tag:www.preetam.ca,2005:/blogs/preetam-s-blog?p=2Preetam's Blog2021-04-23T22:06:19-04:00Preetam Senguptafalsetag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/66124322021-04-23T22:06:19-04:002022-05-18T08:11:56-04:00Still HopeFull after all these years<p>I tend to celebrate things without much fanfare, but I thought I'd post here in my blog that it was ten years ago today that I played a show at Trinity Lounge in Sarnia as part of Empty Fest to release my HopeFull EP. I knew the room would be filled with friends and family, some of whom even came from out of town to take in the show, but I had no idea what to expect from my performance, and where it might take me in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.</p>
<p>I was very fortunate to be sharing the stage that night with Andrew Austin and Art of Fresh (D.O. Gibson and Beatchild). I'd made music with D.O. in the past, but it was Andrew who brought me back into the music industry. Those who were there might surely have their take on the show, but I remember being an awkward novice performer fumbling my way through a set of all seven songs on the record, dedicating each one to someone who was important to me. I felt nervous, I felt in over my head, and I felt loved. It was some night. In some ways, it was the culmination of a couple of months of work in studio with my dear friend Andrew Noakowski, who produced the album and to this day remains the person whose ears I trust the most when it comes to sound quality. He's also one of my biggest supporters and one of my dearest friends. While we celebrated the end of that recording process, that night was just the beginning of what has now been a ten year career as a performing singer-songwriter.</p>
<p>I'm still awkward, and still fumble my way through my sets, and still dedicate songs to people who are important to me (hope you're still listening, Skip), but I'm a little less of a novice, feel a little less in over my head, and have found a home on stage telling stories and singing songs for these past ten years. I still get nervous before every show, and will likely stop performing if that ever stops happening because I know it comes from wanting to give the audience my best. Not every show hits the same way, and no two will ever be the same, and I kind of love that about this life.</p>
<p>I thought a nice way to celebrate ten years would be to briefly acknowledge and spotlight ten people who have helped shape my performing career. There are countless people who fall into that category, and I hope I have been able to show you all my appreciation for your love and support over the years, but this list of ten is made up musicians that have played a role in getting me here, focusing on those early years. There's a link to a video of one of their songs beside each of the ten, and I've also created a <a contents="Spotify playlist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/64kDcMbWyUuib2NhoWiXQq?si=04c84fbf932e4818" target="_blank">Spotify playlist</a> with those songs.</p>
<p>Alphabetically...</p>
<p><strong>Ambre McLean - <a contents="I Can Tell" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/EIKEWsK14Wc" target="_blank">I Can Tell</a></strong><br>My Crash Bamboo bandmate and I began our relationship in 2009 with a 2-hour belly laugh-filled conversation in front of an elevator in Ottawa at the then Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference. Easily the person with whom I have the best chemistry on stage, singing with Ambre is a constant pinch-me moment for me. I'm still awestruck by the fact that she chose to be in a band with me.</p>
<p><strong>Andrew Austin - <a contents="If It Ain't This Town" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/ATSqqpQfKGg" target="_blank">If It Ain't This Town</a> </strong><br>We went to high school together and as I mentioned, Andrew brought me back into the music industry. None of this would have happened without him. I love that he was there sharing the stage with me for my first show and a number of shows since. It is so often that I have one of Andrew's songs in my head, and I will always shout it out to anyone who'll listen that he is one of this country's best singers, songwriters, and musicians, and also one of my favourite people. Beyond that, we are both part of my favourite text message group of all time.</p>
<p><strong>Anna Atkinson - <a contents="Lucybelle" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/a-81vw4rLmY" target="_blank">Lucybelle</a></strong><br>Anna is the only person who has played on both of my albums. When I say she played on my albums, I mean when she absolutely nailed her first take in our first recording session, I said "I wasn't even sure I liked that song before, and now I love it." When I was planning my release show for HopeFull in Toronto, I asked Anna if she'd like to play the opening set. She apologized for her delay in responding to my email on account of a busy few days (which I believe involved rehearsing for/playing on stage with both Josh Groban and Peter Gabriel, if I remember correctly), but she said she'd be thrilled to open for me. Having astonishing musicians and generous souls like Anna in my life at that time contributed heavily to the performer and person I've become since.</p>
<p><strong>Art of Fresh - <a contents="Get Free" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/XJtWAd0YTZE" target="_blank">Get Free</a></strong><br>Okay, this is cheating. I said ten people, and this is my way of sneaking in an eleventh, because D.O. and Beatchild are separately so important in this journey. Duane (D.O.) and I have been friends since high school, and we've done so much together over the years. We've travelled the country and the world, co-founded our Northern Power Summit conference, made countless friends, and eaten so many nachos along the way. I hope I might be as good someday as he always makes me out to be when talking to other people. Haha.<br>With Slakah (Beatchild), it's a different relationship. He produced my second album, but meant so much in my growth as an artist after the first. I've called him a wizard. His musical brain works on a different level than anyone else's I've ever known to exist. His compassion and selflessness in the creative process brings out the best in whoever he works with. I love that he shines through others as brightly as he does on his own. Also, laughing with Slakah often results in his somewhat falling into you, and it's something I hope more people get to experience in the world, because it's the best.<br>So yeah, I'm being sneaky to add another person, but at least my playlist is still ten songs!</p>
<p><strong>David Francey - <a contents="The Ballad of Bowser MacRae" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/-3r_HCP_jEg" target="_blank">The Ballad of Bowser MacRae</a></strong><br>When I'm asked about musical influences, David's name is the first one out of my mouth. As a fan of both his music and the way he's always appreciated his audiences, David embodied the type of performer I aspire to be. David originally met me as one of his fans, and we later connected at a conference where he was happy to hear that I had found my way into the industry. When I eventually recorded HopeFull, I sent it to him via email. Both he and his lovely wife Beth sent me a response as to how much they enjoyed it. They often say "never meet your idols", but in my case, one of mine became a friend, and his initial belief in me has always been an inspiration to keep finding my way as a performer.</p>
<p><strong>D'Eve Archer - <a contents="Sleeping With A Stranger" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/_mOtlRdAbv4" target="_blank">Sleeping With A Stranger</a></strong><br>Diane was one of the very first people to book me for show, and has always been one of my biggest musical supporters. Music can be a gruelling and deflating business at times, and we all need a friend to share in a bit of silliness and tomfoolery; I like to believe that Diane and I have been that for each other over the years.</p>
<p><strong>Donovan Woods - <a contents="Petrolia" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/o7s9GkGZUkI" target="_blank">N</a><a contents="Next Year" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/UmtcGf0I_tE" target="_blank">ext Year</a></strong><br>Another Sarnia friend, meeting Donovan takes me way back to Kindergarten when I attended his sister's birthday party. I have loved watching Donovan's growth and success as an artist these past few years, including his JUNO win in 2019. I don't know when we'll share another stage, but I have Donovan to thank for helping me get on a stage to begin with in my adopted city of Guelph. When I was releasing HopeFull, I had booked a small Ontario tour to support it, but couldn't get a venue in Guelph to respond to my request for a release concert. Donovan, who had agreed to play the show with me and had already garnered a fair amount of credibility in Guelph from having spent his university days here, was able to get in touch with the venue and book the show within an afternoon. My musical career journey has encountered its share of gatekeepers, but I have been fortunate to have had help from people like Donovan to get through a couple of doors along the way.</p>
