4 (Get off your computer and onto the zip line)

Wow.. we've made it to the halfway point, but I still have so much I wanna do up here before we leave. Everyone yesterday was excited to submit our "in a minute" tunes for judgment, me and Kuba (www.kubaoms.com) played ours round 2pm and I decided to switch gears and play it on piano instead of guitar. While we didn't make the top 4 for a chance at $500 at Long & McQuade, we did however write a solid tune and the highlight of the day was when everyone signed up to play their songs one after another in the dining hall as a sort of open mic. I dragged out an old upright from the corner and put it on stage and it sounded beautifully out of tune! I'll post the song when we get a recording. Everyone else really did some amazing work with their songs too and I was impressed with the quality of songwriting. I guess the jury was too because they've decided to record everyone's songs to put out on a compilation to be sent out across canada. I am also going to try to recommend that they do a compilation CD of one of next challenges. Before our shows back in Vancouver this fall we are suppose to all pick a classic Canadian cover and learn to play it for the show. If these were recorded and sent across Canada it would be an invaluable marketing tool for all the bands. Everyone loves a cover right? Also on day 4 we heard some great talks from Ken Beatty of Kill Beat Publicity and Rob Pattison, a booking agent. He solidified my views that we should really move to Toronto even short-term to do some extensive touring out east. I must say that the experience so far has opened my eyes and reiterated many important keys to becoming a sucessful touring artist. Im glad we're here so it's time to get off the computer and hit that zip line.

Love Dan and Bend Sinister


5 (Grant Lawrence is the man)

So yesterday was day 5 and we all got to sleep in til around 10 which was a pretty nice change. Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3 came up to give a special three hour keynote speech on being friends with the media and then we finished the day by doing some mock interviews with Grant and Tamara from the Peak and Janine from Print Media. I've always been a big fan of Grant and think he is one of the most important figures in the Canadian music scene and everyone I talked to after was impressed with his speech. With us it really took my attention to our Bio, which is a bit too factual and longwinded, and it inspired me with the power of a well-written one sheet. I think the main thing Grant tried to get across, and what many of the faculty have driven home as well, is the importance of a band's 'story'. Everything that has brought us to where we are is important but it also must come across in a well articulated and interesting way. Instead when I wrote an initial bio for the band I talked in detail about every member that has ever played in Bend Sinister and way too much chronological pointlessness. And why talk about people who aren't in the story anymore? Anyway though band camp homework aside.. lol, the evening brought up Ben Sigston, The Left, Kuba Oms, and We Are The City. Every band had a wicked set and it was definitely the most rock night so far, but We Are The City really brought it and I'm proud of those dudes. They had two standing ovations and performed amazingly, receiving the first encore of the whole week. In my mind they've made the top three for sure. Everyone was pretty tired through the eve so things were kept pretty easy.. I packed some mac n cheese from our 5:30 pm dinner as a late night snack but it backfired into one giant macaroni puck which I flushed down the toilet, though I was tempted to put it under someone's pillow.

P.S. Here's a vid of Grant: