These are dry times. Summer slips away faster than you can catch it – a dime down the drain. The sky hangs damp and icy today. Across the globe, powerful little men toy with the world’s future like it’s a game of chicken. Hurricanes have ravaged large parts of our earth. Families will suffer the effects for years to come. Terrorists won’t let London sleep.
This planet can get so ugly. So broken. So disordered. So many of our mirrors are shattered.
There is order in beauty. A divine order, I believe, but whatever your theology you can feel it. The affirmation of disparate parts falling into place.
Jennifer Berkenbosch’s Cultivar matters because the world needs beauty today. We need to be reminded that there is goodness. There is a solid bed beneath this wild river.
OK. It's zero hour. Time to get final details sorted for Bridge Songs TEN. We still need plenty of volunteer help and volunteers get in free!
There are plenty of shifts available, ranging from set up to tear down to hanging a show to gallery hosting to food service or cleanup. Or ticket taking.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Bridge Songs began with a small group of singer-songwriters wanting to get their songs out to the community, so an open stage feels like the right way to end.
Musicians, writers, storytellers and entertainers of all skill and kind are invited. We want to give YOU the last word at Bridge Songs TEN.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
We are in a living room playing music for each other. 8 of us or so. Each time I hear one of these friends play a song, I get a peek into their heart. I see something–hear something–I didn't know was there.
We meet for weeks like this, sharing new songs and with them a part of our souls. We cry. We heal. We come together because we are all attending the same small church of 40 or 50 people and looking for a way to sing songs that don't belong in a church service. We are making music together and making connections, and we want to share all of this with the rest of our community.
The idea is called Bridge Songs. It will be a collection of songs from Urban Bridge Church.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
This will be the ninth Bridge Songs event I have produced. The ninth time I’ve made wonderful plans and watched the whole jalopy shake apart as we raced toward the finish line.
But we’ve always reached the finish line, even if parts have fallen by the wayside.
I know that, but I’m still nervous. Not for the reasons you would think.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Leading up to Bridge Songs: Perfict, we've launched a podcast! Storm the Perfict will span 12 episodes, each exactly 12 minutes, looking at perfection through the eyes or local artists.
You can subscribe on iTunes here.
In this episode of Storm the Perfict, I talk with Christy Morin, founder of Arts On The Ave, The Carrot, the Kaleido Festival and more. Having lived in in Alberta Avenue for 21 years now, Christy knows what it takes to build community, and just how imperfect community can be.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
You. Yes you. I know what you do. I know who you are. I know that you stay up late into the night wrestling a melody into submission. I know that you scour the globe for the perfect rhyme. I know that stories haunt your waking hours like dreams. I know you carry a notebook and hum into your phone. I know what you are, so there is no point hiding behind that day job. You, my friend, are a songwriter.
You write songs, so hear this now. You have been granted an extension–an extra couple of weeks to get your song submission into Bridge Songs: Perfict. You now have until midnight on Saturday, January 31 to send your ‘perfict’ song to art@bleedingheartartspace.com. You’ll find the updated Call for Submissions right here.
I want to hear your struggles toward perfection set to music. I want to hear your imperfect rhymes. I want to hear about your perfect romance. That perfect sunrise. The almost perfect summer that fell apart. I want to hear stories I can sing to. Songs I can’t get out of my head. I want you to get it exactly right and then screw it up on purpose.
Submitted songs will be heard by a jury. If yours is chosen, we will record it together. You will meet new songwriters–strange folks just like you and I who have to pull over and hit record before we lose the tune. We will record an album together and release it on June 18 at Bridge Songs: Perfict, when we will perform these songs together. You’ll make new musical friends.
We’ll have a great time making music together. But only if you send me that email.
You have until the end January to craft your ‘perfict’ song.
I cannot wait to hear it.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
We want to hear your songs. We want to see your art. We want to watch your words come to life. Don't let something as small as perfection stop you.
Bridge Songs, an annual event in its ninth year, combines live music, poetry, spoken word
and art around a central theme. Songs are also recorded and released as an album. Bridge
Songs: PERFICT takes place Saturday, June 13, 2015 on Alberta Avenue. It is produced by
The Bleeding Heart Art Space.
This year’s theme, PERFICT, asks artists to explore our striving for perfection. Artists may
examine the effects of that pursuit, and whether perfection is attainable. Artists may also
explore the idea of societal utopias and personal perfection.
