The Big Time Out

This past weekend, on Saturday, August 13th, I accompanied The Great Giffoni at the Big Time Out Festival!!

Our first show was early in the day, and was at the "Kid's Zone" at the festival. Although our first show was competing with the sound of the band's on stage, we still had a great audience of happy little faces - who were very intrigued and charmed by the magic show, the bunny, and of course Princess Muffin.

This festival had to have a quick relocation, originally planned for being at the Cumberland Village Park - was now at the Ash Berry Farm. A slightly smaller patch of land, it didn't seem to get in the way of the fun that was being had, the musical acts, food and fashion vendors, tipi dance tent, as well as the Burlesque tent.

With several hours in between The Great Giffoni's Magic Show sets, I was able to check out the festival, nibble on the food, dance around, people watch, and run in to friends :)

At one point my boyfriend and I were really enjoying the sounds coming from the band on stage, and as we walked closer I realized it was a band I knew - Brasstronaut, which a musician friend of mine - Sam Davidson - plays in. We originally met while performing together at the TD International Vancouver Jazz Festival in 2010, and it was a nice surprise to run in to him at this festival.

The second set of the magic show finally arrived, and we were inside the Burlesque tent this time. I love how this magic show appeals to all ages. I've accompanied The Great Giffoni at events where there are little ones as young as 1 or 2 years old in the audience, all the way to doing a birthday party for a woman in her late 80's who just adored magic shows and so her family had us come to entertain her.

 

This second show had an audience to those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, and seemed thrilled to taken to another world within this festival where they could yell and laugh and be silly kids again. 

 

 

I was thrilled because I was finally using my accordion with proper amplification! Pick ups = happy Accordion Girl!

The show was a blast for me, the audience was great, I still don't know how The Great Giffoni finds the card in that deck while blindfolded!

 

One fun moment to note: as my boyfriend and I left the festival we went through a road block. There's nothing funnier than telling a police officer you have a chicken and a bunny in your back seat :)

Let it be better than silence

What a lovely weekend that was!

It was kicked off with a great concert at the MUSE Winery, with Jeff Taylor and Buddy Greene performing.

I had met Jeff Taylor during my road trip recently, and as I passed through and paid a visit to Nashville TN my good friend Bob invited my boyfriend and I out to the Station Inn to see The Time Jumpers play.

It was life-changing to see that band, and all those incredible musicians, playing live in front of us. But also, I got to meet them! See my blog about it: I ♥ NASHVILLE

That same night at The Time Jumpers, Bob had discovered for us that there was a couple sitting near our table that was from Vancouver Island! Amazing to me since during the whole time I was at Disney I NEVER met anyone, in passing, from this corner of the planet AND no one had heard of it either.

We learned that they were having Jeff and Buddy up there for a weekend of concerts, and that time finally came.



Saturday morning, the lovely couple - Laura and Bert, hosted a workshop, by Jeff and Buddy, in their beautiful home. With about 20 musicians in the room, we learned more about both Jeff and Buddy's background, their history with music, and how their careers came to be. We then went through the Nashville number system, learned about what goes in a recording session in Nashville, heard some great stories, the importance of having good time/ playing with taste/ and how a song should 'be better than silence'. After that we all had a great time jamming together.

Two coffees, and a sudden bag of nerves later, I played messily through a gypsy song that I love, but everyone was gracious with me - and I think they enjoyed the brief departure from the bluegrass tunes we had been playing.

Towards the end of my time at the workshop I learned that both Jeff and Buddy have been on Disney recordings. I'm not sure which ones exactly, but this tickled me to know that I may very well have heard Jeff and Buddy many times before my time with Disney, as well as when I was there.

I then had a fun evening hanging out with some friends in the neighbourhood I am living in right now, and made some new little friends who were fabulous little dancers:

I love performing for children, especially the dancing ones. I am available for kiddy dance parties anytime :)