Peterborough Singers Accompanist Steps Down After 25 Years of Music

Gael Morrison, accompanist with Peterborough Singers for 25 years, has stepped down from her position, announced on Monday in the Peterborough Singers newsletter.

Gael Morrison and her husband Ev. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Singers.

Following her training at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, Morrison worked with the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, the Peterborough Children’s Chorus and the Cambridge St. United Church Voices of Victory.

Morrison made the drive from Lindsay to Peterborough every week to accompany the Peterborough Singers.

“It made me a better accompanist, since it requires a totally different skill from playing on your own. You need a certain quality and standard to do those big works. And certainly I’ve met some wonderful, interesting people — the music and the people are the highlights,” she said.

While Morrison says she already misses being a part of the Peterborough Singers, she is enjoying having more time for kayaking and hiking.

“A good choir accompanist is the choral conductor’s most important ally in the rehearsal room, and for me, Gael was that person,” said artistic director Syd Birrell. “She is a very fine pianist, an excellent sight reader, a true professional, and she played an integral role in establishing the high standards of the Peterborough Singers, helping build the choir in our early years and beyond.”

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Hometown PTBO: Beau Dixon On His Favourite Venue and Eats in Peterborough

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday catches up with actor and musician Beau Dixon about his favourite venue in Peterborough and who has the best homefries in the city.

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Band 'I, The Mountain' Returns to Their Old Stomping Grounds for Last Leg of Tour

Pop/folk band I, The Mountain has returned from their East Coast Tour and has one final local show at The Garnet, on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of I, the Mountain.

While the band is based in Kitchener they got their start at Trent University, where three of the five-member band had classes together.

Matt Rappolt, drummer, and Matt Lamers, lead singer and acoustic guitar, began busking around Peterborough when they met.

They played at Peterborough favourites like The Spill, The Red Dog and The Garnet.

“We’re a little biased to Peterborough because it’s where we started, it feels like home,” said Lamers. “The Spill, we played there too many times, it was like a second home. Sometimes we were there three nights a week, occasionally we were just playing to the bartender.”

Rappolt and Lamers met Matt Morgan and recorded their first EP, before parting ways after University.

After many moves and working for a few years, the three got back together, along with Allison Dyjach and Rory McLachlin, to form ‘I, the Mountain’.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic they had few opportunities to play live shows, and did a lot of online performances.

While this allowed them to keep performing, Lamers says nothing compares to performing live.

The band released their debut album ‘Little Wild’ early in 2020, before the start of the pandemic.

They, fittingly, began their tour at Trent University on Sept. 9, and travelled to Ottawa, Halifax and PEI throughout September and October.

“It was euphoric in a lot of ways,” said Lamers. “We’re in a band to perform, our favourite part is the performance and the interaction from the crowd. The online shows were fun in their own way, but it’s nothing compared to feeling that live energy and getting that natural high of people singing your songs with you.”

The band will play with RedFox, a band out of Montreal, at The Garnet on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the door at 7 p.m. for $10.

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Local Musician Takes Trauma and Makes Music With Manic Music Makers

New to Peterborough, musician Panicky Pete channels and processes negative experiences in his new album ‘Trauma’ coming out on Oct. 28 and will continue making music locally with his own label ‘Manic Music Makers’.

Image courtesy of Peter Steinke.

‘Panicky Pete’, otherwise known as Peter Steinke, has always loved music. He says the popular rock band Linkin Park is to blame for his love of guitar and rock music.

As a musician, Steinke and his guitar were once inseparable. In the past he was a music teacher, and played in a band with his friends.

It wasn’t until health complications took over, and he was unable to play the guitar, that Panicky Pete and Manic Music Makers were born.

“I had to stop the guitar, so I started focusing on building a home studio,” said Steinke. “I wanted to be able to do stuff with my friends that I used to play music with. It started out of wanting to be able to make music with other people again.”

When his health deteriorated, and he was unable to do the things he loved, Steinke’s mental health deteriorated too.

