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Haram performing at Music in the Courtyard concert series at the Firehall Arts Centre

Vancouver Sun Q&A

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Q&A: Diane Kadota talks about Vancouver Independent Music Centre

VIM House is an organization hoping to see a purpose-built music centre in Vancouver.

Stuart Derdeyn | December 16, 2021

Anyone lucky enough to find themselves at one of the 18 Music in the Courtyard concert series show at the Firehall Arts Centre this summer enjoyed an eclectic and varied presentation of some of the local music scene’s finest performers.

From blasting Latin jazz from trumpeter John Korsrud and Hard Rubber New Music to works by Benjamin Britten and Béla Bartók courtesy of Microcosmos or the guitar-testry of Paul Pigat and Jeremy Holmes, the concerts were presented by the Firehall centre and the Vancouver Independent Music Centre (VIM). While one of these venues is long-running and well-known, VIM is a relative newcomer that is also stretching out into programming at local movie theatres such as the Fox, Rio and Hollywood for its Music at the Cinemas series.

The non-profit charitable group was established in 2011 with the goal of developing a central, accessible, sustainable and culturally diverse music centre, the VIM House .

Planned for a 2026 opening, this new, purpose-built 20,000 square foot space in the former Plaza of Nations area of northeast False Creek is presently in the planning stages.

Rather than wait around and see what comes, VIM House is moving into putting on curated concert series focusing on the kinds of music that aren’t immediately what one would expect to see in an arena, soft seat hall or nightclub. A fundraising drive through Canadahelps.org hopes to raise $10,000 by Dec. 31. At this time, the group hasn’t been designated as the operators, although they have spearheaded the concept.

Diane Kadota, veteran Vancouver arts manager and VIM House committee member, talked to Postmedia News about what the idea for this new space is, why there is a need for it and what the hopes are moving forward:

Postmedia: What made the whole idea come about for VIM House?

Kadota: In 2006, a group of individuals from across the local music scene came together to discuss a purpose-built space for music that had the right ambience, acoustic designs and atmosphere for presenting music in, because so many of the local spaces were designed primarily for spoken word. We have the Dance Centre, places such as the Arts Club, the Cultch and Firehall, which support theatre, and a number of artist-run spaces for visual arts but nothing for music.

Q: Given those examples you’ve just made, why is it that there isn’t a “music centre” specifically designed for presenting live shows, instead of musical acts constantly having to work with existing spaces that weren’t designed with live music in mind first and foremost?

A: I’ve been pondering this for many years, and there are several reasons I see. Part is the mindset that musicians should be able to make a living without subsidy, and the American music industry supporting that contention. Where visual artists can really articulate what they need, and have been well-subsidized for decades, music people haven’t been able to find the same access.

Q: Spaces such as the celebrated Bimhuis in Amsterdam must be an inspiration to your idea for the VIM House?

A: Very much so, particularly the Bimhuis location which had a slightly rougher character to it. It was very easy to come to listen, or move to the bar to talk without disturbing other people and also to stand and listen. I liken proscenium theatres to a church where you are expected to sit and listen for an hour to sermons and only get up occasionally to sing. A lot of people don’t want to stay quietly seated to listen to music and we need a space that accommodates a number of listening styles.

Q: In the meanwhile, you are getting into presenting performances at other locations, such as the recent Cinema series in theatres such as the Fox. Will these continue?

A: That came out of the four-member committee deciding to start with what we know, which is being immersed in music, and not just waiting for something to be built. The Music in the Courtyard series is certainly going to continue and we have musician Jo Hirabayashi, whose group Jo Passed was signed to Sub Pop, coming into the Fox for a trio of shows sometime in 2022. We are having a hard time confirming dates as everyone is clamouring for space as things reopen.

Q: That helps make the case that the city could use a designated space for music to be presented that falls somewhere outside of the giant arenas, big symphonic concert halls or nightclub settings where music is mostly heard today, doesn’t it?

