Friday Finds: Free Songs From the Bridge Songs Vault

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]

Download My Only Friend

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]

Download Tiny Castles

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]

Download Sure

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]

Download Sara's Song

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]

Download YOUHAVETIME

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]

Download There Was a Ghost

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]

Download The Sailor

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,

Friday Finds: Edmonton Awesome Right Now

With all of the Dear Edmonton, submissions rolling in, I've got our fair city on my mind. I'm grateful, for instance, for my daughter's experience making sculpture with Lyndal Osborne at the AGA yesterday. Today, I join her class for the final day of Museum Week - where they get to experience the AGA through hands-on art making.

Our art gallery is certainly one bit of Edmonton Awesome to be grateful for, and if you haven't seen the Lyndal Osborne show Bowerbird: Life as Art yet, perhaps your Edmonton weekend starts there.

In this spirit of appreciation, perhaps the only antidote to the dragging doldrums of a long winter, I dug into what our city has to offer art enthusiasts, just this very weekend. And I didn't have to look far. Here are a few highlights if you're still making plans.

124th Street Gallery Openings

I love the 124th street galleries. They are concentrated in a little walkable area suited to a Saturday stroll. Some of my favourites are having openings this weekend. That generally means the artist is in attendance, and there are snacks. Can't get much better than that.

Peter Robertson Gallery

Double Blind, by Paul Bernhardt, is one of two shows opening this weekend at the Peter Robertson Gallery. The write-up begins by reflecting that,

"Our tenuous faith in science and technology's ability to solve society's most pressing crises, which tend to be ethical in nature, is interrogated in Berhardt's recent work.”

Check it out at http://www.probertsongallery.com/component/exhibition/

The Front Gallery

Another favourite spot of mine, The Front Gallery houses a great selection of artists. The show opening from Paddy Lamb looks to be no exception.

"Paddy's work explores the imprint of society on nature in a variety of locations, offering a personal narrative concerning human migration and attachment to the land. His recent work explores aspects of abandonment, neglect and disuse as part of the physical landscape.” (from the show invite)

Visit http://www.thefrontgallery.com

EPL Makerspace

The EPL Makerspace is just a miracle of democracy to me. At the downtown public library, there is now a room packed with computers and digital goodies for making all sorts of digital creations. Keyboards for making  music. A giant green-screen for photography and filming. All the professional software you could want. A 3D Printer. A book-making machine. The possibilities are huge. Oh, and it's all free to use. You only pay for the hard-costs on what you produce (the paper for a book, for instance). If you haven't dropped into the Makerspace yet, you really should.

According the to video above, the EPL Makerspace even has a banana-piano?

http://www.epl.ca/makerspace

Night of Artists

Not quite in Edmonton, Night of Artists takes place over the weekend at the St.Albert Enjoy Centre - a glass-walled sanctuary from the lengthy winter, made all the better when filled with local art.

With a couple of evening gala events, and plenty of time for afternoon strolls through the many represented artists on Saturday and Sunday, it may be worth a short trip out of town to check out this long-running event from Phil Alain and friend Lewis Lavoie.

From the NOA website,

"Night of Artists is designed as an opportunity for artists to showcase their artworks with other artists through a fun and exciting event that appeals to the masses. The idea behind the show is based on collaboration and team work. Thus the shows success for over 16 years has been a reflection of community coming together in support of the arts."

Get all the details at http://www.nightofartists.com

Here is the video trailer for the event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qTq_RVCaEU

(Thanks to artist Jennifer Noseworthy, who will be displaying work at Night of Artists, for pointing this out to us on Facebook!)

Edmonton's Neon Sign Museum

I plan on driving by this weekend to check out this new kid on the museum block in Edmonton. I love vintage signage – especially vintage neon signage – so I just cannot wait to see what is only the beginning of this unique outdoor museum project.

Thanks to Eli Ritz for point us towards this post full of (finally!) awesome photos of the Neon Sign Museum - http://spacing.ca/edmonton/2014/02/22/neon-sign-museum/

What is Your Edmonton Awesome?

What are you loving in Edmonton this week? Share your recommendations in the comments below.

Friday Finds: 5 and a Half Christmas Gifts

Tis’ The Season! In today’s Friday Finds, I reach into the internet's velvety crimson bag of gifts and pull out presents to bless your bleeding hearts! Incidentally, the bag glows and jingles every time I open it, just like in Ernest Saves Christmas. Each of these five finds have been gifts to me, and I pray they are gifts to you as well. Each one may just ‘make your spirit bright’ as you take a moment out of the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations to unwrap them in the warm glow of your screen.

Merry Christmas!

1 Gift of Vision

This week you’ve likely already heard that Apple’s new Christmas commercial was filmed right here in Edmonton. For some fanboys, this is a pretty big deal. Like me.

But beyond the ‘celebrity visitation’ story here, the Journal’s Paula Simons points out what you may, like me, have missed in this video. The fact is, Apple’s ad team found the idyllic White Christmas, right here in Edmonton. Simons’ piece elevates a simple acknowledgement or even review of the Apple ad, instead offering a gift of renewed vision to Edmonton residents, in the middle of a long hard winter.

Dear Edmonton, the world thinks you’re beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImlmVqH_5HM

Read Simon’s wonderful bit of writing here > http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Simons+misunderstanding+That+Edmonton+winter+starring+Apple+Christmas/9298323/story.html

3 (and a half) Gifts of Song

There are so many free Christmas EP's that come out every year, it's hard to take any of them seriously. One might wonder whether this has become a gimmicky way for artists to promote themselves. Oh heck, I'm beyond wondering.

