Homeroutes.ca

Ian Hodges Completes First Classical Series

2012-04-27T19:10:47Z

Hello Mel, Selena, Mitch and Ava (and the rest of the Home Routes crew), I just wanted to say "Thank you" for giving me the opportunity to do the Home Routes tour in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It was one of the great musical and human experiences of my life. The hosts were friendly and accommodating, the audiences were attentive, appreciative and enthusiastic. ]]>

The opportunity to chat with the audiences after each concert was a real treat - so many stories, so much life to share.

Every drive offered an interesting vista - it was a delight to get to see many parts of the 2 provinces for the first time.

Some highlights included whoops and hollers and standing ovations in Flin Flon, a Spanish gentleman who was delighted to hear Spanish music on the guitar after 17 years in the Pas, a journalist who claimed I added 4 years to his life by providing such a relaxing, calming evening of music (also in the Pas), 2 very young girls who listened carefully while coloring their coloring books in McCreary, and on and on - every concert had a story.

I felt happy with every single concert from a musical standpoint, and the audiences were a delight. They appreciated the back-story that I was able to provide about the pieces and composers, and often had interesting questions and comments (both during and after the concerts). They truly loved the sound of the guitar and the beautiful pieces that I was able to bring to them.

I have included a review from the concert in the Pas (click here for review in Opasquia Timeshttp://www.homeroutes.ca/media/clippings/) I hope that I have the opportunity to do this again.

I wish there were 100 more concerts to go! Please keep me in mind for any future events and tours. If I can help in any way with showcases or promotional events please let me know.

I wish you all the success in the world with this great concept - it is truly the best possible way to share music.

Thanks,

Ian Hodges, guitar

Only 164 shows to go!

2012-04-10T21:44:45Z

We're nearing the end of Home Routes' fifth season with the next round of concerts starting April 15th through to the 29th. This means only 164 concerts left to go, taking place from Old Crow, Yukon, to Canso, Nova Scotia in a two week period.

We're in the midst of planning the routes for the next season so if you or someone you know would like to be involved in presenting a house concert series for friends and neighbours, give us a call 1-866-925-6889 or email info@homeroutes.ca. We are looking all across Canada and USA, no matter where you are. Concerts for next season run from September 2012 to April 2013. Read more here.

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February round a huge success

2012-03-01T17:02:27Z

Well the first round of concerts in 2012 is over and we're getting resounding feedback from artists and hosts alike from the two-week tours. Newfoundland's The Once smashed the record for attendance with a whopping 542 folks attending 14 concerts on Borealis Trail!

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Newfoundland's The Once smashed the record for attendance with a whopping 542 folks attending 14 concerts on Borealis Trail!

Manitoba's Red Moon Road left a wake of excitement behind them, and as they travelled from town to town, the Home Routes office received numerous phone calls from hosts saying how much fun they had with this dynamic trio. From Prince George to Fort St. John, to Prince Rupert, the group said they had never been to this part of the country before and had many requests for them to return on their own and follow up another tour with this successful run. They entertained 328 enthusiastic music lovers in 13 different communities.

Red Moon Road in Prince Rupert, BC

Gracious hosts made sure they were welcomed and well accommodated while they were in their town. Daniel Peloquin-Hopfner of RMR is fed cake on the couch as he entertains the after-concert crowd on the banjo:

Juno what's happening?

2012-02-27T22:13:36Z

The 2012 Juno Award nominations are out and two of the nominees include artists that are on the current Home Routes lineup.

Dave Gunning is nominated for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo for his Tribute to John Allan Cameron album

The Once is nominated for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group for their album Row Upon Row Of The People We Know

Other nominees who have toured with Home Routes include:

The Good Lovelies for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group, and
Suzie Vinnick for Blues Album of the Year

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The New Home Routes website

2012-01-24T19:54:32Z

Welcome to our new site. As you can see we are still an 'underground' organization! Feel free to look around and explore a little. Our webmaster Jason Boychuk has been working hard at putting this together but there is still so much more we want to do. Once a Home Routes concert presenter himself, Boychuk has helped design an interactive website that will be easy for us to update with more resources for artists and volunteers. We will be able to post photos of our concerts fairly easily so if you are a Home Routes host, send us your pics and we can post them on the site.