A: Yes, it does. At the same time that we were doing our studies, the City of Vancouver has done its own studies around this as well, and what is clear is that we don’t really have existing models to draw from. You need to come up with a design that can encompass a spectrum of musical styles in a warm space that has a range of sounds, as well as such amenities as a bar, cafe, etc.

sderdeyn@postmedia.com

twitter.com/stuartderdeyn

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Music at the Cinemas Series

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Banner for the Music at the Cinemas series

Vancouver Independent Music Centre (VIM) presents:

Music at the Cinemas 2022

The Vancouver Independent Music Centre is presenting Music at the Cinemas, a series of live music concerts at two iconic Vancouver cinemas, the Rio and the Fox from February 26 to April 3, 2022. These concerts will reflect the diversity of music art, cultures and practices of local, regional and national artists. Music at the Cinemas will transport audiences across time and space, immersing them in different worlds of music.

At the Fox
2321 Main Street
Shows 7:30 pm; doors 6:30 pm
19+ Entry with proof of vaccination

  • Saturday, February 26, 7:30 pm: Tony Wilson’s The Homeless Project
  • Thursday, March 3, 7:30 pm: Double Bill – Itamar Erez Quartet / Shruti and Raagaverse
  • Thursday, March 17, 7:30 pm: Triple Bill – jo passed / Sleepy Gonzales / Amanda Sum
  • Saturday, April 2, 7:30 pm: First Nations, First Strings – An Evening Celebrating Indigenous Guitarists with Jason Burnstick and George Leach

At the Rio
1660 East Broadway
19+ Entry with proof of vaccination

  • Sunday, March 13, 8 pm: Hard Rubber Orchestra’s Tribute to King Crimson plus Videos courtesy of Covid
  • Friday, March 18, 7:30 pm: Lil Opry Night
  • Sunday, April 3, 7:30 pm: Double Bill – Onibana Taiko / Gamelan Gita Asmara

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We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Canadian Heritage through the Support for Workers in the Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund, the BC Arts Council through the Resilience Fund and the City of Vancouver through Cultural Services.

 

Sunday, April 3 (2022)

Double Bill: Onibana Taiko and Gamelan Gita Asmara

The Rio, 1660 East Broadway
7:30 pm Show; 6:30 pm Doors / Tickets: Sliding Scale 19+
Tickets: riotheatretickets.ca
Program: wp.me/a59tPM-pI

Livestream on Youtube (by donation through CanadaHelps)

Onibana Taiko – Japanese folk music with a touch of feminist punk aesthetics

  • Noriko Kobayashi: vocals, tsugaru shamisen
  • Leslie Komori, vocals, drums
  • E. Kage: vocals, drums

Onibana Taiko is kick-ass taiko meets traditional Japanese folk art forms meets feminist queer punk aesthetics. We play taiko combined with our uber tactile and full-body resonating beats with the driving sounds of shamisen (Japanese Banjo),  and soul-piercing traditional Japanese vocals and fue (a wooden flute).  Onibana Taiko invites audience members to commune with our ancestors through Obon dance and music (sort of like a Buddhist Japanese Dia De Los Muertos celebration). 

onibanataiko.ca

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDdXiXA6VO2hlnH1nM4IwbQ
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/OnibanaTaiko
Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/onibana.taiko/?hl=en

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Gamelan Gita Asmara

Gamelan Gita Asmara is an ensemble that uses a new kind of Balinese gamelan set called Semaradhana. They are a dedicated collective committed to mastering this challenging music together, with the rewards of making something of aesthetic and social value, and the joy of sharing this with audiences. For this performance they will be joined by guest artist I Dewa Made Suparta, a musician, composer, and teacher. Immersed in Balinese gamelan from early childhood, he began performing at age 10. Dewa is a founding member of Çudamani, one of Bali’s most innovative gamelan ensembles.

gitaasmara.ca

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFKGE85oEkU
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKKTo3w_QQ

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Saturday, April 2 (2022)

First Nations, First Strings banner

The Fox, 2321 Main Street
Doors:  6:30 pm    Tickets:  Sliding Scale 19+  
Tickets: vim_apr2.eventbrite.ca

Livestream on Youtube (by donation through CanadaHelps)

First Nations, First Strings…An Evening Celebrating Indigenous Guitarists with Jason Burnstick, George Leach, Raven Kanatakta and Marty Ballentyne. Featuring special guest M’Girl

  • Jason Burnstick:  guitar
  • George Leach:  guitar
  • Raven Kanatakta:  guitar
  • Marty Ballentyne:  guitar
  • Johnny Walsh:  bass
  • Michael Simpsonelli:  drums

M’Girl:

  • Renae Morisseau:  vocals, hand drum
  • Olivia Lucas:  vocals, hand drum
  • Deanna Newton-Gestrin: vocals, hand drum

As we all come thru the pandemic together, it’s time to start sharing our voices and celebrate our songs. One of the few live Indigenous music shows in 2022 in Vancouver, features award-winning musicians and songwriters, Jason Burnstick (Cree), George Leach (Stl’atl’imx), Raven Kanatakta (Anishinaabe/Mohawk), and Marty Ballentyne (Cree) unite for a riveting evening of original, breathtaking music. They will be joined by local Vancouver musicians, Johnny Walsh on bass, and Michael Simpsonelli on drums. 

Hereditary Chief Ian Campbell, whose ancestral names are Xalek and Sekyu Siyam, is from the Squamish and Musqueam Nations. He’s a mover and shaker both culturally and politically in his home communities and throughout Vancouver for many years. He will do the land acknowledgment and welcome everyone to the evening!

The evening’s host and MC is music industry trailblazer, programmer, producer, songwriter and manager, the incomparable Elaine Bomberry (Anishinaabe/ Cayuga from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory). Bomberry co-created a Juno award category solely for Indigenous artists.

This special evening opens with M’Girl, a percussive hand-drum group who create beautiful harmonies fusing both traditional Indigenous and contemporary rhythms. Lead by Renae Morisseau (Cree/Saulteaux), and accompanied by Olivia Lucas (Cree/Metis/Black), Deanna Newton-Gestrin (St’at’imc), they are honoured to share their songs on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.  www.mgirlmusic.ca

This intimate concert showcases multi-award winning Jason Burnstick, who has won a 2020 Leo Award for Composer of the Year for Best TV Movie, an Indigenous Music Award, also an Aboriginal People Choice Music Award, and was a JUNO nominee twice over his career. Performing on his original vintage 1920’s Weissenborn lap slide guitar, he always gains new fans wherever he performs.  www.burnstickduo.com

Also performing is George Leach, whose soulful voice and guitar playing reflect the beauty of his home territory. He’s also won a few music awards, including a 2014 JUNO award and 3 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards. George’s musical style ranges from blues slide to hard-hitting rock and roll.  www.georgeleach.com

Joining the stage of these amazingly talented guitarists is Raven Kanatakta of the JUNO award-winning Digging Roots fame. He’s also a songwriter, producer, engineer, film scorer and music entrepreneur. As a teenager he attended and graduated from the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston. With his wife ShoShona Kish, his partner in Digging Roots, they have toured in Europe, the US, Mexico, Australia and Scandinavia.  www.diggingrootsmusic.com

Marty Ballentyne created one of Canada’s original Indigenous hard rock bands, Breach of Trust from LaRonge, SK that won three awards at the former Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Marty says, “I play music and I love it. My life is small without it. Let’s agree to put music where it belongs – at the centre of our experience. I’ll play a song for you.” 

Johnny Walsh has been performing, writing, and teaching music on guitar and bass across Canada for over 20 years! I started my music career at Vancouver Community College in 1999 where I earned a diploma and then finished my education at McGill University in 2005 where I received a BMus in jazz performance. Since 2008 I have been the bassist in the award-winning groups Brasstronaut, and Dan Mangan and have travelled the world playing music. I have worked in many capacities including being a sideman in countless projects, as a studio session musician, a performer on cruise ships, a film/commercial composer, and as an instructor. I’ve earned several awards, including a WCMA for “Songwriter(s) of the Year” with Dan Mangan + Blacksmith in 2015, the SOCAN Echo Songwriting prize with Brasstronaut in 2010, and a Juno award for “Best Alternative Album” with Dan Mangan for “Oh, Fortune” in 2011.

