DIY!!!

One thing I'm surprised that I love doing is helping people with their arts community questions. (Why so surprised, Kelly? I don't know. I'm introverted not introspective! :P) Mayhaps it's the thrill of digging for information, using my smarts to piece together a whackamole game [1] of info or contacting and talking to new people. I had to do quite a bit of research to come up with my last post and Brampton's open. Perhaps the spirit of DIY (Do it Yourself) is not as dead as I thought. People out there are getting it done and my thoughts have been re-ignited by the self-sufficient acronym and staple of punk subculture. Is there something you wish Brampton had in the way of arts entertainment and community? Stop wishing. Start doing!

What I didn't write about was another young man's initiative to put together a Brampton Indie Music Festival, asking me where to begin. I've decided to leave an extremely mini version of the tips I gave him on handling such a feat that could easily be used by anyone to put together any event.

1. Start with WHY and WHAT. Get a clear idea in your head of what it is you intend to do and the goals you want to accomplish whether it's fundraising, fostering community, promotions, awareness, etc. If you can't figure that out try beginning with what you don't want and it might become clearer. Contact those who have experience setting up similar events and see if they’re willing to advise from past experiences. A smaller but still significant WHAT to consider is what you need. Do you need a sound system? How much will it cost? Will your venue supply one? Will they supply the sound guy with one?
2. Once that's done, the real fun begins. Start with WHEN because you're going to need to book dates for venues (sometimes WHEN and WHERE work together) and a stop date for community involvement/applicants. Decide/estimate how long your event will be. Research other events around your time that could divide your audience
3. Location, location, location! WHERE will you hold your event. Consider the audience and previous events/shows at the your possible venue. Is it a good fit? Can you promote at nearby businesses?
4. WHO: Not just who is performing or displaying their work but WHO is working for you. VOLUNTEERS. Depending on how big your event is, you will need dependable, have-your-back help.
5. Never ever forget COST though: how much will things be. Keep a running tally and start to put together a budget. You might need community help through sponsors or charging attendees. Don't forget to give them proper accolades for doing so, whether it's through advertising their name on a banner and/or flyers, or spoken thanks your event.
6. Last (you thought I was done but I was not!) but certainly not least is the HOW. Our site has a list of media for anyone to use to get word out on events they're planning and of course you know about Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as promotional devices but also try the more obscure or local websites to get things abuzzing (NOW, the City of Brampton website, Snap Brampton, Brampton Guardian, etc.). Don't forget the power of in person meetings. Get out there, promote and talk up your audience.

Hopefully this was a helpful outline, peeps. Comments, questions, suggestions? Hit me up: kelly@artsbrampton.ca.

1. A whackamole game as in every time you think I'm done I pop back up with new info.

For real?! What the?

I had a guy, Kurt Arruda of the rap group Diablos Rejects, ask me this week where to go for open mics locally. When you live in Brampton and you want to perform, it's a bit of a hassle to get your butt down to Toronto all the time, especially when you don't have wheels. While I'm not sure if the rap they do would be entirely cohesive to the open mics, I had heard of one place down on Queen to perform but I didn't quite know where or the details. So I asked some local artists what was up and where to go. I was shocked because there are at least six places locally to go:

Monday Night:
9:30 pm - ?
The Harp - JAM NIGHT. A little farther out than the other places but it's the first in the series.
55 Lakeshore Road East
Port Credit, ON
(905) 274-3277

Wednesday Night:
9:30 pm - 12 am
Tracks BrewPub
60 Queen Street East
Brampton, ON
(905) 453-3063‎

9:00 pm - 1, 2 am
Brewsters Roadhouse & Restaurant
400 Steeles Avenue East
Brampton, ON
(905) 456-2093‎

Thursday Night:
9-10 pm - 1, 2 am
Allstars Bar & Grill
73 Bramalea Road
Brampton, ON
(905) 791-2315‎

9:30 pm - 1 am
Apple Jacks Restaurant
2225 Erin Mills Parkway
Mississauga, Ontario
(905) 403 0700

Last but not least an Open Mic night on October 20th, 2009. (Tuesday) at Metalworks Institute of Sound and Music Sign up begins at 6:30 but you should get there early to sign up for the night that starts @ 7 because the spots go fast. :)

The sad thing is that most of these performance opportuninties are not tailored for youth. Only Apple Jacks and Metalworks cater to an all ages audience. The rest are bars so legally speaking no one under 19 is allowed after 9.

Special accolades to Gayle for the newsworthy info. You can catch Gayle Ackroyd and Laura Thomas performing at St.Paul's Church for the Brampton Folk Club Concert Series on October 30th in Sanderson Hall.

Did you know...

Today's Brampton Day!

Check out the community booths, surprises and the going ons in Downtown Brampton. Swing by the BAC booth and say hi to me. :)

Currently listening to: Don't Do Anything - Sam Phillips

Back to School...

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Or your school year. Or your work week. Or something.

For a lot of you out there, today's back to school. Back to drudergy and books and absorbing all that good information your teachers or professors give to you and until last year around this time I was one of you. Dragging my feet and cursing that month of September for rolling around, but now...

Now I'm kinda strangely wistful. I'm happy that it's over. I'm not the most scholastic person, but there was an easiness to life and knowing what one is to do. Wake up. Go to classes. Study. Do the best you can to get the good marks. Enjoy it while it lasts but plan for once it's over. :)

For now I wish the readers an awesome school/work year. Good luck and hard workings to you.