<p><strong>Emm Gryner - <a contents="So Easy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/rmBEl94JSOs" target="_blank">So Easy</a></strong><br>In 2013, Donovan also introduced me to Emm, of whom I have grown so fond and grateful for over the years. We met when the three of us, along with the wonderful Pat Robitaille, played a song circle at Sarnia's 2013 ArtWalk. A year and a half later, when we organized a show that Andrew, Donovan and I had talked about for a few years - a hometown holiday show at the Sarnia Library Theatre - Emm agreed to join the bill. Since then, she and I have played that library show almost annually, and it's become the event each year that I love most. When I think about Emm's career and all that she's accomplished, what I love the most is how much she gives back to young people, emerging artists, and the community/world at large. </p>
<p><strong>Mike Celia - <a contents="Used to Be" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/zQ2iQ4UP9nw" target="_blank">Used to Be</a></strong><br>That magical 2009 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference included that conversation with Ambre, a reconnection with David Francey, meeting Anna, and also meeting Mike. He's a brilliant guitar player and singer, a trained chef and martial artist, blessed with a gift for gab, possessing of a million dollar smile, and about as loving of a soul as I've ever known. I absolutely can't make a list of people I appreciate having in my corner the most without including brother Mike.</p>
<p><strong>Sunil Achia - <a contents="Flowers" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/EVUV4vBouY0" target="_blank">Flowers</a> (The North Woods (video of part of the song))</strong><br>There's not a person whose been more influential in my musical career than Sunil. He taught me to play guitar (he's absolutely not responsible for how poorly I play it though!), introduced me to countless artists (including David Francey) that I've grown to love, helped me with so many graphics and design projects, and has been a sounding board for everything along the way. Our visits (usually a couple of times a year) never cease to energize and inspire me, and I can't wait for our next one to squeeze one of my favourite little girls and meet another who's almost a year old. Musically, one of the biggest thrills I've had over these ten years came the last time I drove east on the 401. Ambre and I (as Crash Bamboo) got to open for Sunil's new-ish band The North Woods in Smiths Falls last March. I'm so happy that he's playing music for the world to hear.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/65569532021-02-23T20:53:27-05:002021-10-28T00:53:40-04:00A long time ago in a high school not so far away...<p>A wonderful reporter named Tara Jeffrey at The Sarnia Journal got in touch with me recently, asking me to think back many years to my high school days when I was among a group of students who started the Multicultural Awareness Committee, or MAC. The story was published this week accompanied by the photo below, which I thought would prove that I once had hair, except you can't really see it that well. Haha. Reading the story brought back some fond and some not-so fond memories of that time. Sometimes the world is ugly, and high school is a tough time for that ugliness to rear its head. On the other hand, we created something out of need that grew with love. What I sent to Tara didn't include anything that she could use in the story and/or didn't reach her in time, but I thought I'd share it here. It's not very polished, but sometimes I think it's important to let one's thoughts stream out on a page (or a screen). I thanked Tara for giving me the opportunity to reflect on memories I cherished, but never really thought so deeply about until now. It makes me happy to know that MAC might still exist, and I look forward to learning how they've grown over the years.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/2c483e89499a1754f78ff5408f858809351193d0/original/the-origins-of-mac-1996-1999-dragged-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Reflecting back - and I remember feeling this way at the time but not knowing how to express it until much later - it was Kit that really inspired me. The rest of us were visible minorities, already aware of much of what came with that, living it every day. Kit taught me what allyship meant and how important it was - and remains - in both creating awareness and evoking any sort of change. Her convictions were strong and she was so tuned in to the world, well beyond what I would have expected from my peers at the time - frankly, well beyond what I expect from many of my peers now. It was incredibly refreshing when Kit came in, and almost legitimized to me what we were doing. A lot of people recognize injustice in the world and may not agree with it, but may not know what they can do about it, or don't believe they <em>can</em> do anything about it, and so they leave well enough alone, especially when it doesn't really affect them directly. Here was a 17- or 18-year-old who had certainly faced her share of judgement and social adversity, but not on account of her colour, yet a community/world where such ideologies existed was not okay with her, and she dared to do something about it. I look back at that now and think of how much Kit taught me without knowing it, and despite the drifting apart in the years that have passed, my love and respect for her has grown because I've recognized how much I continue to learn from who she already was then. </p>
<p>I love my hometown and I celebrate and praise it everywhere I go, but I recognize that there are some things that will never change about it. Racism and other societal ugliness exists everywhere, and Sarnia-Lambton is no exception, but I think there's hope. Under the unbelievable and forward-thinking guidance of Ms. (Sheri) Henderson, we planted some seeds back then that I know sprouted, and whether on those stems or others these many years later, I've been happy to notice additional growth. A couple of years ago, I walked across and took a picture at Sarnia's rainbow crosswalk, and I've also been gifted a t-shirt from Sarnia's Women's March that I feel so honoured to wear. I know educational curricula have evolved over the years and taken into account some of those things we hoped it would back then, and others that were even unknown to us at the time. I think about our First Nations, Inuit and Métis brothers and sisters and their ancestors. The residential school system was something that still existed while we were in school, and I wish that were something we had known about and were able to bring to attention with MAC. </p>
<p>On that note, I have so much hope and faith in younger generations today. They already know so much more than we did, and have the opportunity to dream in ways we didn't even know possible. I don't know if MAC still exists, but if it does, I hope it continues to evolve. Over the years, I hope MAC students took the lead in celebrating love being love. I hope they recognized a responsibility to the planet in making their decisions. I hope they celebrated and embraced new students that may have come from a war-torn part of the world a few years ago. I hope they spoke up and encouraged others to do the same when it was Them Too. I hope they have been able to teach their parents and grandparents about lives that need to matter so that they all really do. Finally, I hope one day they get to experience the feeling I have as I think back on my MAC time; we were just being ourselves, going through all of the fun and scary teenage things, believing that a better world was possible, and not realizing the inspiring mark we were leaving until we were asked to reflect on it.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/62621632020-03-25T23:27:23-04:002023-10-16T10:51:12-04:00And if we're lost, we are lost together: Reflections on a solitary Saturday night surrounded by several beautiful souls<p>Blog post below, but if you'd just like to watch the show, please click the photo (opens in a new window, Facebook account not required).<br><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/LAMApreetam/videos/546541769316846/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/db04498dd78c10516651b5950e700bef66c4af50/original/screen-shot-2020-03-25-at-11-15-25-pm.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