Michael Simpsonelli has worked professionally in the Canadian music industry for over 25 years as an in-demand session player, with an extensive list of artists. He leads his own band, Crooked Rider- as guitarist and composer, playing spaghetti-western and surf-rock style originals. He produces and records with various artists at an East Vancouver studio, produces VR360 videos, and is currently designing interactive 3D music experiences with spatial audio, by developing virtual and augmented reality applications.

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Friday, March 18 (2022)

Tickets: riotheatretickets.ca

Lil Opry Night: An intimate variety show with Vancouver roots & country favourites

  • Carolyn Mark: guitar,vocals
  • Dawn Pemberton: vocals
  • Scott Smith Adventures in Pedal Steel: pedal steel
  • Stephen Nikleva: guitar
  • Stringband Sundae (Trent Freeman: fiddle; Patrick McGonicle: fiddle, mandolin; Alison DeGroot: banjo;  Mark Kilianski: guitar)
  • Jack Garton: accordion
  • Jeanette Kotowich: metis dancer
  • Kathleen Nisbet: fiddle, guitar, vocals
  • Chelsea DE Johnson: vocals, guitar

Presented by Vancouver Independent Music Centre (VIM), Vancouver Folk Music Festival and The East Van Opry, the warm and intimate A Little Opry adapts the popular annual East Van Opry to bring you some of your favourite Roots and Country music performers from right here in East Vancouver, on the same Rio Stage. From Heatley fixtures Scott Smith and Stringband Sundae, to Canadian soul treasure Dawn Pemberton, BC great Carolyn Mark, and Petunia and the Vipers veterans Stephen Nikleva & Jack Garton, this show is sure to satisfy your Opry cravings. Put on your cowboy boots, and get ready for a variety show that’ll give you a taste of everything you’ve been missing.

instagram.com/eastvanopry

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Thursday, March 17 (2022)

Tickets: vim_mar17.eventbrite.ca

Livestream on Youtube (by donation through CanadaHelps)

Triple Bill: jo passed/ Sleepy Gonzales/ Amanda Sum

jo passed – A band whose music exists somewhere between dream pop, shoegaze, indie rock, and prog

  • Jo Hirabayashi: vocals, guitar, keyboard
  • Téa Mei: bass
  • Mac Lawrie: drums

Vancouver-based jo passed was founded by self-described “freaky music weirdo” Joseph Hirabayashi in 2015. They balance languid melodies and blissed-out vocals against guitar figures that are by turns artful and aggressively physical. Following extensive North American touring, the group landed a deal with the respected American indie label Sub Pop and released their debut album Their Prime in May 2018.

jopassed.com

Sleepy Gonzales – A collective daze with languid dream-pop jams in all directions

    • Ally Lowry: vocals
    • Cristian Hobson-Dimas: vocals, guitar
    • Nick Moniz: bass
    • Beni Hobson-Dimas: vocals, drums

Described as “Musical ADHD,” Sleepy Gonzales is an indie rock group from a small basement jam space called Dougie’s Den in Surrey, BC. Made up of half-Mexican twins Beni and Cristian Hobson-Dimas plus Nick Moniz and Ally Lowry, they all bring their own musical influences to the mix. Described as the feeling of “jumping out of a plane without a parachute and landing softly in your bed.” 

sleepyfuckinggonzales.com

Amanda Sum – Jazz-influenced indie-pop, singer-songwriter, or folk, depending on the day

  • Jamie Lee: drums
  • Kristin Fung: synth bass, synths
  • Amanda Sum: keyboard, electric guitar, vocals

The Permanent Rain Press described Amanda’s “quirky indie pop” as having “the perfect amount of wit and tact.” Her lyrics revolve around identity, whether being a woman, a person of colour, young, or a Virgo. Amanda champions other under-represented artists through her work by making her opportunities collective ones. Her debut full-length record is currently underway.

amandasum.com

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Sunday, March 13 (2022)

Tickets: riotheatretickets.ca

Livestream on Youtube (by donation through CanadaHelps)

Hard Rubber Orchestra Presents: A Tribute to King Crimson featuring Erik Severinson

