Staff
Have you got a song in you just waiting to get out?
The Friends of the Fort Frances Museum, along with local musician and educator Shannon Darby, are hosting a youth song-writing workshop Sept. 7-8 and are looking for individuals aged 13-17 to participate.
“I am truly excited to be leading a youth song-writing workshop for the museum,” said Darby, who has her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from Brandon University and currently is completing a Master’s in Community Music at the University of Limerick in Ireland.
“It is a great opportunity for me to share the skills and activities I learned while studying in Ireland,” she reasoned.
“The workshop is Canadian-themed and all youth are welcome regardless of previous musical experience,” Darby added.
“The goal is to simply have fun and make music together.”
Participants will work together to write music. The process will encourage them to co-operate, collaborate, experiment with creativity, and build individual self-confidence.
Participants do not have to have any prior musical experience, but those who do are urged to bring along their own instruments as they can be used during the workshop.
The workshop will take about six hours, which will be divided into three-hour sessions over the two days.
A maximum of 15 participants can sign up, with the registration fee being $10.
To register, contact the Fort Frances Museum (274-7891) or drop by in person.
Friends of the Museum president Duane Hicks said Darby’s workshop is exactly the type of youth-oriented cultural programming the group has been raising funds to provide.
“We’re excited to have someone as talented and educated as Shannon to conduct this song-writing workshop,” he noted.
“It is the first in what we plan to be a continuing series of fun and informative workshops,” added Hicks.
“We’ve been raising funds for the past year-and-a-half and now we’re aiming to start spending that money—to give back to the community which has supported us.”
The major fundraiser for the Friends of the Museum is its fall soirée and fundraiser gala, which debuted last November.
Planning is underway to hold an even bigger and better version this year on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the museum.
This event will tie into the “Threadworks” exhibit—the very popular travelling exhibit which features art created with fabric and yarns.
In conjunction with this will be the first-ever Fort Frances Fibre Art Festival, which will showcase local crafters who work with textiles and will participate by submitting their work for all to appreciate.
The evening promises to be full of visual art, live music, as well as wine, cheese, and hors d’oeuvres.
It also will feature a silent auction and games.
More details about the gala will be revealed in the coming months.