<p>When the Sarnia Observer heard that I was hosting an online concert, they got in touch with me for a few words about how performers are dealing with the effects of COVID-19. I knew I had written way more than they wanted/needed from me, and they posted their story today, but I thought I'd share what I had sent to them, because writing it helped me navigate my own feelings a bit, which I'd had some trouble doing leading up to, during, and even after Saturday's show. Thank you to everyone who tuned in. It was really lovely to know you were there with me.</p>
<p>Lots of love to all of you.<br>Please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay inside.</p>
<p>Preetam</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>I certainly feel for my fellow artists who have had to cancel shows/tours on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I am happy that most of my Canadian artist friends have returned home safely and are self-isolating/quarantining themselves as necessary from travelling. I know some are really struggling with the uncertainty of the current state, as well as the future of our profession. There is no telling when (or if) touring life will be able to get back to normal. I was part of a videoconference songwriters' breakfast today (yes, we did that) where people were asking how far ahead others were scheduling/re-scheduling, and there weren't really any answers. Things are changing every day, and the most important thing right now is everyone's health. Listening to public health officials (especially my dear friend, fellow Sarnian, and current CTV and CBC resident Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti) is the most important thing we can do in order to even have a chance to get back to our normal. That goes for all of us - touring artists or not. </p>
<p>I played an online show on Saturday. I had hesitated about doing it, but I'm glad I did. I keep saying that I don't know what my expectations were, but they weren't what happened. It was a pretty special evening. I had people tuning in that had never seen me perform before, from places as far as India, Nepal, and South Korea, taking in the same show at the same time as my upstairs neighbours. University friends showed up (and even caught up with each other) in the comments section, as did baseball teammates, former teachers, fellow musicians, family, friends, and fans, all while I sang alone in my house. It was such a strange feeling - singing to an empty room, but for an audience. But it felt like community. And it reminded me that we often turn to entertainment in times of uncertainty, and that I may not be a global superstar that the world is looking to, but I was the someone that those particular people turned to on Saturday evening, from the comfort of wherever they were, while I sat with my tea and cookies, singing to an empty room, trying to forget about the outside world for an hour and a half together. It was raw, flawed, honest, authentic, and special.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/62568462020-03-20T19:55:42-04:002021-07-30T12:05:05-04:00The comforts of home?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/313c58330690b8e1880b7f18b218e006814474f2/original/naan.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" />Hi everyone. I hope you're doing okay, wherever you are. I'm okay. Cozy at home, enjoying time in the kitchen, and reading, and yoga/stretching, and thinking, and having videoconferences for seemingly everything. I try to get out for a short walk every day for fresh air as well. </p>
<p>With many of us doing the right thing and staying home and away from others, some of my artist friends are struggling, having had to cancel shows/tours, and wondering when they might be able to get back to work, and what that will even look like when it happens. </p>
<p>Despite it all, many people are performing online shows, still trying to practice their craft for appreciative audiences. Sometimes that can generate some revenue, but I imagine it's mostly just because performing is what they know, and where they shine, and they just want some semblance of normal while things change so drastically so rapidly around us. </p>
<p>Some people have asked me if I can do a Facebook Live performance. By "some people", I mean 2 people, but I'm not famous, so that was enough to make me think about it. I've never done a Facebook Live thing, and I have no idea how it's going to go, but it might be nice to connect with some of you virtually that I haven't seen in a long time (or ever), so I'm going to give it a try. </p>
<p>Tomorrow night, 20h30 ET (8:30PM Eastern Time), so about 25 hours from now, on my <a contents="Facebook page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.facebook.com/LAMApreetam" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. That means maybe some early rising family in India can tune in, along with some super night owl friends in Europe and the UK. And if you don't tune in, maybe Facebook Live keeps the videos on my page so people can watch them later. Haha. Sometimes I read what I write and it's a wonder that I even know how to turn on my computer. </p>
<p>So maybe I'll "see" you then, and we can have tea and cookies and you can wear your pajamas. As a professional, I will not wear my pajamas, although one can hardly tell the difference with most of my clothes. </p>
<p>Until then (and after then), be careful, be safe, be healthy, be happy, be kind, and be physically distant but socially connected.<br>Lots of love to all of you, mes amis.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/60085112019-12-13T13:43:38-05:002019-12-13T18:38:04-05:00Holidays are tough for some<p>Hi everyone.</p>
<p>As always, it seems I've slacked on posting here. Perhaps a New Year's resolution is in order to be better with this. Those are tough though, New Year's resolutions. We always have the greatest of intentions, but sometimes it's really difficult to live up to our own expectations. I know I'm guilty of that. I write that as I sit in my favourite Guelph Public Library, where I have a few tasks on my to-do list, but I've decided to write a long overdue blog post for my website instead.</p>
<p>My year has been okay. There have been more valleys than peaks than in recent years, but I remain thankful for the life I get to have. I started a new job back in March for the first time in a few years. I now share the role of Manager of Programs and Operations at the Guelph Arts Council, which allows me to help advocate for artists in our community. I love my colleagues and enjoy the work. It's also nice that I'm only there Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which means I have Thursday through Monday to be musical artist me. That quickly turns into Folk Music Ontario board me (where I'm Co-President...what's with me and shared roles?), Northern Power Summit me (for which we're already starting our planning), French class me (oui oui), health-stressed me (I'm okay, just not eating, sleeping, or exercising as well as I'd like), and creativity-stressed me.</p>
<p>It's the creativity-stressed me that has me the most troubled, and likely leads to the rest of those commitments feeling heavier than necessary. I haven't been on stage much in 2019. I miss it. I played a lovely little farm house concert in early November, and it brought me so much joy. I realized how much I missed doing it. I am looking forward to our show in Guelph this weekend (you should come because it's going to be really fun), as well as our "annual" Sarnia show that is happening on February 1st. They will be temporary reprieves from feeling creativity-stressed, but hopefully I find that more permanent solution somewhere along the way. People have asked why I don't play more shows, if that's what brings me joy. It's a valid and excellent question. My concern is that I haven't been writing a lot, and I feel bad going out on stage to play the same songs that people have heard over and over again. Of course, people love going to see their favourite artists and hearing the hits, but that's tough when you're not many people's favourite artist and you don't really have any hits. I'm incredibly fortunate to have the support I do from the people who come to my shows. I love you all for it. I want to give you new songs that I think you deserve. I could go on the road to play shows in places I haven't been to reach new audiences with the same songs, but it's a tough undertaking - when you already face financial hardships - to know you'll come back from a tour having spent more than you'll likely make. This is a labour of love, and I will absolutely go to new places and lose all the money to share my joy and try to make some genuine connections with people in the near future, it's just that 2019 hasn't been the year for that.</p>