Rock Against Cancer...

Yeah, no creative title this time. I went to Rock Against Cancer this weekend. Brampton Arts Council was one of the sponsors of the event so I went there to collect some props. I could sit here and tell you all about it but I think pictures and video could tell the story much better. Words will just be the accent to colour the visuals this time but before I begin let's talk a little about what Rock Against Cancer is.

It's an event that Brampton's Rock School and Express Your Music Foundation hosts to fundraise for the cause, provide their students an opportunity to perform while recognizing peers for their musicianship, and “learn[ing] about the power of positive social change, how the small acts of a few can change the lives of many”1 according to co-owner Andrea Gavrilovic, which to me makes it compelling. You can't help but do good just by attending the event, but by attending the event you also get to have fun and enjoy some music and a community. Win win? Woot! :)

Okay, so this entry I decided to try something a little different. I posted all my pictures, some artsy, most pretty “normal” on the Picasa album and I've identified whoever I could from the event. Hopefully by the end of the week. Everyone who wants to be identified will be done.

Props:

The Karaoke Tent (donated by Pace Marathon) at the other end of the parking lot from the main stage. I'm a sucker for karaoke. It's oodles of fun no matter what fuddy duddys say! :) Clever idea: charging singers a $1 a song. :) Just the right amount.

Vendors: Tamami ko bag. Not only are the bags and note books pretty to look at – made from old kimono cloth, chic – but the lady who sells them is pretty sweet and awesome. How do I know this? Kelly, are you just plugging random people? No, I know that when I fell she came over to make sure I was okay. That doesn't sound like much, but it is.

Music: Everything was enjoyable. I think it's just good that there was, in this instance, a place for youth to perform and it wasn't all rock for the haters. :) Music is music is music.

EVERybody: for being patient, composed and toughing it out in the rain for an hour halfway through the event.

Enjoy the pictures, comments and videos! :)

1. http://rockagainstcancer.therockschool.ca/about.html

Listening to: Regina Spektor – Edit; Louis XIV - Finding out True Love is Blind; Joel Plaskett - Nowhere with You

Just... beautiful

Latinfest was awesome! I got to Garden Square probably about 5:30 p.m. and it, my friend, was PACKED. I have never seen it so full in my life. This is me going to Garden Square almost every Saturday last year, a few Saturdays this year and some Sundays too. I said what's up to Karen Clouter. She was there painting the kiddies for free. Check out the little bumblebeee on her arm. Can you see the bumblebee? No? Trust me, it's there and pretty

Latinfest was a sensory feast if I ever saw one. Crafters and vendors selling colourful Latin goods and works. Churros made on-site with the chocolate goodness! Tacos, burritos and other familiar salivating yumminess. I wasn't there for long but I wished I was able to stay longer. If only for the dancing.

The thing that got me, or gets me rather, the most is the dancing. I'm not going to pretend I can tell the cha cha from the salsa from a meringue or a paso doble – though wait. I think I could tell the paso doble from the others. You have to catch the foot work from the couple demoing the dance moves. They weren't the only ones dancing though, couples were showing their smooth moves all over the place. You can catch more of them from the youtube vids I posted.

The band that provided the music for a lot of the couples while I was there was called Salsotika. Their sound and particularly distinct rhythm section was also caught by me on the video.

Here's my facebook photo album of the event. :) Let me know if it doesn't show up. :)

You can catch me next at Rock Against Cancer on the 22nd. Come out and support the fight against cancer. It's a good fight.

My first attempt at a panoramic shot...

Currently listening to: Paolo Nutini – Keep Rolling; The Streets – Your Song; Streetlight Manifesto – We Are the Few; Regina Spektor – Samson; Kathleen Edwards – Sweet Lil Duck

different locale, different spirit

Well, that was quite a trip. Just got home from Chinguacousy Park. It was Communities in Bloom's Community Showcase. A really good place to see some of the services Brampton holds. BAC had their own booth, or should I say... a stage. We had our annual graphic novel of the arts in which some of our member groups perform. Last year's attendance had a longer list of performers but we did what we do at the council and kept on.

The set up was ideal and perfect this year. We were uphill with a small picnic house was the stage while some rafter benches were arranged in a slight 'V'. From the Brampton Library's reading of "Tacky and the Winter Games", by Bonnie-Kay Norman, Emily Norman Rebecca Norman and Sarah D'Cunha, to pump the public up for the upcoming Olympics to the lovely Sonia's artists from her Synergy Performing Arts Academy , like her hip hop dancers Samani and Anjan Puri, pianist Kristy Isidro and Omega Mighty performing her own single "Tainted". Later Anjan even performed a Charlie Brown monologue for the audience.

*said like a hokey game show host* AND THAT'S NOT ALL, folks!

Peel Panto Players' Joe Rose and Rose Brown parodied that television show Antique Roadshow, making the audience at least crack a smile with their antics.

Elizabeth demoed the art and discipline of the beautiful dance-form Nia to our audience. Janella and intern Therese joined in from the audience.

Yours truly even sang a few times. Again me with the nervous but mayhaps a good way to promote. I wish though I got to see the Rock School do their thing. They along with a couple of other local talents, Minus One and Bottoms Up were at the other side of the park. I will get to check them out next Saturday though at Rock Against Cancer . I better see you! Say hi to I!

Currently listening to: Mirah – Archipelago; The Clash – The Prisoner; Danko Jones – Something Better; Alicia Keys & Usher – My Boo (Reggae Remix!)