To Oscar With Love

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

Honey & Rust

 Photo by Toni van Eeden. Before she learned to talk Johanne Beattie was sharing songs. She’d sit in her bike-seat humming gibberish melodies as her mother rode through town. At seven she was reluctantly enrolled in piano lessons. As it was with her singing, her mother saw a natural gift in

Speaking the Language with Julie Corrigan

 Photo courtesy of Jen Squires Born and raised in Shawville, Quebec, to a family of musicians, it’s no surprise that Julie Corrigan took easily to strumming the guitar. With a fiddle-playing grandfather, a guitarist for a father and a mother who’s a natural on the piano and mandolin, music is in Julie’s

Alyssa Reid’s Flaming Phoenix

 By Katie Hartai As enchanting as the mythical bird itself, Alyssa Reid’s new album Phoenix will surely set fire to the hearts of fans when released on November 27. It may also spark a pleasant surprise. With Juno and MMVA nominations under her belt, the 22-year-old singer songwriter is no stranger to Canada’s

Unleashing Folk ’n’ Roll 

 Cloudless, blue skies are drawing nearer for the Toronto band Sun K with the release of their debut album on March 10. The eight-track collection titled Northern Lies, brings together a combination of folk and rock genres creating a fresh and catchy sound. “We like to call it folk ’n’

A Song to Play, A Story to Tell

 Music has always been a part of Steve Bell’s life. His mother was a singer, songwriter and piano player and his father also fostered the family’s passion and love for music. “I have almost no memories of not being involved in music,” Bell says. “It’s always been a part of the

Legendary Performers Usher in Chamberfest’s 20th Anniversary

 This summer the Ottawa Chamber Music Society (OCMS) is celebrating their 20th anniversary by hosting their most ambitious summer lineup yet. Chamberfest 2014 will host over 80 performances this summer running from July 24 to August 7. With the goal of making classical music accessible to everyone, OCMS hosts top

Singing Her Soul Out: Kristine St. Pierre’s Infectious Sound

 From her light, delicate finger picking to the stomp of her feet, you can hear Kristine St. Pierre’s soul baring itself to the audience with every melody. Beneath her lyrics of heartache and self-discovery is an artist who has continued to develop her unique sound to become a celebrated local

Installation = Music + Time

 In 2011, two local experimental artists met and chronologically depicted 88 individuals to correspond to each key of the piano. Julia Krolik and Owen Fernley (aka the Decomposing Pianos project team) then made a movie which serves as an introduction to the project and showcases the capabilities of an “interactive

Ottawa, Music and Inspiration

 Music and Ottawa go wonderfully hand in hand. The city is brimming with musicians. Ottawa is blessed with excellent schools, dedicated music teachers, performance opportunities and excellent ensembles and festivals. I was recently reacquainted with the home grown contemporary music composer, Colin Mack. Ottawa born Colin continues to make the