  • John Korsrud, Eric Wettstein: conductors
  • Erik Severinson: vocals
  • Eliot Doyle: drums
  • Jack Duncan: percussion
  • André Lachance: bass
  • Cameron Wilson: amplified violin
  • Bill Sample: keyboards
  • Ron Samworth: guitar
  • Bill Runge: soprano, tenor sax
  • Tom Keenlyside: alto sax, flute
  • Jon Bentley: tenor sax
  • Chad Makela: baritone sax, bass clarinet
  • Brian Harding: trombone
  • Jim Hopson: trombone
  • Cam Henderson: trombone
  • Andrew Broughton: trombone
  • Derry Byrne: trumpet
  • Geeta Das: trumpet
  • Jocelyn Waugh: trumpet
  • John Korsrud, Bill Runge, Eric Wettstein: arrangers

Hard Rubber Orchestra pays tribute to one of the most influential progressive rock bands of all time, bringing the music of King Crimson to life at the Rio Theatre for one night only! Joining HRO for this very special show is vocalist Erik Severinson. The evening will include a special presentation of video and music by Harry Stafylakis and Eliot Doyle, Peggy Lee and Melissa Hubert, and James O’Callaghan.

hardrubber.com

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Thursday, March 3 (2022)

Tickets: vim_mar3.eventbrite.ca

Double Bill: Itamar Erez Quartet/ Shruti and Raagaverse

Itamar Erez Quartet – Delicateness of Middle Eastern music, freedom of jazz, passion of flamenco

  • Itamar Erez: piano, guitar
  • François Houle: clarinet
  • James Meger: bass
  • Kevin Romain: drums

This quartet of accomplished musicians and interpreters creates music of depth and sensitivity based primarily on Itamar’s original compositions. Itamar Erez’s most recent CD, Mi Alegria, has received rave reviews and garnered a nomination for 2020 Instrumental Artist of the Year from the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Clarinetist François Houle is inspired by collaborations with the world’s top musical innovators. He has developed a unique improvisational language, virtuosic and rich with sonic embellishment and technical extensions. James Meger plays primarily in jazz, free improvisation and rock music, working with many local and international players. Kevin Romain, one of the most in-demand drummers in Vancouver’s creative music scene, moves freely between jazz, improvised and contemporary styles.

itamarerez.com

Shruti and Raagaverse – Contemporary Indo-Jazz Fusion Collaborative Ensemble

  • Shruti Ramani: voice
  • Jodi Proznick: bass
  • Noah Franche-Nolan: piano
  • Nicholas Bracewell: drums

Raagaverse is an exciting Indo-Jazz Fusion project headed by Shruti Ramani in a collaboration with Jodi Proznick and Noah Franche-Nolan. The group was formed to create new music that highlights each band member’s musical personality and background. For this performance, they will be joined by Nicholas Bracewell on drums. Expect an energetic and enthralling performance.

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Saturday, February 26 (2022)

Tickets: vim_feb26.eventbrite.ca

The Homeless Project is the third in composer, guitarist Tony Wilson’s series of projects that address pressing social issues.

  • Tony Wilson: composer, writer
  • Rhea McKinley: writer
  • Mike McKinley: filmmaker
  • Patsy Klein: vocals
  • J.P. Carter: trumpet
  • Joshua Zubot: violin
  • John Kastelic: viola
  • Tony Wilson & Cole Schmidt: guitars
  • Russell Sholberg: bass
  • Kenton Loewen: drums
  • Michael McNamara: narrator
  • Jessica Heuchert: ASL

The Homeless Project is the third in composer, guitarist Tony Wilson’s series of projects that address pressing social issues. The original project, A Day’s Life (2015), dealt with drug addiction and Looking Back (2019) addressed child abuse. Tony explains that “It is important for me at this time to shine a light on those who are less fortunate and whose struggles are often ignored.”

allaboutjazz.com/musicians/tony-wilson

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Saturday, November 27 (2021)

Tickets: vim27nov.eventbrite.ca

Veda Hille with Lucien Durey, Patsy Klein & Nicholas Krgovich – Songs about love and nature and time, in an art rock/chamber folk style

 • Veda Hille voice and keyboards
 • Lucien Durey voice
 • Patsy Klein voice
 • Nicholas Krgovich voice and keyboards.