<p>It's not doom and gloom. Despite not feeling the greatest about some things, I've definitely had some highs, and I've learned a lot about myself this year. I'm a bookkeeping nerd, which I kind of knew, but I get to practice my nerdcraft these days. My French has improved, and I spoke it in public for the first time ever at this year's Folk Music Ontario conference during my opening remarks. I won my first ever tennis tournament this summer. I've been playing for over 30 years. We've done some excellent work on the Folk Music Ontario board, and our Northern Power Summit event was another one to celebrate. Musically, I performed (and was well-received) at a hip hop conference in the Netherlands this summer. I also explored co-writing in a marginally deeper way than I had before, which taught me of the different roles involved in that process. I also had a little ego boost last night when someone approached me to say they remembered and enjoyed my story and performance at the Beyond Borders event earlier this year (it's a super cool program for Guelph secondary students). The best part about the recognition and the conversation was that the person was actually on stage in the middle of singing a song when it happened. She saw me, gestured for me to wait a second before I left, and during an instrumental break in the song, she came out to say hello. I thought it was very kind of her.</p>
<p>The final favourite thing I'll tell you about from this year is the establishment of our "Singy-songy Guelphies monthly breaky meet(or meat-free)-up", where a group of us Guelph folkies have a standing date for a monthly breakfast together. There have been as few as 3 and as many as 11 of us there, and there might be a 30ish-year age range around the table, but it's led to a wonderful building of community within our community. It has also led to the show we're playing together this weekend, called "<a contents="Festive Nites with Guelphites" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/festive-nites-with-guelphites-tickets-80949302543" target="_blank">Festive Nites with Guelphites</a>".</p>
<p>So as we come into the thick of the holiday season, remember that - like life - it's more about kindness than anything else. Remember that there are those who struggle. Some show it, some don't. Sometimes this time of year makes it worse. Just try to be your best you to the degree that you can. Say hello to friends you know, and maybe even everyone you meet. They might need that. Have a wonderful start to winter and the new year. I hope I'll see you more when the calendar rolls into 2020.</p>
<p>love & best,</p>
<p>Preetam</p>
<p>As I try to do each year, I'm once again offering for free to anyone that might enjoy it, my 2008-before-I-ever-thought-I'd-be-a-performing-musician holiday album. Please feel free to download and share <em><a contents="to you, from me...this christmas" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://preetam.bandcamp.com/album/to-you-from-me-this-christmas" target="_blank">to you, from me...this christmas</a></em>. Maybe 2020 will lead to a new festive release...</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/54673112018-10-12T16:18:14-04:002020-12-18T20:17:13-05:00Sending love to someone who changed my life<p>After receiving the wonderful news last night of a friend now in full remission, I read on Twitter today that Gill Deacon - host of CBC Toronto's "Here and Now" - will be off in order to receive treatment for cancer. It made me sad to read that. It was one year ago this week that I had a chance to meet and speak with Gill on the show, and it changed my life. </p>
<p>I suppose that sounds dramatic, but allow me to continue. My pre-interview with a lovely producer involved what I thought was a lot of talk about my new head, which ended up making me a bit nervous about going on the show. Don't get me wrong. I was thrilled that a high-profile show in Canada's largest city on our national broadcaster was interested in speaking with me, but I wasn't interested in talking a lot about my neurosurgery. I had just released my new album, and was hoping to put the past behind me and focus on the music. I wondered if there might be too much talk about my health, distracting people from the music, and I remember saying that I didn't want to be defined by my head. </p>
<p>Even though the producer had explained that it wouldn't be that way, pointing out the positive things that could come from my story, I still felt nervous right up until I met Gill. She is a cancer survivor, and she told me she knew exactly how I felt, not wanting to be defined by her health. It was that few seconds that put me completely at ease. She led our conversation beautifully, making me feel very comfortable sharing my story with her. In what I think makes for a great interviewer, she made me forget that there was a microphone in front of me, giving the impression that the two of us were simply having a conversation, without any sort of audience. </p>
<p>But there was an audience. People listened to our conversation. And Gill making me feel so comfortable made some of those listeners believe that I might be comfortable having that conversation in other places with other people. And so it became that I started to tell my story and share my music at brain injury events. I started to speak about things like perseverance, resilience, and mindfulness in schools with students ranging from elementary to post-secondary. And it turns out I really love those "shows". My concerts have always involved a lot of storytelling, but this is different. Here, it's the song that supports the story, not the story setting up the song. </p>
<p>I have Gill Deacon to thank for helping me find that. Her empathy for where my head was at (I had to) earned my trust, and she guided my sharing to a balance of information, personality, and vulnerability. It's a testament to her talent as an interviewer, but more importantly to her nature as a human being. </p>
<p>Sending Gill my love and best wishes while she's off, I will wait anxiously but patiently for her to return and help other people tell their stories...and hopefully our next photo together will feature the top half of my left eye and my hat. </p>
<p>Get well soon, Gill!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/5761f25367592cefa82b79a571bfb63e2a689c84/original/w6dtii11.jpeg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/52138342018-05-02T16:33:18-04:002021-07-20T11:49:42-04:00A new kind of show, reading, CBC, and Instagram<p>I always say I should write here more, especially when I write here, if that makes any sense. Regardless, I'm writing from Halifax, Nova Scotia today, here for East Coast Music Week. I've settled in nicely with a cup of tea at my Airbnb, about to make dinner before I head out for the evening, so I thought this might be a nice time to give you a little update.</p>
<p>I have no idea where the first few months of 2018 have gone. It's suddenly May, and the two most recent little loves in my life just turned 4 months and 1 year old respectively a couple of weeks ago. The other almost 1-year-old is that <em>Patience</em> album I celebrated being finished with shows in Guelph and Toronto last May. The official release wasn't until September, but at the rate months seem to be passing, that'll be here in no time as well.</p>
<p>As the title of this post may indicate, I've been up to some stuff the last little while. Following my early February show for a near capacity River Run Centre audience in Guelph, I had the opportunity to speak/perform at a brain injury conference in Hamilton. I gave a similar talk/performance at Holland College in Charlottetown back in November, and I'm really enjoying these speaking gigs. I've now spoken to students from elementary up to post-secondary, and that brain injury conference found me in front of non-students for the first time as a speaker. For those that have been to my shows, you know I don't shy away from a story, and now I get to harness those into this new type of show, and I'd love to continue doing this.</p>
<p>Speaking of stories, I've tried to do a lot of reading lately. I picked up Cherie Dimaline's "The Marrow Thieves" from the library just before boarding the plane to Halifax yesterday, so that was my in-flight entertainment and before bed reading yesterday. I almost want to skip everything this week and just cozy up with that, but I'd probably be wise to participate in some things here.</p>
<p>Continuing on this book theme, last week I was on CBC's "The Next Chapter" with Shelagh Rogers, which was kind of a "pinch me" moment for me, as I'm a huge fan of hers and of the show. It was also pretty cool that one of my songs ("Long Way Down") was played on a CBC national program for the first time. Anyway, I recommended Richard Wagamese's "Ragged Company" as part of the show's "Bedside Books" segment, and you can listen to that by clicking on this selfie that I took with the book while sitting on the floor at the Guelph Public Library:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">(Blog continues under photo)</p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/why-preetam-sengupta-found-ragged-company-to-be-good-company-1.4628106" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/ab89aba439305155aeec7c8f75a9c8f663f60fac/original/preetam-selfie-at-the-library.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
