You can HIRE Cape Breton Musicians! |
It's no secret that Cape Bretoners travel everywhere in the world to find work.
Many plan to return; some never come home.
But the heart remains tied to Cape Breton. And over and over, we hear stories of how Cape Bretoners-and friends of Cape Breton-around the world are grateful to be in touch with the island. They call us and write to us -they order videos and books and tapes -and then they want to tell us they saw J.P. Cormier in Toronto, The Rankins in Manitoba, the Barras in P.E.I., and John Allan EVERYWHERE. And then they ask, "What's the weather like today, in Cape Breton?"
They want a touch of home. AND they let us know that they LOVE the music.
But the less-known secret is that Cape Breton Musicians will travel anywhere in the world to provide the sound of their Cape Breton home. And to provide it not only to Cape Bretoners living away and Cape Bretoners born away who have never yet made it home -but to the growing worldwide population that hears the music in clubs, concerts, on radio and on TV.
It is impossible to say too much about the power of Cape Breton Music. The grateful audience, over and over, says it all. A woman who had heard Natalie MacMaster took up the fiddle herself, although she was ill and near death. She wanted to learn a little, and then pass it on to her son, as in Bruce Gouthro's song "Fiddle and Bow." Her friends put a verse from that song on the back of her Mass card.
You can invite Cape Breton Musicians to your wedding or local club or concert hall.
Yes, you can. You can bring the real thing, LIVE, to your home town. And you will be surprised to discover how often that is done, how many musicians travel to entertain and teach-and how EASY it is to arrange for Cape Breton Music wherever you live -for concerts, clubs, parties in the home, weddings and bar mitzvahs and 25th anniversaries-retirement parties, birthdays and simply-glad-to-be-alive get-togethers. Cape Breton Musicians can be there -and you CAN make it happen.
Does your church plan a fundraiser? The people of Port Hope, Ontario, have treated their neighbours to The Men of the Deeps and the Gaelic choral group, Oranaiche Cheap Breatuinn. It was a tremendous, successful fundraiser.... You can do that too.
You might want a terrific solo act-songs from Jo-Anne Rolls or Wally MacAulay or fiddle tunes from Wendy MacIsaac or a selection of many, many others.
Donnie Campbell and his guitar get invitations to give solo performances at churches, probably (Donnie thinks) because he's remembered as choirmaster at St. Theresa's.
World-famous Natalie MacMaster recently played a little hall outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It held only 200 people -and the sound of that hall was terrific. She told her mother it felt like a kitchen party. And in that one stop she sold over $1500.00 worth of her CDs and tapes and video.
That's how much they love the music.
And it's Cape Breton Music they want-the widest possible range of it. The fiddle is number one just about everywhere, and that's not likely to change. But the call goes out for a much wider range of Cape Breton Music than you might expect: Bluegrass, Gospel, Rock (Classic and Top 40 and even Lite Rock!), Alternative, Country, and more -and all of this mixed with the widest range of Celtic Traditional and not-so-Traditional-Scottish and Irish and Cape Breton Acadian as well. There's the Mi'kmaq drums of the Sons of Membertou and the songs of Morning Star. And there's full-scale big bands like The Right Stuff, and there's what Ivan Melanson calls "the Oompa-bands" -playing Oktoberfest polka music!
Remember, when musicians tour and play the larger houses, the bulk of their travel costs are paid. Once they have a good "anchor gig," most musicians are happy to play smaller venues now that they are in your neighbourhood. So if you think of musicians who would probably never play in your town -you are probably wrong. Call the musicians. Ask about their next tour to your province. Ask whether you can build a concert or club date into the schedule. It's done all the time.
Doug MacPhee told us that when he's called off-island it's usually for a folk festival or a teaching workshop. Universities and schools everywhere should consider having live Cape Breton musicians come to teach the styles. Dougie has travelled alone, and with such fiddlers as Buddy MacMaster, Carl MacKenzie, and John Campbell -from University of Chicago to Port Townsend, Washington, over to West Virginia, out to California and then to give workshops for the Prince Edward Island Fiddlers -"sharing the Cape Breton style."
Want a band for your next gathering at the Cape Breton Club or Maritime Club? Call Ivan Melanson, president of the Cape Breton Musicians' Association. He'll provide you with lists of individuals and bands. He won't pick one performer or band for you, but he will help guide you to a choice of musicians who will meet your needs.
Many Cape Breton musicians have prepared press kits with samples of their music, short biographies, and a list of their playing experience.
Rosemary McCormack has an extraordinary Gaelic song teaching/concert package that she takes anywhere she's called. An evening with Rosemary will bring your study group both music and a lesson in Gaelic.
You never know how the music will touch people. In Ontario there's a ball team called "East Coast Blues" -named after one of Matt Minglewood's songs. Duncan Wells tells the story of the little girl who took him to school "for Show-and-Tell." Buddy MacDonald makes it clear that a Cape Breton musician will never starve. "Instantly, you're invited to several homes for dinner or a party or whatever you want."
Jerry Holland plays a wide range of venues, from concert halls worldwide to nursing homes and hospitals. One very sick fellow he visited was able to get by without morphine for a week and a half after Jerry's visit -the little tape Jerry made for him helped ease his pain.
Buddy MacDonald said, "I played a Cape Breton Club in Kitchener, Ontatrio. It was like walking into a hall on the North Shore -lots of old characters who'd been in Ontario years and years. When we did the sound check -three in the afternoon -six or eight older gentlemen pulled their chairs over. You can see the longing in their eyes. Simple, but wonderful. They went wild when they saw the fiddle, the first notes...."
The point we want to make clear is this: You CAN actually HIRE Cape Breton Music. It is NOT an outrageous (or expensive) idea. And while there are important standards that should be met in making that kind of deal, it is not complicated. And you know that it will be a lot of fun for your group -a terrific boost to ticket sales -and you know that it will be important work for the musicians, and often a step in their career.
We suggest that your first call be to Ivan Melanson at the Cape Breton Musicians' Association. He will listen to your project idea, and he will help you focus on getting the kind of music you really want. If it's a brass band, he has a list of Cape Breton Brass Bands. If it's a solo singer of Gaelic songs, he can guide you to a person who will help find those singers. Country and bluegrass and jazz and gospel -it's all good Cape Breton music.
And Ivan will help you get through the few hurdles to having a successful event. He'll discuss the minimum you should expect to pay. He'll alert you to any additional charges, besides the obvious costs of air fare and a comfortable place to stay. Sometimes there will be gear you'll want to book locally -such as amplifiers and lights. And Ivan will suggest that you have a signed contract with the band.
An article like this can only give a sample of what is available. We can't name every Cape Breton Musician and we've probably missed some of the kinds of music that are played here and are ready to travel. But it's our hope to get the idea clearly out there:
If you want good LIVE Cape Breton Music for your party, reunion, Maritime dance, wedding, church service -just about anywhere -it is available, and you can bring the joy and excitement of Cape Breton Island home to your own neighbourhood!
For a listing of Cape Breton Musicians and for help planning your event, contact:
Ivan Melanson, President
Cape Breton Musicians' Association.
(902) 567-2909
Breton Books & Music
Wreck Cove, Cape Breton,
Nova Scotia, Canada
B0C 1H0
1-800-565-5140