Veda Hille has been writing music, making records, and performing internationally since 1992. She is a classically trained pianist, art school drop-out, performance curator, self-taught singer, theatre interloper, and independent artist. She has released 22 albums, the latest being Little Volcano, a solo album that accompanies her new touring show. For this special night at the Fox she has gathered a team of beautiful singers, because she has missed singing with people so much over the last while.

vedahille.com
Miracles by Veda Hille
Charismatic M.F. by Veda Hille

Tillicum Shantie – Featuring jazz arrangements of Salish songs and the music of two legendary indigenous jazz artists – Mildred Bailey and Jim Pepper

 • Russell Wallace voice, drums
 • Tony Wilson guitar
 • Michelle Bardach voice
 • Sam Dabrusin voice
 • Dave Say sax
 • Russell Sholberg bass
 • Kai Basanta drums

Russell Wallace is an award winning composer and a traditional singer from the Lil’wat Nation. He is an alumnus of Capilano University (Theatre), University of BC (Creative Writing), Banff Centre for the Arts (Composer), and Spirit Song Native Theatre (Theatre). Wallace is one of the founding members of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast. Wallace received a Leo Award for Best Musical Score for a documentary series, 1491: The Untold History of the Americas Before Columbus. Wallace has been a guest programmer for Word Vancouver and has programmed and managed the Aboriginal Electronic Music Festival for a number of years.

Excerpt from Tillicum Shantie’s performance at KW Studios on May 4, 2021

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Friday, December 3 (2021)

Tickets: vim3dec.eventbrite.ca

Josh Zubot Strings – A wide gamut of melodic/ suspenseful harmony, energy, improvisation and extended exploration in sound

 • Josh Zubot violin, composer
 • Jesse Zubot violin, viola
 • James Meger bass
 • Meredith Bates violin
 • Peggy Lee cello

Josh Zubot’s string explorations have found a new home with his string quintet of genre defying West Coast players.

Josh’s compositions take on emotion, energy, calmness, unpredictability and virtuosic technique. The music combines traditional and graphic notation while slicing group improvisation moving from the tiniest of sound to the extreme. After hearing his acoustic string music, the listener’s sonic universe will be stretched to the limits.

Josh Zubot’s Youtube channel

Scott Smith and Tony Wilson’s Tribute to Lenny Breau and Buddy Emmons – Tribute to Canadian legendary guitarist Lenny Breau and Nashville pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons with music drawn from the jazz tradition

 • Scott Smith pedal steel
 • Tony Wilson guitar
 • Jeremy Holmes bass
 • Liam Macdonald drums

In the late ’70s guitarist Lenny Breau and pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons teamed up and recorded an album entitled Minors Aloud. Recorded in Nashville, the album became a hard-to-find classic and a must-listen for guitarists of any kind. The quartet will play the entire album as well as other tunes Lenny and Buddy collaborated on.

Scott Smith is an award winning pedal steel player and guitarist who has toured and recorded with Barney Bentall, Rich Hope and Terminal Station among many others. Host of the popular Adventures in Pedal Steel series at the Heatley, he released the instrumental album Lifeboat: Explorations in Pedal Steel in 2020.

Guitarist and composer Tony Wilson has been a fixture on the West Coast jazz and free improv scene for decades. In addition to releasing numerous albums under his own name such as Looking Back and A Day’s Life, he has also played and recorded with the Peggy Lee Band, Waxwing and Pugs and Crows.

Scott Smith and Tony Wilson play Buddy Emmons and Lenny Breau
Reach for the Sky by Tony Wilson

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VIM aims to support the enjoyment and appreciation of music of diverse cultures and genres including world, classical, jazz, folk, early, popular and experimental by local and visiting musicians and composers. VIM showcases the excellent music and musicians in Vancouver. When touring is possible, VIM will host artists from across Canada and around the world to create a place where musicians and artists from different genres and cultures will meet one another, exchange ideas and experiences and collaborate. These connections will allow VIM to reach wider audiences and to create opportunities for residents and visitors alike to discover and explore all music.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Canadian Heritage through the Support for Workers in the Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund, the BC Arts Council through the Resilience Fund and the City of Vancouver through Cultural Services.