<p>I think that photo is the type of thing that people post on Instagram...that people Instagram...can that be a verb? I'm not super savvy when it comes to that platform (nor any others, really), but I've been trying to use it a bit lately because that's what people do now, and I should try to keep up. So, if you'd like to follow me there, you can find me at www.instagram.com/LAMApreetam. Also, if you know if "Instagram" can be a verb, please let me know because now I'm going to keep thinking about it.</p>
<p>Okay, it's time to make dinner. I'm trying to stay healthy and well-nourished for an action-packed few weeks ahead. As mentioned, I'm in Halifax for East Coast Music Week with a show here (at the Carleton) next Monday opening for Steve Poltz. After that, I'm home for a few days before heading overseas for a week in the Netherlands, then back for a few days in Cobalt, Ontario, then back over to Ireland, and then on to France until the 10th of June. Maybe I'll see some of you along the way, which would be fantastic. If not, let's hope our paths cross another time sooner than later. Happy May!</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/49873712017-12-20T23:54:41-05:002023-05-31T06:32:53-04:00A holiday tradition: a musical gift for you<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/b01c6b1c32baede76c3f5b2fadaccaa2e054ef4e/medium/img-0612.jpeg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><font size="1">It was too pretty not to stop and take this photo as I drove from Miramichi NB to Montreal QC.</font><br> </p>
<p>It's been a while since I've posted. I've completed my "Mostly East Coast" Tour since then, which had me away for all of November, meeting lots of new people with whom I got to share my stories and music. I feel like I should dedicate a full post to the tour itself, so maybe I'll leave it at that for today and just mention that I had a blast, and that I can't wait to go back again. I love the Maritimes.</p>
<p>So today I wanted to share what's become an annual tradition. Many of you will know this (and already have this), but there are some people that have only been introduced to me in the past year, so this is new for you. A number of years ago, before I was a performing singer-songwriter guy, I recorded an album of holiday songs in my friend's apartment over the course of a weekend. It was recorded as a gift, so I recycle it every year for anyone who wants it, or wants to share it with other people. It's called <em>To: you. From: me. This Christmas.</em> I'm not entirely sure how the punctuation is supposed to work on that, but on the original album cover art, it read okay.</p>
<p>My timing being wonderful as usual, I'm giving you this after you've likely been bombarded with Christmas songs everywhere you've been for the past month or so. You still have a few more days of it to endure, so maybe you can include mine in that time. And if you're entirely tired of Christmas songs, I also happen to have released a non-Christmas album a couple of months ago, and I'd love for you to listen to that one as well.</p>
<p>I'll do my best to write again before the holidays are over, as I owe you a tour update. In the meantime, please be safe and enjoy the holiday season, hopefully surrounded by loved ones and eating a lot of great food. Here's where you can find the album, available as a free download: <strong>http://preetam.bandcamp.com/album/to-you-from-me-this-christmas</strong></p>
<p>Thanks for listening, and I'll talk to you soon.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/48994882017-10-20T01:31:19-04:002020-12-18T20:16:27-05:00Thanks-giving<p>Before our Thanksgiving dinner this year, my niece asked me what I'm thankful for "that's not family or good health". My response - because I like to have fun with her - was "cheese".</p>
<p>At the time, I hadn't quite shared with everyone that a Music Producer at CBC had phoned me to let me know that my song "Long Way Down" was going to be the Song of the Week on "Here and Now" the following week, and that I'd be going into their Toronto studio for an on-air interview two days after our turkey dinner. Part of the reason I hadn't been so forthright with the information was that I was actually a tiny bit nervous about the interview. They wanted to talk about my new head. I mention my new head in passing and in jest often enough, and I'm certainly not denying it's there, but I never want it to define me, which is what I told the person from CBC.</p>
<p>The truth is, while it doesn't have to define me, I have to acknowledge it as part of my story, of how I got here...wherever "here" is. I'm incredibly thankful for this new head of mine, for the wonderful neurosurgical team at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga who gave it to me, for everything that's happened since I got it (including finding my way back to music and studio with the brilliant Beatchild), for the friends and family (<i>SO much for the friends and family</i>) who've helped me through getting it and now living with it, and even for the pain I've been feeling the slightest hint of on it recently, because that means I might finally be getting some feeling back in those nerve endings. I'm thankful for all of it...and I'm thankful for cheese.</p>
<p>PS - I had nothing to be nervous about with CBC. They were incredibly respectful, and made my time there really enjoyable. You can listen to my conversation with Gill Deacon on <a contents="CBC's Here and Now" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundcloud.com/cbchereandnow/song-of-the-week-artist-preetam-sengupta" target="_blank">CBC's Here and Now</a>, and "Long Way Down" is posted here as well. Thank you, and enjoy!</p>2:47Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/48595832017-09-21T13:05:10-04:002021-05-25T17:43:02-04:00"Dream a Little", and sometimes things like awards happen<p>It was announced on September 20th that my song "Dream a Little" was named the winner of the <strong>Songs From the Heart Folk Music Ontario Award</strong> in the Children's category.</p>
<p>I'm not a "children's" performer per se, but I'm humbled to be recognized in this category by FMO, an organization that's near and dear to me. I believe this song can carry different meanings for different people. On the surface, it's a lullaby, cradling a child into a cozy sleep for the night, but I think we all benefit from dreaming a little, envisioning a better world for ourselves and the seven generations ahead.</p>
<p>"Dream a Little" appears on my album <em>Patience</em>, and has also been illustrated into a children's book which will be available soon. In the meantime, please listen to the song here, and if you're near Toronto, please join us to celebrate the <a contents="Patience&nbsp;album release" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://burdockto.com/shows/?show=835" target="_blank"><em>Patience</em> album release</a> at Burdock on Thursday, September 28th.</p>
<p>A sincere thanks to Folk Music Ontario for this honour, and I look forward to performing at the annual FMO conference in Mississauga next month.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/81eb776f6ab78f9b4c654a45b0ce2c890c11bf25/medium/fmo-logo-cmyk-en.jpg?1506012026" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>2:55Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/48369592017-09-04T13:27:35-04:002017-09-04T22:13:04-04:00Patience: new album September 29th<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="sSsV2sLwjNw" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/sSsV2sLwjNw/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sSsV2sLwjNw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="270" width="480" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>It's been some road to get here, but I'm beyond happy to announce that the new album - <em>Patience</em> - will be released worldwide on September 29th, 2017, which also happens to be my Ma's birthday.</p>
<p>We celebrated the new album with a couple of shows in Guelph and Toronto back in May, and now we're doing it all again, officially launching <em>Patience</em> with another show at Burdock in Toronto on Thursday, September 28th. Tickets will be on sale through the Burdock website soon, and I'll keep you posted on that, as well as touring plans for the fall and winter.</p>
<p>This was such a fun project. I trusted Byram Joseph (aka JUNO-winning producer Slakah the Beatchild) to guide it, and he pushed me outside of my comfort zone just enough to help me (and hopefully listeners) discover both where I am, and where I might go moving forward.</p>
<p>Beyond Slakah, I have to thank Anna Atkinson, Michael Olsen, and Mike Celia for their musical contributions to the album. Howie Shia provided the absolutely stunning album artwork, and iLLvibe directed the EPK video (above). I was very fortunate to have received funding through FACTOR and the Ontario Arts Council to help me get here, and the endless love and support of my family (by blood or by love) is beyond measure.</p>
