& A culture of collaboration is bringing Saskatchewan singer-songwriters together
Twice a week, Édouard Manet would meet his friends at Café Guerbois to discuss everything from art to politics. Meetings like this were typical for Paris in the late 19th century, however, these conversations between friends often led to collaborations and new ideas. Manet’s friends included artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and Claude Monet and their collaborations would define an era of impressionism that affected both art and culture around the world.
But what does this have to do with Saskatchewan singersongwriters?
Fast forward 150 years. Then travel just across the pond, over the hills and far away where chapters of the Regional Writers Group (RWG) meet in Regina and Saskatoon to listen, learn, collaborate, and offer constructive criticism to help grow Saskatchewan’s music scene.
Created and supported by the Songwriters Associations of Canada, both RWG locations in Regina (Sask Music Office, third floor 1831 College Avenue) and Saskatoon (Studio XII Music & Dance Studio, #9-1025 Boychuck Drive) meet once a month to learn from professional musicians, industry insiders and even academics.
And what’s price of admission?
Simply show up, bring some songs, and be willing to collaborate on ideas. Basically, RWG offers an advanced music education for singer-songwriters free of charge.
“I think most importantly it’s just casual and welcoming, and we try to do our best to make people feel comfortable and be open minded. It’s a safe environment for people to feel a bit vulnerable,” says Micheal Lander, owner of Studio XII Music & Dance Studio and cocoordinator for RWG Saskatoon with Jay Semko from the Northern Pikes.
Every month aspiring and established songwriters learn new skills, present their latest songs, and learn from local musicians about how to write inspiring and impactful songs. Songwriters of various genres from pop, folk, country, metal and hiphop have all walked away discovering a little bit more about the depths of the songwriting process.
Between Regina and Saskatoon, the RWG has brought in a slew of guest Saskatchewan musicians such as: Jason Plumb, Poor Nameless Boy: Joel Henderson, Jeffery Straker, Belle Plaine and Blake Berglund, Meghan Nash, Alex Runions, Alexis Normand, Scott Patrick, and Ross Neilsen.
“Michael Lander and the Studio XII team went above and beyond to arrange informative, experienced songwriters as guests. The sessions were wonderful for networking and co-writing with new creative friends not only demonstrated how much songwriting talent there is in our city, but it was loads of fun and an inspiration. So grateful for the thoughtful work and effort put into convening these monthly meetings!” comments Trish Cameron from Saskatoon.
In Regina, co-coordinators Wanda Gronhovd and Scott Anthony Andrews offer a similar format but with an academic twist. As a professor of education at the University of Regina, Andrews recently completed his songwriting certificate from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Combined with Gronhovd’s passion for music and her organizing prowess, Regina songwriters get an advanced education in music theory once a month.
“There is a lot of information from the songwriting certificate program that is applicable in terms of exercise and skill building activities. This includes looking at and identifying rhyme schemes, when to use perfect and imperfect rhymes, and melodies like open and closed phrasing. There is also cadence, and how to emphasize a title and use repetition. All kinds of stuff like that,” explains Andrews.
“I think as new songwriters we feel like we have to always prove ourselves to the listener with something new and interesting. Neil [Dierks, a teacher at Berklee] often talked about how repetition is the most overlooked strategy and if you give them too much new stuff then the listener can’t make sense of it.”
No matter the genre, level