Aspiring songwriters and musicians take note – the Canmore Folk Music Festival is offering a chance of a lifetime to learn from a talented musician and possibly perform with them on stage at the event.
Calgary crooner Michael Bernard Fitzgerald will be holding a songwriting workshop on June 21 in partnership with the Canmore Folk Music Festival.
In addition to the opportunity to learn from Fitzgerald, the event will also provide those in attendance with the possibility of performing their original work on stage at the folk festival’s free Friday night concert.
The performance will feature Fitzgerald and his band on stage with local musicians and songwriters collaborating to perform their own original work.
For CFMF artistic director Sue Panning, the potential for collaboration with local musicians at the event was an enticing idea that Fitzgerald pitched to the festival.
“We thought it would be a really cool idea to get locals involved with him,” Panning said. “It is all about giving back and helping to develop artists locally.
“The music industry is changing so much right now and it is getting harder and harder to make a living at it.
“We need to help those emerging artists.”
Fitzgerald has performed at the festival before, including the free Friday night concert. He is also known for his collaborative musical style and has had as many as 250 other musicians on stage with him to perform at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.
The free concert will be held on one of the folk fest stages at Centennial Park in downtown Canmore. That is a change from past years, when the concert would take place in front of the Civic Centre.
For local musicians interested in taking part in the songwriting workshop later this month, email [email protected] to register or for more information, or follow the event’s Facebook page.
