Sometimes I think of music as an IV line. Through your headphones comes a steady flow of energy, pumping life into your step as you run on the treadmill or the design project you have open on your screen. At 12 I had a walkman, plastered with stickers of Barbie, stars and hearts. At 15 I balanced my discman like a server with a martini on her tray as I tried to run without the music skipping. Going to a CD store was a sacred experience, taste testing the songs through headphones, while looking at rain falling into puddles on Osborne. At 20 I brought an MP3 player that held 63 songs with me around the world, I thought it was the height of technology because it fit into my palm.
These days with an infinite amount of songs available on your phone as you ride the bus, it seems like the medium for music has morphed yet again. Our concept of ownership around music has certainly shifted, as you can stream anything from anywhere at anytime, and never commit to purchasing a song. Although it is a distressing time for artists who depend on fans buying music, it has undoubtedly made music more accessible. With this accessibility of course comes a flood of mediocrity as the industry gets saturated by average chumps with guitars trying to forge their way. The truth of course is though that this just makes those with legit talent, step up their game even more. The good ones become great.
The medium has changed, but something that hasn’t is a live show. If you haven’t seen a show in a while, you are in luck, because we happen to live in one of the best cities in the world for it. No one quite knows what it is about this place but there is no doubt that the Winnipeg music community is alive and flourishing. Now you probably think my opinion is a biased one because I am dating a musician but really that only confirms what I am saying. As world class musicians rehearse in my living room, I am telling you Winnipeg has something really special going on. The community is a diverse and welcoming one, as I watch my bass playing boyfriend play everything from francophone pop to bluegrass to funk all before Thursday in the same week. And as he records his own album with his brother and best friend (The Bros. Landreth) all the artists he and his band backed up along the way are right there to support them as they venture out and make their own name for themselves.
If you haven’t been out to a show in a while, don’t let the opportunity pass you by because we really do have something special going on here in Winnipeg.
Here are a few others who seem to agree:
The trailer to Mike Latschislaw’s documentary about the Winnipeg music scene:
http://vimeo.com/60054088
Josie Leoppky’s podcast featuring Manitoban musicians:
http://andthenpodcast.wordpress.com/