But still, through the clutter some diamonds still shine. Here are three free Christmas albums (donations are always welcome on Noisetrade) that offer something a little different. These are three collections I have found worth downloading, and think you will too.

Merry Christmas. Good Night. Vol 3

This collection is full of songs striking the rare balance between 'modern' and 'reverent'. It actually plays as much like an indie worship album as a Christmas album. My main reason for downloading was the track Winter Wind by local artists and friends L’Ampersand. I really dig the electric piano opening and the strings later on in the song. It's not the only gem you'll find here though. Sean Carter's Glory of Men is particularly beautiful.

The Songs the Season Brings Vol 3. Beta Radio

Any album that starts out with the track The Carol of the Banjos has my attention. Again, what drew me in is not the only, or even the best, track on the album. The original song, The Songs the Season Brings is an excellent bit of indie Americana.

Hey Rosetta!, A Cup of Kindness Yet

The first song on this Christmas EP from last year, Carry Me Home, is just incredible - my favourite original Christmas song in a long while and well worth the download. Thankfully, the other three songs are beautiful, too.

OK, One More

This one is gonna cost you, but I promise it is worth it. My favourite Christmas discovery this year is by Bahamas, from a little compilation a couple of years old that I'd never heard of. Bahamas cover of Christmas Must Be Tonight, by The Band, is just heart-breakingly beautiful. Oh, that guitar!

Do yourself a favour and pay the $1.29 to download the track on iTunes. Do it now!

1 Gift of Inspiration

It seems every month or so I come across another inspiring story about Pope Francis. The latest comes from local writer and friend Stephen Berg, whose blog Grow Mercy is a constant gift itself (you really should subscribe).

Stephen writes of Pope Francis' challenge to ‘unfettered capitalism’, in favour of ‘the unfettered gospel’. Just days from celebrating Christ's breaking-through, this is a very good read and a reminder that loving your neighbour comes at a cost.

http://growmercy.org/2013/12/19/pope-francisunfettered-gospeller/

Friday Finds: Embracing Critics, Making Plans and Doing Nothing

Welcome to a brand new feature on The Bleeding Heart Art Space Blog. The goal? To curate a weekly collection of links about art, faith, hope and love. Each week I come across many ‘goodies’ and events that I’d love to share, but have had no proper venue for doing so. Consider this ‘grab bag’ approach a way of getting it all out there - taking the best and brightest and sharing it with you.

I hope you enjoy!

Embracing Your Critics: A Video That Will Inspire You to Tears from Brené Brown

Brené Brown is someone who studies love, vulnerability and community. She studies them. Scientifically. Her findings seem to lead us closer to the life we are invited to in Christ’s Kingdom, methinks.

This video is not a short watch, but it is worth every moment. I teared up. I got inspired. I wanted to put myself out there and risk my heart.

I discovered this video thanks to the fine folks at 99u.com, whose email newsletter comes highly recommended.

You can also find more videos from Brene Brown on The Work Of The People here (thanks to Nova on Facebook for the tip).

CS Lewis Thinks the Hobbit “May Well Prove a Classic”

I’m sure this is not news, but the second instalment of The Hobbit film comes out today. To celebrate, here is a reprint of a review the CS Lewis did of Tolkien’s book when it first came out. Thanks to Jordan Majeau for tipping me onto this one.

http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/11/19/c-s-lewis-reviews-the-hobbit-1937/

Weekend Plans: Yule Ave

Yule Ave is a remarkable weekend of Christmas cheer on Alberta Ave. It’s free, and focussed on breaking through the commercial clutter of Christmas. Things kick off tonight with carolling at The Carrot, and a Christmas variety show called Yule Ave: A Blast, which The Bleeding Heart gets to be part of. We cannot wait, and we hope you’ll join us.

All the details can be found on the Yule Ave website at http://www.yuleave.ca.

SIDE NOTE: The Yule Ave website was built and is hosted by The Bleeding Heart Art Space as part of our sponsorship of this great event!

Summer Plans: Join Me at The Glen Workshop for Some Transformation

Sometimes when you hit that ‘buy now’ button your heart just flutters with giddy glee. This week I felt that excitement as I registered for The Glen Workshop West in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Glen just recently announced their 2014 dates and plans and opened up for registrations.

I am especially excited for two reasons. First, this year marks Image Journal’s 25th Anniversary, and there are some surprises in store. Second, I’ll be taking songwriting for a week with Over The Rhine.

The Glen Workshop is a rare hybrid of arts conference, festival and workshop. The faculty are excellent and the time spent in community with creative Christ followers is second to none. For a glorious week, you are in the abundant centre, rather than on the thin margins. Food, lodging and all conference activities are included. It is SO worth it.

I think getting on that plane with me and heading down to Santa Fe for a week of art and faith is likely the best thing you could do this summer. But I may be biased.

Anyone care to join me?

http://glenworkshop.com

Or Maybe You Should Just Do Nothing

James Altucher’s post on when we’d be better off to 'do nothing’ is a breath of fresh air amidst  productivity pollution. Heading towards New Year’s resolutions, you may feel the pressure to do more and to be more. Before you make those lists, stop and read this.

Altucher’s post promises 5 Ways To Do Nothing And Become More Productive, but to me it’s more an invitation to let go of the need to prove yourself constantly. To simply be.

http://99u.com/articles/20576/5-ways-to-do-nothing-and-become-more-productive

To me, that sounds an awful lot like Paul's words here,

"The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” - Romans 12:3b, The Message

A good encouragement, and perhaps the best last words, as we head into the hectic holidays.

---

Let us know if any of these finds are meaningful for you in the comments below.