“The name Manic Music Makers and Panicky Pete, it’s all about mental health and honest communications through art.” he said. “Music is my most comfortable way of expressing myself, so I try to use it to express the things I can’t or won’t say because of anxiety and such. I feel strongly that it can be a tool for healing. I wanted to create a space that people could express any type of suffering and try to get that out.

Photo courtesy of Peter Steinke.

Initially Steinke played in folk and reggae bands, when he could no longer play the guitar but still wanted to make music, he turned to hip hop.

“I started playing synth and piano and started producing instead,” he said. “I discovered lo-fi hop hop and that’s the most emotionally connected I’ve felt to a music genre in a long time so I took that opportunity to express what was going on at the time. It was right after a major surgery that I had complications with, I literally couldn’t play the guitar anymore which was very confusing and was a very identity questioning experience. I tried to use music as a way to prosses those things.”

Every song on the album ‘Trauma’ is either a cause of trauma in Steinke’s life, or an outcome of trauma.

He plans on his next album to be called ‘Therapy’ to promote the goal of healing.

Now, Steinke is able to play the guitar some days for short periods of time.

‘Trauma’ comes out on Oct. 18. Those interested can pre-save it now on Spotify, Apple Music and all other streaming service, here.

Visit Manic Music Makers or Panicky Pete on Intagram to view music videos and for more information.

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100 Women Peterborough Donates $7,000 to Youth Orchestra

100 Women Peterborough announced on Wednesday that the Kawartha Youth Orchestra (KYO) was chosen to receive a $7,000 donation at their meeting on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Kawartha Youth Orchestra.

100 Women Peterborough heard from three local charities making pitches for their quarterly donation in their third virtual meeting of the year.

Kawartha Youth Orchestra, Habitat for Humanity and Trent University’s Fisheries Research Program were selected as the three finalists. They were chosen randomly from a list of nominations made by members of 100 Women Peterborough.

Kawartha Youth Orchestra is a community music and orchestra-training organization serving elementary through post-secondary-aged youth in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

The funds recieved will go directly to KYO’s barrier-free, after-school music program UPBEAT! Downtown serving children in the City of Peterborough according to a Facebook post.

The after-school music program is geared towards children living in Peterborough with an interest in music but face barriers accessing music education.

It is a fully subsidized program that provides children with an after-school snack, the opportunity to be a part of a team, play violin, percussion instruments, sing and participate in musical games and listening activities.

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Peterborough Memorial Centre to Host “A Celtic Family Christmas”

The Peterborough Memorial Centre will host “A Celtic Family Christmas” featuring Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy for the PMC announced on Monday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The performance is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 17 for one night only.

MacMaster and Leahy are joined with their seven children for their acts as they will play music, show their unique way of life with Christmas traditions still honoured and celebrated.

This show will feature some traditional and original music with the family, special numbers with their own incredible band as well as a few personal stories and candid moments from the MacMaster/Leahy setting.

“Last year, the Leahy family invited us into their home for a virtual Christmas experience. Fans fell in love with the music and traditions that this exceptional family displayed,” said Jeremy Giles, PMC facility manager. “We are so excited to be able to welcome fans back to the facility this December to experience the love, the family and the magic of the holiday season that only the Leahy’s can provide.”

Tickets for A Celtic Family Christmas at the Peterborough Memorial Centre are on sale Thursday, Aug. 19, in person at the Grant Thornton Box Office inside the PMC, by phone at 705-743-3561 and online at www.memorialcentre.ca.

The exclusive pre-sale for PMC Scoop members happens Monday, Aug 16 at 12:00 p.m. Tickets are $45.00, $65.00 and $75.00 (plus applicable fees).

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Local Musician Records New Album After 15-Year Drought

After 15 years since local musician Barry Haggarty’s last album, he has released his third solo record entitled, “Consider Me Undecided.”

Haggarty played guitar for the legendary Ronnie Hawkins — where he also had the pleasure of playing with Bob Dylan and the Band — as well as with The Family Brown before starting his solo career. Photo Courtesy of Barry Haggarty.

He recorded the new album during the COVID-19 lockdowns which gave him extra free time to focus on himself in his otherwise busy studio. Haggarty says this was the only “blessing” to ever come from the pandemic. The local musician has been performing and playing during the 15-year drought.