<p>I really hope you'll enjoy this one.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/245091/94e38bb3a2d302c2f6db252b25d55343f496a872/original/preetamsengupta-patience-v02.jpg?1496432887" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/46441422015-06-16T11:35:00-04:002017-09-07T19:52:02-04:00Farewell, my friend<p>I've become fairly adept at taking only a carry-on bag for almost any flight for any length trip, but it does take a bit of planning, especially in the case of my most recent trip to Glasgow and Cannes, where we would be dealing with spring-like and summer-like conditions respectively. Well, I shouldn't give myself too much credit, as I can very easily wear jeans, a hoodie, and a toque in any weather. Regardless, I had packed my bag, and came to the point of choosing what I would to wear to the airport. I looked across the room at the laundry pile and found what I was looking for; a no-brainer when it came to this trip. </p>
<p>I picked up the white shirt with the 3/4 length royal blue sleeves and the matching royal blue "WIN THE DAY" on the front and large number "15" on the back. 15 was David's number. David started the baseball team I joined in 2007, my first summer in Guelph. We're called the Brewers. Where the other teams in our league were more established, and came in as almost full teams, we were a ragtag bunch of random guys who emailed the league because we liked baseball. David took on the role of manager/captain/skipper, and collected the names and emailed us all to see if we'd like to be part of a new team. The Brewers were born, and as a direct result of that team, I have made the majority of the friends I have here in Guelph. I have David to thank for that, and was lucky enough to tell him that the last time we spoke. Just over a month ago, my friend David's body finally succumbed to the cancer that had been growing there for about a year. </p>
<p>I didn't see David in his final few weeks, last seeing him at the beginning of April. I went to his house with a batch of chicken curry in hand, hoping it would mean a few less meals Brie (David's wife) would have to prepare, giving them more time just to be together. David was thin (he was never not thin, but this was different) and weak, not leaving the couch for the duration of our two and a half hour visit, but what a wonderful visit it was. David wasn't the kind of friend that I would call or hang out with regularly - I don't much do that with anyone - but we always had such wonderful conversations when we did see each other. There was always baseball. Man, that guy loved baseball. He loved playing baseball, he loved watching baseball, and he loved talking baseball. He helped bring back my love of baseball, just with his excitement about the game. But there was more than baseball, too. David was the kind of person who was genuinely interested in other people, all aspects of other people. I distinctly remember, in one of our early Brewer seasons, my parents came to one of our games. In between innings, David went and introduced himself, thanked them for coming, and carried on a little conversation with them, most likely saying nice things about me, because that's who he was. After that, a conversation with David wouldn't go by without him asking how my family was doing, and after my niece was born in 2008, she came up in every conversation as well. He shared my love of music and movies, speaking about those at length, and he also enjoyed my cooking. Again, much like my ability to wear winter clothes year-round, there wasn't much in the way of food that David didn't enjoy, so I shouldn't be too proud of myself. Regardless, I'm pretty sure he had a hollow leg to store it all, and it was certainly a thrill for me when they would host a barbecue or something, and he would specifically ask me to bring guacamole, or tell me how much they enjoyed the curry I once sent home with him. </p>
<p>What turned out to be the final conversation I had with David was wonderful for both of us. There was a spring training baseball game on the television as I took my place on a couch across from where he lay. Along with baseball (of course), we spoke of health, positive outlooks, about not having regret, about being at peace with the reality of death, and preparing for it. While everyone was hopeful of a miracle cure that would see David back on his feet, or even better, fielding fly balls in centrefield for a long time to come, there was the overhanging reality that that wouldn't be the case. Cancer is unfair, and cancer can be relentless. However, in David's case, while it viciously attacked his body, it couldn't do anything to his spirit. He remained his positive self until that final conversation I had with him, and I'm presuming until he left us. </p>
<p>People often speak of cancer being a "battle". I used to interpret that as a battle between the body and the disease, and thought it was an unfair fight. After seeing David though, it took on a new meaning for me, as a battle between the disease and the spirit. That can be a fair fight, and I saw my friend David win it. I never liked the idea of death being a "lost battle". David's body finally couldn't take it anymore, and I'm sure he had to convince his spirit to let go, which was probably the hardest part. I think sometimes it takes more courage to let go. In letting go, David showed me (and the rest of us who love him) that we don't have to be afraid, and that by us remembering the best of him - his love, kindness, generosity, and fighting spirit - he won the battle. </p>
<p>After David's service, in a little brown envelope that had "all you need is love" written on it, I received a small piece of my friend. His remains were distributed among many of us who loved him, to take away and scatter in places we thought David would enjoy. I told Brie at the service that I had plans to visit Glasgow and Cannes in June, and that I would take David there. So in my suitcase, in a small ziploc bag, I put the envelope and the small card that we received at the service that had, on one side of it, a picture of David in his Brewers uniform, ready to catch a ball in the outfield. </p>
<p>It had been my intention to try to get up to the highlands in Scotland, and scatter David somewhere there, but we didn't end up getting there. As I walked around Glasgow last Friday morning in the rain, I came across this sign: </p>
<p>The first thing that came into my head was Major League Baseball player "Dave Winfield", and I thought this was the perfect place to leave a bit of David in Glasgow. </p>
<p>We travelled on to Nice, and eventually Cannes that day, where I had the entire Côte d'Azur and Mediterranean Sea at my disposal, which would have been a fine place for David, but I chose instead, my favourite bakery in Cannes, a little place called "Marché des Pains, where I have been a regular customer over my past three trips there. I go and buy baguettes and croissants there almost daily, as a good wannabe French resident should, and the people there are always very friendly. I know David would love having a conversation at one of the small tables outside over some fine French breads and pastries, so I left a bit of him there to enjoy that. </p>
<p>I'm lucky that music has taken me to some wonderful places around the world, and I am now lucky to be taking a friend along with me. It's nice to know that I'll now be able to visit David the next time I'm in Glasgow or Cannes. </p>
<p>It's been a while since I've visited this blog. It's something I always say I need to do more. I've had a few distractions the last little while, but those should now be behind me, and I should now be able to focus on the new album. I had a conversation with David in December about plans for the new album, and he was very excited for me, promising that he would be at the release, and any show he could make before that. I won't see him at the release party, but I don't think for a second that it means he won't be there. I played my first show in quite a while a few weeks back, performing two songs in the round as an opener for The Young Novelists' album release party, and I dedicated my first song to David. The song "May the Sun Always Shine On Your Door" will be on the next album, and is about always being there for someone, and always hoping for the very best for him/her. I think it's one that my friend, had he ever heard it, would have loved to sing to his darling daughter. I suppose that's a way I can help keep his memory alive, by having a conversation with her one day about how much her Daddy loved music, how wonderfully supportive he was of mine, and how he always encouraged me to pursue this life, regardless of the odds. That was David. It wasn't about the odds. It was about the passion. </p>
