season finale at the League of Rock~ chance to win a membership to the next session ~

We interrupt this blog for an important news flash....

Danno! VanChapter LOR member.....is a New Father, congrats Papa!!!!!

Hope you get some sleep once in a while.....~

I have a photo post for you today, these photos come compliments of Gene Greenwood and Sharylin Boshaw, they take us back to the last week of the League of Rock jam sessions at  our new rehearsal space NAL sound, and roll over into the final League of Rock showcase at the Yale on December 16th!  

Seeing as the beginning of session 3 is soon upon us (March 3rd right after the Olympics we'll be kicking off), I thought it would be a great  idea to share a bit of what you have to look forward to when you join the League of Rock. So this is for all the new members who have already joined up and are just itching for March to roll around, and this is also to those of you who are sitting on the sidelines plucking quietly at your instrument all by yourself in your living room......if you are still trying to decide if it is time for you to join the LOR, ask yourself these questions.......

Do you miss making music with people? Would you like to try jamming with others even though you have never done so? Would it be nice to get out once a week and leave the day's problems  behind you as you rock like a teenager again?

This is what the jam sessions look like:

Simon Kendall is another one of the outstanding coaches we are able to workshop with. Simon with his  kind nature and years of experience really picks up on things that will help the bands become more co-hesive. Myself and all the members really look forward to these great people who come in each week to share their knowledge with us.

Andrew Huige by the way, was the winner of my first blog membership contest (with Miss604) way back in the summer! What a great singer he is too! Congrats Andrew glad you enjoyed it! 

So everyone,  if you signed up for the contest and didn't win, this is the guy who took your spot! ;)  

But don't you worry there will be another shot at a membership right here on this blog this month.....don't go too far or you will miss it!

I was even called in to play bass with a band one week, when another member couldn't make the rehearsal,

I have to say that was a blast! What a way for me to end the jam sessions! It was great.

And then the showcase!

Terry Moshenberg flew in from Toronto and put the whole thing

together with Van Chapter head Rob Boshaw.

I was there of course, ready for my new hosting duties which included giving out prizes from

Long and McQuade!

I love the costumes they brought in honour of the season. From session to session the groups seem to get more creative with their props and what they wear onstage.

These boys had the heaviest set list, and yet they were the sharpest dressed men!

Our girl Loralee and her League of Rock tank top which I hope she is wearing  in Mexico right now.

Long and McQuade our sponsors gave away some beautiful gear to stand

out members at the end of the night. Items included

instruments, software and other goodies. Our very talented and deserving winner of a guitar this session was James Gaffney.

Terry and coaches Tal Bachman and Mick Dalla Vee with LOR drummer Nando Polesel  backed-up Kenny McNally for the finale. Kenny is a very active member from LOR Toronto chapter who specially  flew in to celebrate the Vancouver showcase with us and we were delighted to have him.   I thought this was just awesome of course and lucky bunny that I am, I stayed right there onstage with all those talented boys and added my harmonies and smiles into the mix!

And to close the post here today, I leave you with Terry Moshenberg, the guy who is responsible for putting so many grins on so many faces. Rock on Terry, can't wait to see what 2010 brings for LOR Vancouver!

Sign up is happening NOW!

Go HERE to kick off with on March 3rd!

and stay tuned for a way you can WIN yourself a LOR membership, right here on this blog.....

...from little old me~

:)

One last bit of thanks goes out to TREE brewing. Every week at rehearsals we have a bucket full of cold and tasty  beer thanks to them! We love you TREE!

photo/video gallery Up Your Watershed/Journeys concert

My friend Rae who has contributed photos to this blog before, was at the Voices of Nature concert  last Thursday night (scroll down to the next blog post for more info. on the concert)  and she took these fantastic photos of the concert  so I am posting a photo/video blog today.......

First up,  my own backstage photos that were taken just before the show started. I've also posted  a quick clip of two videos that I took while onstage during the concert. I wanted to capture the   magic in the room. 

Words can barely express how much fun this night was, so today, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.

Because it was an event that had ties to Vanoc and school children, the audience recieved a surprise visit in the lobby before the show!

Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright

Me and  Holly before the show!

Brian Newcombe, Shawn Soucy, David Sinclair

Shawn, myself, Brian

And here are the show pics! Thanks again Rae~

Thanks so much for visiting!

You can find links to all the programs and people in the photos, in the previous blogpost!

Rachael  xoxoxo

singing, recording and performing oh my!

Last December I told you about the Up Your Watershed show I was performing in with Holly Arntzen and the Dream Band at the Bell Centre (a beautiful soft seat theatre venue in Surrey BC).

Yay! We have a video and I thought I would share a clip of one of the songs.........




It really was a wonderful show and I was proud to be a part of it. We do have other schools scheduled to participate in the future and plans are to bring more of these great events to many more schools so if you think you would like your local school to be a part of this sort of inspiring event please do contact Holly through her website to find out how.

This Thursday we will be at the Norman Rothstien theatre to perform the concert with a choir of 100 kids from David Lloyd George School. The last two weeks have been spent rehearsing with the children and things are looking fantastic already. The school is preparing to launch a book that the children wrote about diversity so this show is partly a celebration of the launch of this book and partly an event to support  Project Blue Sky, a program/website dedicated to helping children and their families track the ways in which they personally are reducing their carbon footprint by walking, bike riding and/or taking the bus rather than driving. The project was created by Olympic Rowing silver medalist David Calder.
.

For the first time ever, this Thursday at the show we will be performing the song Blue Sky (written by Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright), a song which was requested by Vanoc to bring awareness to Project Blue Sky,

Yesterday I was at the Factory studios with Holly and Kevin who were recording  Blue Sky with some truly talented musicians also known as the Dream Band, These fellas are among the same players that do the live theatre shows with the childrens choirs.

For me it was quite an outstanding day, to be there hanging around in such a rich creative environment with so many well respected musicians. These guys and gals are some of the nicest most down to earth people you will meet and I always love having the opportunity to work with them all and share in the laughter. As of yet I don't have a recording of the song to share with you seeing as the mixing is still in process, but I thought that what I would do is share some photos from the day and give you the links to the players so that you can go and check out their work for yourself.

Holly Arntzen is just so impressive to watch perform. I love witnessing her mastery of her instruments and seeing her fearlessness in the studio and on stage. I feel as if I am learning a world of good just by being around her and working with her and I am very grateful she has made me a part of her team.

Kevin Wright is a bundle of energy and a bold performer. His gravelly rock voice brings an excitement to the songs that the kids pick up on and really gravitate towards..

Shawn Soucy is a longtime dear and trusted friend. As I have said many times before, I am always delighted to be onstage when I know Shawn is at the kit (which is fairly often seeing as he is the drummer for the Hitmen, a band I am so very lucky to be able to perform with).

Michael Creber was playing keys on this session and it was the first time I have met him  but right away I noticed how tasty his playing is and I just sat and watched his fingers tickle the ivories for a while as the band rehearsed. It was very nice to meet him and I look forward to working with him again in future.

Brian Newcombe I have been lucky enough to play live with in another band that I sub in for so I've had the chance to get to know him on a number of occassions and I adore him completely.  Brian has an impressive list of credits to his name and has played bass on so many tracks for so many artists that I would be very surprised if you yourself have not heard his low notes being played on some album somewhere in your collection.

David Sinclair , Sarah McLachlan says David is a beautiful and gifted guitar player and I couldn't agree more. Every time I see him work his magic with a guitar my eyes are simply glued to his fingers dancing on the fretboard. I was in the studio the day he laid the guitar solo to the track of Up Your Watershed and I seriously felt goosebumps while he was taking the pass that actually went on the record.  Watch the guitar solo in the video above you will see what I mean. Every time I see it, I give a little cheer of delight. ~woot~ David!!

                                                                             

Me, adding my background vocals to the mix.

Listening.

                                                                           

It was a fun day, the kind that I would like to remember happened this January day in 2010 so here it is, my memories. What a great way to start the year if you ask me. Thank you to all of you for once again sharing your time and energy with me.

And to you all who are reading, thank you, I hope your year is going well so far.

Rach xo