Photos courtesy of Ottawa Singer Songwriter Camp
Conductor Leopold Stokowski once said that “a painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” Along a similar train of thought we have Aldous Huxley informing us that “after silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” On the other side of the tracks Frank Zappa will tell you that “without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.”
Rachel Beausoleil, Megan Jerome and Elise Letourneau are three women subtracting the silence and adding more of that decorative musical fringe to time. Come July 9, these musicians look to float a few more new songs up into the ether while adding 16 fresh melody makers to their ranks at their Ottawa Singer Songwriter Camp.
Megan Jerome
Galaxie Rising Star Award Winner Megan Jerome calls music the fabric of her life, drawing her in so deeply that she uprooted three years of study in mining engineering to chase the songs. Her sassy but soothing tunes have wandered and weaved onto six albums now with the songstress becoming a staple of the Ottawa music scene alongside her band The Together Ensemble.
One of those songs, “A Prayer For Good”, caught the ear of fellow musician Letourneau who was hoping to snag it for a choir she was directing at the time. Beausoleil would also be connected to one of her coming camp partners through the discovery of her music, hearing Letourneau play for the first time inside Café Paradiso. Then just starting her Ph. D, the voice teacher was looking for her own singing fix each week that didn’t add too much stress to her current focused-on-studies existence. Along came Letourneau’s Vox Eclectic women’s chamber choir.
The pieces were now in play. All three musicians would become linked when Beausoleil and Letourneau discovered they were both quietly mauling over ways to share their insight and talents in a more instructional setting.
“I was over at Elise’s house one night for a rehearsal and I told her I had an idea that we should do a singing camp,” explains Beausoleil, who went on to learn that Letourneau had “already given this quite a lot of thought independently and just hadn’t found the right partner to make it happen. Within a week, she had the venue booked, it was to be a singer-songwriter camp, and we decided to call Megan!”
Jerome didn’t need much convincing and was on board with the three interlocking their separate paths through music to form the vision of how to instruct others to begin their own.
Elise Letourneau
“Both Megan and I had taught songwriting and composition before, both at the community and the university levels, so it was basically a matter of reviewing the process of songwriting with beginner’s eyes again, and considering what would be most useful to busy people who were taking a week out of their lives to focus on this. From there we just divvied up the tasks according to our talents,” says Letourneau.
The trio’s different styles make for a nice mix for their students. For example, Jerome holds a deep connection to her personal muse, a well-nurtured relationship that adds a lot of warmth and earthiness to the camp.
“Often images let me access a moment of exclamation! These are moments of joy, peace, expansion,” Jerome illuminates. “I love these moments, I feel them and want them to last. I love to hone in on them and write exactly how I’m feeling – with music and lyrics – it’s the seed of my songwriting process.”
Beausoleil brings her honed vocal techniques and knowledge of musical cultures from around the world. As for Letourneau, she admits to being a bit of a word nerd who dives into phrasing and rhyme schemes.
The goal of the camp, which runs between July 9-13, is to have participants sharpen their music and lyric writing, singing and stage tools while giving voice to songs that are already inside them. By the end of the week they will have created a tune on their own as well as another with the group. The nurturing setting has been designed as one you can walk into whether you are penning your first lines or are already a pre-pro looking to develop your artistic self-expression in a distraction-free space.
Rachel Beausoleil
“Throughout the day there is time dedicated to collective songwriting, individual songwriting, voice development, and performance. Participants get a lot of contact time with three instructors who love what they do! We take great care to provide thoughtful and constructive feedback to help everyone move forward. And between the three of us, Megan, Elise and I have a great deal of knowledge and know-how to share,” says Beausoleil on a typical camp day experience.
The trio realize some of the difficulties new musicians face having experienced many of them first hand. Letourneau mentions time being a factor…trying to squeeze a song into an already busy life. Beausoleil is quick to agree, adding that daily responsibilities like family and finance can become artistic hurdles.
“With the explosion of digital devices, your focus can really get challenged, and I think it’s hard for people to unplug, even if they know they need to,” says Letourneau. “Also, writing can be a lonely business sometimes.”
Along with camaraderie and inspiration, the camp supplies music paper, a music folder, overnight instrument lock up, piano, and a creative space. Campers are asked to bring along their instrument, notebooks and a desire to fill them with your songs. To the trio of musical instructors, the best feedback they have received is the looks on their campers’ faces when they move beyond and achieve a goal.
“I think the whole process is totally mind-blowing!” beams Jerome. “Plus, I’ll write a new song too –all of the instructors do– and that is of course a total joy!”
More information and how those interested can register can be found on Alcorn Music Studios website. Note, space is limited so, if you’re on the fence, just take the plunge onto the side where there are more songs! The world will be better for it.
“I’m looking forward to helping people build on their dreams and achieve their goals,” says Beausoleil. “I can’t wait to hear all the new songs and see the campers’ beaming faces when they are proud of their accomplishments.”