Future shows for this series will be announced at vimhouse.ca, through the VIM House newsletter and on social media.

 

The VIM needs your feedback!

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Please take the VIM survey on Accessibility and Inclusivity in Music Venues:

 

The VIM is conducting an “Accessibility and Inclusivity Study” in order to support and ensure that the music centre will be providing a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for artists, audiences and staff, and therefore address disabling social, cultural, and political conditions that limit participation in the cultural sector.

A final report will be released in the Spring 2020 and will present the key findings regarding the following points:

  • What does accessibility mean socially, culturally, physically and financially in a music presentation centre?
  • What opportunities does a purpose-built music presentation centre present?
  • What advantages, limitations, and potential barriers will the staff and the community need to address?

The answers that you will provide in this survey will be used in the context of this study to inform the consultant about:

  • What do we need to think about accessibility and inclusivity in music venues?
  • What are the accessibility and inclusivity priorities currently identified by audiences and musicians?
  • What needs to be considered in the VIM planning?
  • What further work should be conducted?

Music Presentation Centre Planned For Plaza Of Nations

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Show Support for the Music Presentation Centre as part of the development of the Plaza of Nations

Public Hearing scheduled at City Hall
6 pm, Tuesday, July 10, 2018

We are more hopeful than ever of getting a long needed purpose built music hub for Vancouver!

The City of Vancouver`s plans for the Plaza of Nations include a music presentation centre of a minimum 20,000 sq. ft., adjacent to the civic centre, in a location that has ground floor presence and high traffic visibility, and meeting the City’s specifications and program requirements, including requirements for acoustic excellence, a venue for 225 attendees (flexible up to 325 people), an informal venue for 150 attendees standing (or 100 attendees sitting), and other service spaces to support the use of the venue. These plans appear to be based on seven years of research including dozens of interviews, focus groups and online polls of musicians, presenters, production staff, music educators and concert goers by the Vancouver Independent Music Centre Society,www.vimhouse.ca. The plans for the centre capture much of what the music community and audience members say they want and need.

If you want to support these plans for Vancouver`s first music hub, you may submit your comments by email to publichearing@vancouver.ca by Tuesday, July 10. All submitted comments will be distributed to Council and posted on the City’s website.

For more information on the public hearing process, go tohttp://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/750pacific/index.htm.

If you would like to see the letters already submitted, go to:https://council.vancouver.ca/20180710/phea20180710ag.htm

This should lead to more space for rehearsals, collaboration, performance, learning… to put music on the map for Vancouver!

Thanks for listening!

New Curation Series – Programming that reflects the VIM House vision

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A NEW CURATION SERIES

The vision for VIM House is to showcase the incredible diversity and wealth of music in Vancouver, as well as to host performers from around the world; to create a place where musicians and artists from different genres and cultures will meet one another, exchange ideas and experiences and develop new musical collaborations.

The New Curation Series will provide the first exciting glimpse at one of the many facets of the future artistic vision for VIM House. Curated by Cole Schmidt (NoSchMo) in cooperation with Rainbow Robert (Coastal Jazz), this series includes some of the most inspiring members of the jazz and creative music scenes in Vancouver: Tommy Babin, Sick Boss with Debra-Jean Creelman, Braveheart, and Waxwing. The series will open with one of the most genre defying new experimental groups from New York: Battle Trance.

Find out more about the New Curation Series concerts on our Events page.

Continue reading→

Brooklyn’s Original Music Workshop

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Link to original article from the HuffPost Arts and Culture

This past Spring, I bumped into an old friend and classmate of mine from Juilliard, the composer and producer, Paola Prestini. We hadn’t seen each other in years and she caught me up on the latest details in her life: her marriage to Jeff Zeigler (former cellist of the Kronos Quartet), their young son Tommaso, and her new role as creative director for an impressive new venue being built in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “It’s called Original Music Workshop” she told me, “it’s going to be amazing!” She explained that the Original Music Workshop will be a 24/7, state-of-the-art concert hall, recording studio, and non-profit home for young composers and performing artists- a place where one can hear bands, listen to chamber music, or record a 70 piece orchestra. “It’s going to open next year” she said, “and there’s going to be a restaurant too.”

