NEW YEARS IN GRAVENHURST -

GETTNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY - FAMILY EVENTS - FOR ALL INCOMES - WHEN VOLUNTEERING IS POLITICS FREE

I HAVE BELONGED TO MANY COMMITTEES. THERE WASN'T ONE THAT I DIDN'T COME TO DESPISE BY THE END OF MY TERM OF OFFICE. TO THE POINT…….AND ALL OUR FAMILY HAS OPTED FOR THIS APPROACH, THAT WE CURRIES WOULDN'T BELONG TO ANY COMMITTEE, THAT WOULD HAVE PEOPLE LIKE US FOR MEMBERS. THIS ISN'T TO SUGGEST THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH COMMITTEES, AND WE RESPECT THE DEMOCRATIC APPROACH, JUST THAT THE PROCESS CAN BE OVERLY CUMBERSOME, AND DISCOURAGING FOR THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN!

WE LIKE OUR INDEPENDENCE TOO MUCH TO JAM OURSELVES INTO THE COMMITTEE BOX STRUCTURE. IT JUST WOULDN'T WORK. WE'D BE CLAWING TO GET OUT, THE MOMENT WE GOT IN. ANDREW HAD A TERRIBLE TIME BELONGING THE THE LOCAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, AND FOUND OUT WHAT A POWER STRUGGLE CAN DO WHEN GIVEN THE RIGHT ACCELERANT. SO WHEN I WROTE, EARLIER TODAY, ABOUT A FULL FLEDGED, "ALL BELLS AND WHISTLES," PROJECT TO CREATE A SONG FOR THE 2012 WINTER CARNIVAL, HERE IN GRAVENHURST, BOTH SONS THOUGHT IT WAS FANTASTIC…..AND WERE COMING UP WITH IDEAS RIGHT OUT THE DOOR, DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, UP TO THE STORE, AND I COULD STILL SEE THEM MOUTHING-OUT IDEAS IN MY REAR-VIEW MIRROR, AS I DROVE AWAY. I LIKE THAT ABOUT THOSE LADS. BUT IT WASN'T LIKE THIS A YEAR AGO. LET ME EXPLAIN.

AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME OF YEAR, I BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OF DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR, BUT POSSIBLY RE-VISITING SOME OF THE MUSKOKA WINTER CARNIVAL SONGS OF THE PAST, WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY BONNIE AND BRAD VEITCH, AND OF COURSE THE HOWARD CABLE ORCHESTRA BACK IN THE 1970'S, IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE DISTRICT WIDE MUSKOKA WINTER CARNIVAL……WITH A LITTLE RE-VAMP OF THEIR OWN. WHAT WE HAD PLANNED THEN, WAS TO SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS TO DO A COVER FOR THE 2011 EVENT. WHAT WE DID THEN, WAS TO LET THE CARNIVAL COMMITTEE KNOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS, AND THEY COULD BENEFIT FROM THE EXTRA PUBLICITY SUCH A RE-ISSUE WOULD GENERATE. THAT GOT US INTO A QUAGMIRE INITIALLY, AS IT BECAME APPARENT, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO APPEAR AS A DELEGATION TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL PRESENTATION…..IN ORDER TO SECURE THE COMMITTEE'S APPROVAL BEFORE GOING AHEAD WITH THE PLAN. IT WAS A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE EVENT, AND IT WAS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD, IN PRODUCTION, TO GO THROUGH THE SCHEDULING OF MEETINGS, AND THEN FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING REJECTED. SO WE DECIDED TO SHELVE WHAT WAS A GOOD AND SIGNIFICANT PROJECT AS A RESULT OF PROTOCOLS THAT WE COULDN'T DEAL WITH…..AND DO ALL THE CREATIVE WORK TO GET THE PROJECT OFF THE GROUND.

THIS YEAR, I WORKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF SCENARIOS, AND DECIDED TO GO COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT WITH THE PLAN, AND RATHER THAN USE OTHER ARTISTS' MATERIAL, AND PERFORM COVERS OF THEIR WORK, TO INSTEAD COME UP WITH SOMETHING UNIQUE WITH A GRAVENHURST STAMP. WHILE THERE ARE STILL ARTIST DECISIONS TO HAMMER OUT, AND ALL THE CREATIVE ENTERPRISE TO LET LOOSE IN THE STUDIO, IT SEEMS A GOOD BET, THERE WILL BE A NEW WINTER CARNIVAL SONG IN TIME FOR THE 2012 EVENT. IT'LL BE A FUN-INSPIRING, LIGHT HEARTED WINTER SONG FOR GRAVENHURST GENERALLY. WE HOPE THE WINTER CARNIVAL COMMITTEE WILL LIKE THE IDEA, AND THAT THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PROMOTION OF TOWN, BY THEIR OWN EAGER-BEAVER CONSTITUENTS. THIS IS NOT A PROFIT MAKING SCHEME WHATSOEVER, AND WILL BE DONE PURELY AS AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE WINTER FETE, AND TO SUPPORT THE VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE SO GENEROUSLY OF THEIR TIME, TO REJUVENATE THIS WONDERFUL OLDTIME EVENT. IF IT IS DECIDED, TO GO TO THE EXTENT OF A "FOR SALE" CD, THE MONEY OVER AND ABOVE PRODUCTION COST, WILL BE DONATED TO THE WINTER CARNIVAL COMMITTEE, TO HELP OFFSET COSTS FOR THEIR 2013 EVENT. NO ARTISTS DOING THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY…..AND THERE WILL BE NO STUDIO FEES. THIS IS A COMMITTEE-LESS, FOR-FUN PROJECT, THAT WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, WILL INCORPORATE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS…….AND THERE WILL BE AN ACCOMPANYING VIDEO COMPONENT. AND IT WILL BRING SOME PUBLICITY, HOPEFULLY, TO OUR REGION, AND BRING OUT SOME FOLKS TO ENJOY THE WEEKEND CELEBRATION. COPYRIGHT OF THE SONG WILL REMAIN WITH THE WRITER(S), MUSICIANS, WHO CREATE THE MUSIC.

WE HOPE EVERYONE, IN EVERY GROUP ASSOCIATED WITH PUTTING THIS EVENT ON, WILL APPRECIATE THE GENEROSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY MUSICIANS, DOING THIS PROJECT FOR SHEER ENJOYMENT……AND TO, IN THEIR OWN WAY, WORK TO HELP THIS COMMUNITY INITIATIVE, TO CREATE A FUN WINTER WEEKEND IN GRAVENHURST FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FUN MAKING IT, FROM THE EXCITEMENT SHOWN EARLY-ON.

WORK WILL BEGIN ON THE PROJECT SOON, FROM THE MAIN STREET STUDIO, IN THE OLD MUSKOKA THEATRE.