This is only the beginning and we've got lots of improvements and ideas to make from here. Have a look around and please send any comments or suggestions to info@homeroutes.ca.

]]> While the initial launch is a minimal version of a larger vision, we would welcome any suggestions you might have for the website design or content. There are elements that will be integrated as time goes on so check back often for updates.

Home Routes Classical

2012-01-23T22:25:48Z

Home Routes Classical will be hitting the back roads of Manitoba and Saskatchewan this February reaching communities from Steinbach, MB to Estevan, SK to Flin Flon, MB. Artistic Director Mel Braun of the Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba has chosen three acts to tour in February, March and April of 2012.
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Soprano Sarah Kirsch & Chris Kayler

An exceptional musician with a penchant for adventurous repertoire, Sarah Kirsch has dedicated herself to the rejuvenation of classical style. She is an emerging force in the Canadian music community performing early and new music as a recitalist and concert soloist.

Through her journey as a performer, Sarah has sung a number of operatic roles including, Feu/Princesse/Rossignol in Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Cecilia in the premiere of Randall Shinn's Sara McKinnon with CU Opera, Jokmeam in the premiere of Isaiah Bell's Oholibah and her lovers with Kingstreet Opera, Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte with Winnipeg's Little Opera Company and Donna Francesca/The Moon in the premiere of Dean Burry's Angela and her sisters with the University of Manitoba's Opera Theatre School Tour.
As an avid recitalist and new music singer, Sarah has had the distinct pleasure of working with a number of living composers. She was honoured to premiere Mike Krzyzaniak's cycle Two Songs for Coloratura Soprano, Michael Matthews' chamber work Winter is when, and Richard Festinger's Spring Ice.

Since moving to Winnipeg, Sarah has appeared as a soloist with the Southern Manitoba Choral Society, Canzona, MusikBarock, and the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir. She was among the winners of the 2009 Orville J Derraugh memorial scholarship, earned first place in the Senior Voice class of MRMTA's 2011 scholarship competition, the Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg's 2011 annual open scholarship competition, and was invited to compete in the final rounds of the
2011 Eckhardt-Gramatté national new music competition. This coming season, she will be performing again as a soloist as part of the Professor Bach Project, with Canzona and MusikBarock, with the Winnipeg Singers, and as part of a world premiere of a new opera by Matthew Ricketts at the 2012 Cluster New Music Festival.

Sarah earned a Bachelor of Music with high honours from the University of Colorado at Boulder College of Music. Awarded the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship, she is currently working towards a Master of Music Performance with the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music.

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Christopher Kayler recently graduated with a Master's of Music in Collaborative Piano Performance from the University of Manitoba. He also graduated with a Bachelor's of Music in solo piano from the U of M, and was awarded a Gold Medal for highest standing in Music. An experienced solo pianist, he won the U of M's competition for most outstanding undergraduate performer, and was a featured soloist with the U of M Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Chris has participated in several prestigious summer music programs, including Opera NUVOA in Edmonton and the Franz Schubert Institut in Baden bei Wien, Austria. His choral experience, both as singer and accompanist, has taken him across Canada and as far as Buenos Aires and Stockholm.
Chris has also played frequently with Red Moon Road, a popular folk-roots group, throughout Winnipeg and around Manitoba.

Recipe: Michelle from Hamilton's Best Salad Dressing Ever!

2012-01-23T22:17:38Z

Being a house concert host is as much about making the artist feel comfortable in your home as it is about hosting your friends and neighbours. Here is an easy and tasty salad dressing pulled from Carolyn Mark's "Terrible Hostess - A Recipe For Disaster" cookbook.
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3 cloves garlic
3 shallots
3 tablespoons cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt

One by one, throw 'em into the blender & pulse.

Ridley Bent (MB)

2011-01-03T03:02:38Z