Hello friends! So I interrupt your not-so-regularly-scheduled song diary entries with just a plain ol’ updating blog. There’s been lots of exciting things going on for me these days and I wanted to share the news with all you fabulous blog reading folks.
So I haven’t gotten to song diary entry # 6 (but it’s on it’s way I swear) for my song “Better Things” but here’s the scoop. This is a song I wrote two years ago when I got my most recent grant application rejection letter. I had been applying for grants for years at this point (ok ok – I realize I’m ruining my future song diary entry) and one more rejection just sent me into a bit of a funk. I wrote the song about shaking off the disappointment, and giving up on waiting for funds from a grant. I just decided to do my album on my own, and to plunge into the necessary debt with gusto, believing for “Better Things”.
Fast forward to the beginning of this past November after I had just released that very album, I applied for my first grant since writing “Better Things”. I wanted to attend the Folk Alliance International Conference in Memphis, TN in February and I applied for a ‘songwriting development grant’ from FACTOR (Funding Assisting Canadian Talent on Recording) for funds to get there. A few weeks after I applied, my husband Jered called me at work to tell me I had gotten a letter from FACTOR in the mail. I replied “oh yeah yeah, I applied for a grant a few weeks ago, probably a rejection letter?”. Oh how quickly I reverted to my old wounds of rejection! “Actually….” Jered said “you got it.” I freaked! I was in the car with my boss at the moment and I literally shrieked. What a happy day.
In addition to the FACTOR grant, I applied for and was awarded a scholarship from the Folk Alliance International Association as well to cover the registration costs of the conference. Last week I booked my flights (while humming my own little rendition of “Walking In Memphis”) and in three weeks I am off to Memphis. IN ADDITION to even all that, I got an email this week to say I’d been accepted for a private showcase (albeit at 1:30am – here’s hoping I don’t fall asleep in the midst of it) while I’m there. Exciting stuff all around.
Secondly back in November literally the day after I came back from my VIA RAIL tour across BC, AB, SK & MB, I was lucky enough to do a little interview with TELUS TV’s local community chapter. The lovely and charming Kari Skelton (from up! 99.3FM) came and filmed me singing some songs and talking about my new record “Prairie Belle”. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, check it out:
**UPDATE** So after writing this blog yesterday, I found out that I have just been nominated for the 2012 Edmonton Music Awards “Pop Album Of the Year”. Whoa. Where did that come from? Colleen Brown, Doug Hoyer, Se7ensided & Radio for Help are also nominated. Quite the group to be associated with I must say! Stoked to say the least. For more info check the EMA website.
So that’s all my exciting news. Do you feel substantially informed about the musical happenings in my life now? Oh good, I hoped as much. Now there’s a very exciting audition in my very near future, but that will just have to wait for another blog!
Cheers! xo