We are seeking visual art in all forms for the gallery, songs for the album and performance,
and written work, short films and performance pieces for our evening show.
Song submissions are due January 11.
Artwork, films and written submissions are due April 19.
Visit the website and download the Call for Submissions here.
Oh, and please do spread the word.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Well artist friends, this is the big official blog announcement!
Our theme for Bridge Songs 2015 is "Perfict"
What's that all about, you ask? Well, perfection is fiction.
Got you mulling? Call for submissions coming this fall!
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
I'm excited to announce a new website, and a video, for Bridge Songs: Dear Edmonton - please watch and share!
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
You know how Disney opens up their 'Vault' every once and a while to offer some goodies from the past? Well this is kind of like that. But free. We are now planning Bridge Songs, the Bleeding Heart's flagship event that takes place on June 14. But did you know this is our 8th Bridge Songs?
Here's a look back at our 7 previous outings, complete with a free track from each album. Enjoy!
Bridge Songs One
This first time out there was no theme - we were just excited to make music together. The results were a large collection of solo performances, originally released in hand-stamped paper sleeves, on disks we burned ourselves. I later updated the cover and included even more tracks for a '1.5' release that we gave away to guests of Urban Bridge Church for some time.
From that release, here is My Only Friend from Cora McLachlan.
[audio mp3="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/12-My-Only-Friend.mp3"][/audio]
Bridge Songs Collective
Wanting to take things up a notch, we thought, 'Let's Make Music (and art) together'. Collaborative projects were the loose theme for this year, and some great work resulted. We also moved to The Ave this year. It was the start of a new direction for Bridge Songs.
From Bridge Songs Collective, here is Tiny Castles, written by Dave Mulcair.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/03-Tiny-Castles.m4a"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: Be Not Afraid
Our third outing took a darker turn, bringing 'Music in the face of fear". It also took our collaboration further, bringing a full band to the tracks.
Working with the theme of fear produced some great music, and I still play "Sure" today.
From Bridge Songs: Be Not Afraid, here is Sure, written by Dave Von Bieker.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/05-Sure.m4a"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: Faerie
Of all the Bridge Songs events we've done, this one, held at Avenue Theatre, was so, so fun! Beautiful stage decorations by Jennifer Wilde accompanied a performance that involved a timpani and a spider monkey. You had to be there.
But, for those who weren't there, you can enjoy one of my favourite tracks from any Bridge Songs, by Jennifer Wilde.
From Bridge Songs: Faerie, here is Sara's Song, by Jennifer Wilde
[audio mp3="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/06-Saras-Song.mp3"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: ?rogress
We recorded this one entirely ourselves, using plenty of technology to match the '?rogress' theme. The results were mixed in the end - a product of over-ambition smacking against the walls of time and resources (and my limited production skills). But this album is my baby, and I'm still proud.
From Bridge Songs: ?rogress, here is YOUHAVETIME, by Andy Mulcair.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/01-YOUHAVETIME.m4a"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: New Eyes
By our seventh outing, the Bridge Songs musicians were comfortable together. We'd been playing on one-another's songs for a while, and many of us wanted to push that collaboration further. We wanted to see what we could accomplish with a deeper focus and commitment to excellence.
Rather than a full album as a collective, we formalized as a band and focussed on an EP, The New Eyes Open. It included two brand new songs and our first re-working of something from the Bridge Songs back-catalogue–Cora McLachlan's There Was a Ghost.
Cora's version, from Bridge Songs: Be Not Afraid is yours for the taking.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/04-There-Was-A-Ghost.m4a"][/audio]
The entire three song EP can be downloaded from Bandcamp for just $2, and previewed here.
Bridge Songs: Heartbreak
Last year we rebooted the Bridge Songs process and opened it up to new songwriters again. As a rest, we received the most song submissions ever, from many new performers.
It seems Heartbreak is rich songwriting territory.
Our final song, from Bridge Songs: Heartbreak, is the wonderful The Sailor, a duet between Spencer Ford and Cynthia Hamar (this is the unmastered version).
[audio mp3="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Sailor.mp3"][/audio]
What's your favourite track from Bridge Songs' past?
Be sure to join us on June 14 for the performance and release of Bridge Songs: Dear Edmonton,
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