Toward the end of our conversation, Paola informed me of the concerts they’d been hosting during their “virtual season,” a series of private preludes to what would be available to everyone. One had included butterfly-shaped kites flown through the still roofless building, and had been ranked by New York magazine as one of the top 10 classical music concerts of 2012. She then spoke of an upcoming fundraising dinner and asked if I’d like to perform for it. Their mission, the people, and the music, were right up my alley. And it got even better — OMW is a mere two blocks from my apartment. I told her to count me in.

A few weeks later, toward the end of May, I found myself sound checking in an old sawdust factory on North 6th St for an evening billed as “An Experience In The Ruins.” Gone were the hard hats and scaffolding, cement mixers and tools. The spacious hall was completely transformed, lit by hundreds of candles, projections and decorations by Helena Christensen, and the musty odor of construction had been replaced by a specially designed fragrance. Among the many talented performers on stage that evening were Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega, and Netsayi and Black Pressure, a remarkable band from Zimbabwe. The dinner guests included Bono, The Edge, and Julianne Moore. It was an extraordinary evening, and Paola had pulled it all off with style and grace.Continue reading→

Are feasibility studies white noise?

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If not, then why do so many capital campaigns derail?

May 28, 2012 By Diane Ragsdale

Last Friday, I read a story posted on AJ about Michigan Opera getting a one month reprieve on the $11 million it must pay to Chase Bank if it is going to avoid a possible bankruptcy related to delinquency on a bond obtained for a capital expansion in 2004. How did this arts organization get here? I’m assuming there was a feasibility study at the outset and that the feasibility study gave the arts organization a green light, right?

So how did it end up several million dollars “short” on its campaign? How did we end up hearing yet another story about another arts organization struggling under the debt service associated with a new building, or struggling to maintain higher than expected operating costs following the opening of a new building, or struggling to maintain the minimum amount of cash on hand required for a bond agreement? The recession, I’m guessing, is the party line. But as we all know, there’s always more to it than the recession. Besides, don’t feasibility studies account for the possibility of economic decline when they are giving their assessments? If not, perhaps they should.

Is it possible that either feasibility studies cannot be trusted or arts organizations cannot be trusted to heed the findings from them?Continue reading→

Studio Space in Vancouver

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12 Jun, 2012
 
The City of Vancouver announced a number of measures today that will significantly increase the availability of artists’ studio spaces, including over 26,300 sq. ft. of new studio and creative space that will be made available on two city-owned properties.

“Vancouver has the highest concentration of artists in Canada, and artists continue to constitute one of the fastest-growing segments of our labour force,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “The success of our creative economy is crucial to the health of our city, and today’s announcement is another example of how City Hall can help support local artists by increasing studio space.”

As part of a move to increase studio space in Vancouver, the City will be issuing a request for proposals for the use of 26,300 sq. ft. of new artists’ space at two city-owned industrial warehouses: 16,000 sq. ft. at 251 & 281 Industrial and 10,300 sq. ft. at 2625 & 2629 Kaslo. The leases will be for 3-5 years, with the aim to have tenants in place this winter.

Other measures the City is taking to support artists include:

• An additional 13,000 sq. ft. of new studio space is committed for three recently approved developments, including 20 studios in 10,000 sq. ft. of space at 1265 Howe;
• Issuing an RFP for a tenant at the Wall Centre at 102-160 West 1st, where 44,500 sq. ft. of space is designed to accommodate a 250-seat theatre and a rehearsal hall;
• The Park Board is offering six additional field houses rent-free to artists in exchange for community-engaged arts projects and programming.

The announcement is the result of the Mayor and Council’s passage of a motion from Councillor Geoff Meggs on February 14th. The motion directed City staff to work with the Park Board and School Board to identify options to provide significant new artists’ space in Vancouver and to review ways to enhance the regulatory framework for the creation and protection of such studio spaces.