Mike Celia is a Toronto area singer-songwriter. Â I sat down with him on the grounds at the Mariposa Folk Festival as the sun was setting over Lake Couchiching to play a few songs and talk songwriting.
Mike and I were playing a handmade acoustic guitar built by Ron Belanger. Â Thanks Ron.
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Still in their teens, The Doll Sisters write and perform music that reminds one of the music of their parents and grandparents.  They site traditional celtic music, classic country music and Allison Kraus as strong influences.  Sisters Jenna and Shelby play guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and sing with those special harmonies that can only be achieved by family members.  The Doll Sisters were one of three young sister duos performing last July at the Canmore Folk Festival.  as part pf the  U22 productions contingent of Albertan performers under the age of 22.
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The Command Sisters are 13 year old Sarah, who plays lead guitar and mandolin and sings,  and 16 year old Charlotte who plays guitar, writes most of their lyrics and also sings. They have recently landed a development deal in Nashville.  With their catchy melodies and tight harmonies they are an act to watch out for.  I saw them performing at the  Canmore Folk Festival as part of the U22 showcase of young Albertan performers.  I hope you enjoy meeting these two exceptional young musicians.
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My parents introduced me to Rhea March about 7 years ago on a visit to Edmonton when they took me to perform at one of her popular open stages.  About 4 years ago she contacted me asking how she could go about podcasting recordings from her open stages, and the next week she began podcasting.  It took  4 more years before we met again in person at the  Canmore Folk Festival.  Rhea founded U22 productions, a non profit organization dedicated to nurturing and developing the talents of Albertan performers under the age of 22.  I enjoyed our conversation.
Podcasts from Rhea’s Sunday Night Songwriters Stage  RSS  Itunes
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It was a great surprise to see Steve Seskin on the bill at the Canmore Folk Festival.  Steve Seskin is the kind of songwriter who has all the other songwriters running across the grounds to see him perform at a festival.  During a career lasting 40 years, he has become known as a folk songwriter who has penned some of the most popular country songs of the last 2 decades.  His songs such as Life’s a Dance, and I Think About You  have been recorded by Tim McGraw, Mark Wills, John Michael Montegomery, Collin Raye and many others.  With 7 number one hits and many charted recordings by other artists, he describes himself as a songwriter-singer, but he is truly a seasoned performer in his own right.  Perhaps his best known song among parents and educators is Don’t Laugh at Me, which has become an international anthem against bullying.  Over the past several years, Steve has also become quite involved with performing at school assemblies and writing songs with children.  You can find out more about his work with youth on his website.
Steve was very generous to sit down with me for a wide ranging discussion about songwriting during a whirlwind day prior to his feature performance at the festival just before flying home.
Don’t Laugh at Me lesson plans and bullying awareness at Operation Respect.
You can leave comments on the blog, send me an email to ductapeguy at hotmail dot com or join the For The Sake of the Song Podcast group on Facebook.
Glen Reid is a veteran of the Canadian Music scene.  He began to make a name for himself in the late 1960s, in the folk community in the Yorkville district in Toronto. Throughout tht 70’s he was a session musician and band member on several popular Canadian television shows including Singalong Jubilee,  John Allan Cameron’s Let’s Have A Caleigh, The Ryan’s Fancy/Tommy Makem Show, The Harry Hibbs Show, and the George Hamilton IV Show.
In the 80s he moved to Burks Falls Ontario, where he worked as a cabinet maker, raises horses and became a well known luthier.
You can read more of his stories and purchase his albums at glenreid.com.
By the time this is released, the 2011 Â Mariposa Folk Festival will have passed. Â This is the last of my interviews recorded at the 2010 edition of Mariposa. Â I have known Blaise Alleyne for several years, mostly through social media. Â Blaise is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, Catholic, and programmer from Toronto. Â He is deeply interested in the Free culture movement who contributes to free software projects, is a regular contributor to Techdirt, and releases his music under Creative Commons Licences. Â He is in demand as a violin player with many Ontario musicians, including, Mike Celia, Dave Borins and Robyn Dell’Unto.