<p>Like many of us, I've been missing my friend, especially as our baseball season has started. The last thing we heard from Skip was about a week before he passed. He sent us an email on a beautiful Saturday afternoon saying "You guys had better be out there practicing on a day like today. Shag some flies, field some grounders, enjoy the sun! Get the f@#$ out there. Baseball!" As the days get nicer, I think about that email, about how much I'd love to receive that email over and over again, about how much I'd love for David to be out there with us, about how cruel and unfair life can be, taking a young man away from his young family. At times, when I think about that, admittedly, I have wished that we could have traded places so that he could have remained with his wife and young daughter. But then I think about what he would say if I admitted this to him, so I try to squash those thoughts. My time will come, as will ours all. For now though, while I'm among the fortunate, I'll try to do good with the time I've been given, and add my friend David to the corner in my heart where I keep those with whom I share my intent to do that good. </p>
<p>Wherever you might be reading this, David, thank you for giving me the chance to know you. I'm better for it. I'll do my best to keep our boys in check, Skip. I love you, I miss you, and I look forward to more adventures together, my friend. </p>
<p>O Captain! My Captain! Win the Day.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/46441412014-06-06T11:35:00-04:002020-12-18T20:16:48-05:00Dear Alice: the old-fashioned romantic<p>I'm a sucker for all things sincere, and most things bordering on (if not completely) sappy. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm prone to weeping while watching films, reading books, and experiencing genuinely proud moments, among other times. I remember "being caught" in a tear-welling moment at Christmas of 2011 while watching my then 3 year-old niece complete a puzzle on her own. Watching her determination as she tried piece after piece in place after place, and then finally getting it, well that was a beautiful moment that I won't soon forget, and definitely a tear-jerker. </p>
<p>I am pretty sure I get it from my mother, and I'm pretty sure she got it from her father, at least so the story goes. I never had the privilege of meeting him, but from any stories I've heard, I imagine the two of us would have been the best of friends, and shared some tears in genuinely happy moments. </p>
<p>I had a very happy moment that same Christmas I mentioned earlier, when I heard the news of dear friends getting engaged. Kevin was a good friend from my university days, and since the day I met his beloved partner Ashlyn, we've shared what I consider a pretty strong bond as well. I call her "my first fan", as she was the first person I remember being a fan of a song that I wrote who didn't have to be, in that, I didn't know her at the time, and she just genuinely liked a song, and wasn't simply being supportive of her friend. Anyway, the news of their engagement was certainly a happy moment for me, and with a guitar in hand while I was home in Sarnia for the holidays, I started to craft what would eventually become one of my favourite songs that I've written. I don't like songs I write because of how they sound, necessarily, but how I feel when I play them, and this one evokes a lovely feeling every time. </p>
<p>Kevin and Ashlyn shared what I considered to be an old-fashioned romantic love story, and to me, there is nothing more old-fashioned romantic love story-like than letter-writing. I love letters. I think letter-writing is a lost art. So when I sat down to write this song for my old-fashioned romantic love story friends, I decided to write it in the form of a letter. This letter is written from a songwriter to his sister. I pictured the songwriter coming from somewhere up north, venturing south to find work and opportunity for his music. Somewhere along the way though, he meets a girl, they fall in love, and decide to get married. It's at this point where he writes the letter to his sister, to tell her the news, to reminisce about their childhood, and to assure her that he's doing okay. </p>
<p>I'm lucky in real life to have a sister that's always looking out for me. She's my biggest supporter, and the first person I can go to with anything. She tells me what I need to hear, whether I want to hear it or not, and I think that's something everyone needs in their lives, especially those of us who live in an ideal world bubble. If we were even a few years older, I imagine this song would be the kind of letter I would write to her to tell her how things were going in my life. Nowadays, it's text messages and email, and I think a bit of the charm of the world has been lost with these conveniences. I tell some people that we've never had so many ways to communicate with each other as we do now, but we don't seem to do it as effectively. Even things like invitations - those little cards that I got for birthday parties from my friends at school when I was a kid - now that they're sent through email or social media, we don't seem to value them as much. </p>
<p>Today's post is not about that though. It's about "Dear Alice", inspired by Kevin and Ashlyn, who are now happily married, and have a beautiful little girl. I had a chance to play the song for them at their wedding, and it will be one of those moments I'll always hold close. It's the new closest thing I have to a love song, inspired by one of my favourite couples, who continue to live their "happily ever after" together.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/46441132014-05-22T07:30:00-04:002021-07-13T23:58:30-04:00A brand new day, beginning with a memory<p>My last post was in February, and Good and Lovely as it was, the life of a blog post should probably not reach three months. I know this, but haven't acted on it. Today, I act. </p>
<p>I just spent a lovely long weekend in Ottawa. I like to get to Ottawa at least once a year. I don't go there to play shows, or do any heavy business. I go there to recharge my batteries, to eat great food, to have great conversation, to reminisce, to be inspired, to love, and to feel loved. I accomplished all of that again this weekend thanks to two wonderful people I am very fortunate to have in my life. </p>
<p>I have a few of those. Check that, I have a lot of those. I'm lucky. Wonderful people seem to be around me all the time, and always have been. As I was listening to Michael J. Fox's "Always Looking Up" audiobook on my way home this weekend, I heard his memory of September 11, 2001, which made me think back to that time in my own life, and of one of those wonderful people. She's a public figure now, so I won't hesitate to name her in this post. </p>
<p>Kristin Ireland now writes a wonderful blog called "Mondays with Mac," but in September of 2001, as I remember it, she was the Charity Officer for our university residence council. After the events of September 11th that year, Kristin wanted (and wanted our residence) to help, and came up with an event called "Haircuts to Help America". The concept was simple. A number of us long hairs (yes, I once had more hair, and it was long-ish...and blond) were asked to volunteer to have our locks cut through a fundraising effort. Residents were asked to donate towards one of us to have our hair cut. It was the residents' choice, and whoever received the most in donations would have his hair cut. </p>
<p>As might be expected, further fundraising efforts during the event ensured that all of us had new haircuts, and a good amount of money was donated to the Red Cross. I would say, for pre-social media 2001 standards, it was an incredible success, and I hope Kristin was as proud of her efforts as I was at the time. She engaged and encouraged a group of students, who generally cared more about having pub money than food money, to give their time and money to a worthwhile cause. </p>
<p>As I sat in my car, I remembered that event, thinking that we were doing some cool things in our residence, breathing life onto that campus without people really knowing about it. It made me smile a little bit, because I feel kind of the same way today. I get to do some pretty cool things these days, hopefully breathing something positive into the music industry. And due perhaps, in part, to living in a time when everybody has the ability to share their every moment with the world, even if I were to broadcast loud and proud my every movement in the industry, many people wouldn't know much of what I was up to, and I'm okay with that. There will always be worthwhile causes to encourage people to give their money to, but if I can help engage more people to value the arts, not only will our industry thrive, but survive. </p>
<p>I included the word "thrive" before "survive" on purpose, even though it may sound backwards. I think I'll save that explanation for another post. For now, thanks for your patience for these three months. I'm making a promise to myself to post more often. Hopefully you'll keep reading.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/46441112014-02-18T11:30:00-05:002021-02-23T20:54:21-05:00Striving to be Good...and Lovely<p>In November of 2010, I played the worst show in the history of shows. I'm sure many performing artists have played shows that we're not happy with, but at that time, I wasn't a performing artist. I wasn't a songwriter. I worked on the other side of the business, running LAMA, and enjoying that life. </p>
<p>Let's rewind a couple of weeks. It was October, and I was asked to play some songs at a fundraiser for the Stephen Lewis Foundation's "A Dare to Remember" campaign. Given the cause, I decided - the day before - to dare myself to write and perform a song at the event. The result was a song called "Raincoat". </p>
<p>A friend heard me play that night, and asked me to play a show a couple of weeks later. Cue the worst show in the history of shows. I wanted to be off stage within thirty seconds of being on it. I struggled through that half hour, then came home and told myself I was happy on the other side of the business, and that I didn't need to play guitar or sing anymore, especially in public. </p>
<p>The next night, I went to see the Good Lovelies in concert. They were brilliant, and they inspired me. Caroline (one of the Lovelies) had a new guitar, which I asked her about after the show. She promptly took me back to the stage and let me I pluck a few notes. With those notes, I made a decision, and phoned my friend Andrew Noakowski the next day to book time with him in the studio that February to record the album I was about to start writing. </p>
<p>I released (HopeFull) in April of 2011. That record gave me the opportunity to tour Canada as a singer-songwriter, to share the stage with people I look up to as artists and people, to develop a program called "Smile for Change" that uses my songs to talk to kids in schools about how they have the power to change the world, to play my first major festival this past summer, and finally, just a couple of weeks ago, to play guitar and sing with D.O. for his showcase at Midem in Cannes, France, my first time playing music outside of Canada. </p>
<p>To be able to make a go of music, it takes hard work, dedication, and a few lucky breaks along the way. I've been fortunate to get some of those breaks really early in my career. I'm always going to work hard, and one of these days, I'll show better dedication to myself as an artist, but I'll never take anything for granted, and I'll especially be forever grateful to Caroline and the Good Lovelies for their kindness and inspiration. Had it not been for that November night in 2010, I would have been on a different path that may not have included ever writing another song, or playing for an audience. </p>
<p>I had the chance this past weekend to thank Caroline and the Good Lovelies in person for the first time since that night. I don't know what it was like for her to hear this story, but I was really happy to be able to tell it to her, and happy to share it with you today.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/46441102014-02-14T11:25:00-05:002020-11-04T23:06:26-05:00It's Nice in the south of France...like that one?<p>Okay. I hope my body has now decided to let me off the hook after extracting its revenge on me the past few days. Granted, I abused it with no sleep and plenty of poisons over the past two weeks, so I suppose I got what I deserved. Still, I thought we were in this together. </p>
<p>I've just returned from another successful trip to Europe for MIDEM and a few productive days in Amsterdam and Stockholm. I'm hoping to get back over there before the year is over...funny to say things like "before the year is over" in February, but that's how quickly time seems to be passing these days. </p>
<p>For today's post, I just want to let people know a bit of what I've been going through over the last little while. I've been pretty quiet on the performing artist front, having not played a solo show since the summer, and seeing the band on hiatus since November. It's been a contemplative time, where I've questioned whether I want to continue as a performing artist, or if I should simply stick to running LAMA, putting all of my energy into that instead of my own music. At the moment that I had all but decided that was a good idea, I saw a Facebook post from my friend Kristin, who writes a great blog called "Mondays With Mac". She mentioned that one of my songs helped create a beautiful moment between her and her son. I was touched, and realized that now that I've put my songs out there for the universe to hear, I have a responsibility to them. I've heard other similar stories as well, whether my songs have helped people through difficult times, or calmed them down during rush hour driving, or helped their children fall asleep at night. It's a way I feel connected to the people who listen to my songs, and it's a lovely feeling that I don't think I'm quite ready to give up yet. </p>
<p>That said, I finally hit the stage again about ten days ago, playing guitar and singing with D.O. We did a song called "Nothing's the Way That It Seems", which you'll likely be hearing in the very near future, sans me. I also got to sing on "I Stand Up" (one of my favourites), and pulled out my hip hop shoes to play half-hype guy for "Life Size Feeling". It was really nice to be up there with D.O. and our friend Poizunus, and it got me thinking that I might try to hit the road again one of these days. No set in stone plans yet, but I've got the wheels turning for something to happen very soon, and I look forward to sharing it with you. </p>
<p>In the meantime, I may play a few shows here and there, trying to find my stage chops. I also have some pretty heavy business-y things coming up. I'll be in Kansas City with my fellow folkies for Folk Alliance next weekend, then trips to Winnipeg and Charlottetown planned between now and April. At this point, it looks like my next album will be out in just over a year. I just planned a bunch of things out, and the end of March next year looks like it might be a good time, all things considered. If you're looking for something ahead of that, I have an exciting project that I'm hoping to launch in November (if all goes well), and our Crash Bamboo album that should be out sometime this year as well. </p>
<p>For now though, I'm happy to be home, and looking forward to Family Day weekend.</p>Preetam Senguptatag:www.preetam.ca,2005:Post/46441022014-01-06T11:15:00-05:002021-06-26T23:03:25-04:00I'm with the band<p>Hello friendly website visitors...and foe-ly website visitors as well, I suppose. New year, why carry old grudges, right? </p>
<p>In 2013, Ambre McLean and I finally arrived at a name for our band. We are Crash Bamboo, a band of 2. It's fun to use that tagline after our name. While I'm not entirely sure when our album will be out, I can tell you that the music has come easier than the name did, thankfully. </p>
<p>The complex process of coming up with our name began and ended with Ambre being tolerant of my countless (amazing) band names that weren't quite right (or flat out terrible) until one of them stuck. I think she liked Crash Bamboo because it was the first of my suggestions that she didn't think I came up with myself. I feel like the direct quote was "Where did that come from? That's not nearly as stupid as most of the other names you've suggested." Okay, I'm paraphrasing the second part of that statement a little bit. Her mouth may not have said any of those words, but her eyes and genuine look of disbelief certainly did. </p>
<p>I shouldn't slag my bandmate, but then again, maybe that's the sign of the strong relationship we have. I've come up with a bajillion really bad ideas for our band, and she has made me think that she would consider at least five of them. She also doesn't make me feel bad when I'm awful at stuff. If that's not band love, I don't know what is. </p>
<p>All jokes aside, I'm lucky. Ambre is one of the most talented musicians I know, and has become a great friend. I'm excited for you (friends and foes alike) to get to know us as Crash Bamboo...a band of 2. </p>
<p>You can check out/revisit our cover of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" at http://youtu.be/KbdPYkm0I8Q to get a sense of what we do, and social media will keep you posted on what we're up to (once we start posting more): <br>Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrashBambooBand <br>Twitter: www.twitter.com/CrashBamboo <br>With any luck, we'll have a fully functional website at some point, but for now, I like how they do things at CBC: www.crashbamboo.com </p>
<p>Thank you for the love and support you continue to show me, and have a great start to 2014. Feel free to let me know what exciting things you're up to so this doesn't always seem so one-sided. Happy Monday.</p>Preetam Sengupta