Media Releases

January 17, 2018

For immediate release

 

Further information:

Greg Silver  / 902-631-5050

info@kitchenrackets.org / www.kitchenrackets.org

 

 

St. Peter’s Music Camp on the Canal is Rebuilding for the Future

 

Traditional music enthusiasts with an interest in Cape Breton culture have become  very aware of – and increasingly involved in – the annual Music Camp on the Canal in St. Peter’s. Since it’s inception in 2012 the event has provided an intensive weekend of music instruction with a faculty that includes some of Atlantic Canada’s finest performing artists and teachers; and an All Star Concert that’s achieved high acclaim among discerning Cape Breton audiences.

 

Music Camp’s reach has been far and wide, with participants coming from the United States and Europe, to join local youth and adults and other amateur musicians from across Atlantic and Central Canada over the past six years.

 

Due to a combination of factors presently challenging the volunteer organizers, the decision has been made to not stage Music Camp this year.

 

Public funding is one of the current challenges. Richmond County’s core funding has been a valued and mandatory component from the outset. This year the Municipality has been unable to respond to requests for support. KitchenRackets volunteers now plan to form their own not-for-profit society to address risk management and fundraising with a dedicated board of directors and charter members.

 

KitchenRackets intends to continue pursuing its goals of developing local cultural assets and tourism opportunities, and to reinforce St. Peter’s and Richmond County’s brand as a place that attracts traditional music enthusiasts. Under its new structure this year KitchenRackets will release a series of All Star Concert videos and will continue with programs that encourage young musicians in the community.

 

With mixed emotions about not staging Music Camp this year, the volunteers at KitchenRackets.org look forward to greeting traditional music enthusiasts at these other events in 2018, and to welcoming new and returning faculty and students to a renewed, better-than-ever Music Camp on the Canal in 2019.

 

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KitchenRackets MediaRelease 1.17.18.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [1.5 MB]

April 5, 2018

For immediate release

 

Further information:

Greg Silver  / 902-631-5050

info@kitchenrackets.org / www.kitchenrackets.org

 

 

KitchenRackets Announces its Newest Project

 

On Saturday, June 2, thirty talented young musicians will participate in a day of  focused workshops designed to help improve their performance skills. This event, called BANDEMONIUM, is the latest project of the St. Peter’s-based KitchenRackets Organization.

 

Students from local public and high schools are selected for participation by their music teachers, based on their musical abilities. Students register by filling out a résumé to describe their music experience, preferred instruments and personal goals. BANDEMONIUM faculty will create 5 or 6 new bands based on these résumés and each faculty member will mentor a band during the day to prepare them for performing at that evening’s All-Star Concert.

 

During the day, several plenary sessions between practices will present topics such as ‘performance craft’ (how to engage an audience, how to recover from mistakes, developing a ‘style’), a percussion workshop, choreography, and some other fun activities to break up the intensive day.

 

Tasks for each band will include electing a leader, naming their ensemble, and selecting a few tunes to arrange and work on as a group. Goals for the students will be to develop and improve their team-building and technical music skills to prepare them for playing, singing and dancing to a public audience at a performance-level standard, and to demonstrate their skills to a live audience in a concert setting.

 

The evening All-Star Concert will be held at St. Peter’s Lions Hall. This annual concert has become a highlight of Cape live music offerings over the past six years, attracting audiences upwards of 300 people. This year, as the concluding event for BANDEMONIUM, the first half of the concert will feature the new young bands formed during the day, followed by performances from their mentors – including some of the country’s finest professional musical talent which is mostly Cape Breton-based.

 

This year’s faculty includes: Allie Bennett, Brian Doyle, Colin Grant, Scott Macmillan, Keith Mullins, and Kelli Trottier. Joining them for the All-Star Concert performance are 2018 Juno nominees Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen of the noted trad. band Còig.

 

KitchenRackets is a volunteer group that has been working over the past decade to harness the powerful assets of the local traditional music scene to provide community benefits. Open jam sessions in summers and during Celtic Colours have attracted visiting musicians to sit in with Cape Breton players, enhancing the region’s tourism draw in the arts and culture niche. Music Camp on the Canal, an annual event since 2012, has attracted amateur musicians from far and wide, and young musicians from the local school system, for an intensive weekend of instruction with top professional musicians. It is on this foundation that KitchenRackets is pleased to present BANDEMONIUM – an event that will encourage young musicians to improve their skills, and to help ensure the continuing legacy of our strong music culture.

 

Young musicians from outside the Strait Area of Cape Breton who are interested in participating should contact Rob Woodley, Music Director at rob@kitchenrackets.org

 

Tickets for the All-Star Concert will go on sale to the public in early May.

 

Updates and details for BANDEMONIUM will be posted online at

www.kitchenrackets.org

 

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Bandemonium Media Release.1.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [456.0 KB]