I always leave the conference feeling reinvigorated and even more passionate about what I do.” Lisa and John McLaggan (Tomato/Tomato) agree as well, “Our favourite thing about ECMA week is being surrounded by our music family, which means many happy reunions and endless musical inspiration! For someone going for the first time, we would say to just be around and be open minded. Attend as many shows and panels as you can, take notes, drink water, and it’s okay to take breaks when you need them!”
Christina Martin says she is most looking forward to “performing with [her] band,” and she says, “it’s a blast seeing our music friends and meeting new people.” She also has great advice for artists going to ECMA for the first time: “Prepare for all your meetings and performances in advance, and then just show up and KICK ASS! Oh, don’t forget to be yourself!”
For Lucy MacNeil of the Barra MacNeils ECMA is a great opportunity to see rising stars in the industry, sometimes for the first time. “I am most looking forward to hearing/seeing Up and Coming music from Atlantic Canada,” she says, “The last time I was in Charlottetown for ECMAs I saw Fortunate Ones for the first time and was totally impressed with their songs and arrangements. Being a duo they had a big sound and I loved their harmonies. Later, I found out they were a couple and that was icing on the cake!! So, it will be fun to see what’s fresh and new this time around!”
Old Man Luedecke loves getting the opportunity to spend time in the host city each year and speaks to the importance of ECMA showcases in being able to connect with the music industry in the rest of the country and beyond, “This year I’m really excited to spend a few good days in Charlottetown. I always enjoy exploring the host city with friends that I get caught up with at the event. This year I’m gunning for MacAusland’s Woolen Mills on my way there. I’m keen on a blanket which is probably a pretty folky thing to be. The ECMA’s have helped me get my music connected with a bigger global music community through the export development program. It’s been a really vital part of me finding gigs through its showcase opportunities. I like the cross section of talent and generations of music fans that are connected through the festival. It really showcases what people are into and I always marvel at the support that the ECMA is able to harness for east coast talent to make a legitimate and impressive exporting cultural industry. That support really starts at home and I’m glad it extends to me in my adopted one. I always love the folk and trad music showcases.”
East Coast Music Week Starts Today (May 1st) and runs until May 5th, 2019 in Charlottetown. For more information visit this website. Download the ECMA App Here. Follow ECMA on Social Media: Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@EastCoastMusicAssoc). #ECMA2019. See you in Charlottetown!
Follow Hillsburn. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@hillsburn). Buy their Music.
Follow The East Pointers: Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@theeastpointers). Buy their Music.
Follow Adyn Townes: Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@adyntownes). Buy his Music.
Follow Tomato Tomato. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@tomatotomato.sj). Buy their Music.
Follow Christina Martin: Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@xtinamartinmusic). Buy her Music.
Follow The Barra MacNeils. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@barramacneils). Buy their Music.
Follow Old Man Luedecke. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@oldmanluedecke). Buy his Music.