The album contains 13 tracks with a wide range of genres such as pop, rock, country, jazz and folk music. That “musical diversity” led to the album’s name as Haggarty had no idea what kind of music to classify it.

Photo Courtesy of Barry Haggarty.

Consider Me Undecided’s style is distinct from his previous albums, “If These Walls Could Talk” and “Old Days” as a culmination of how Haggarty has “upped his game.”

“Partly it was for me to showcase what I can do,” he said. “I didn’t want to do a cookie-cutter album that was 10 songs of the same thing.”

Haggarty enlisted different session musicians with a variety of expertise to record the songs live in his studio. He kept all the editing and post-production to a minimum to maintain an “old school” vibe.

“That’s what this project is, real live players in the studio making music,” said Haggarty.

His’s newest single from his album, “Moments” was released late last month that features fellow local musician Kate Suhr. The two are singing in Haggarty’s home studio in Peterborough called “Haggarty Sound Studio.”

Haggarty’s album can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Tidal.

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Local Musician Reaches Milestone With Their First Big Gig

It was a surreal moment for local artist SJ Riley, performing her first large-audience show at the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series in the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot on Friday.

Sarah-Jayne Riley better known by her stage name SJ Riley, had her latest song “Mansion of Broken Hearts” filmed at a haunted house in Lakefield. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Riley opened the show for country music star Chad Brownlee with a six-song set — five originals and one cover song — including her signature-titled songs, “Whoever This Was Written To” and “Mansion of Broken Hearts.”

The singer/songwriter had only performed two shows prior to this performance, one at The Black Horse Pub (July 11) and The Garnet (July 17) earlier in the month.

"When you think about gigs like this, until you’re on stage doing it, how absolutely fun it is,” she said. “I had a blast.”

SJ Riley with her band, the “SJ Riley Band” performing on an overcast evening on the Enbridge Energy Stage. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Playing live was a breath of fresh air and a sign the world was giving a sense of normalcy according to Riley.

“I think it’s the first step to a time where people come together again,” she said. “There’s nothing like coming together with a group of people and sharing an experience.”

During the pandemic, SJ Riley was doing acting gigs and filming music videos at Treblecock Studios located in downtown Peterborough.

Several of her music videos were produced by the local studio to occupy her time until live concerts were allowed again due to the pandemic.

“Peterborough is fantastic,” said Riley. “The people of the city are amazing, the artists in this city here are amazing, there’s so much here so I’m just absolutely honoured to be a part of it.

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Peterborough Musicfest is Returning as a Drive in Concert

Peterborough Musicfest is returning with its first ever drive in concert on August 29, 2021.

The Sam Roberts Band has been nominated for fifteen Juno Awards, winning six, including Artist of the Year (2004 and 2009) and Album of the Year (2004). Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

The Sam Roberts Band with special guest The Webbers Brothers Band will take to the Enbridge Energy Stage at the Memorial Centre for this free event.

“All Musicfest concerts are free of charge thanks to our incredible sponsors, says Musicfest board chair Paul Rellinger. “We’re so pleased we could partner with the Memorial Centre to bring our fans this show, it’s going to be a great time.”

Free-admission tickets to the show will be available starting at 10:00 a.m. on August 9 online or by phone at 705.743.3561.

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Local Recording Studio Looking to Break Out Past the Pandemic

The music industry has not been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic but David Joyce and Treblecock Studios are ready to make their mark on Peterborough as the province opens up.

Treblecock Studios is located at 159 King St. Suite 108 just off the corner of George Street in Dowtntown Peterborough. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Joyce opened the recording studio in downtown Peterborough on June 2019. He was inspired to stay in Peterborough after a second date at the downtown music venue The Garnet for a live show. He had a home studio in Ajax during the time.

“I’m a bit of an old-school guy. I grew up loving music in the ‘70s and 80’s and the music scene everywhere was enormous,” said Joyce. “When I discovered Peterborough, it was like a snapshot in time. Live music is everywhere and I was really gravitated towards that.”

He was shut down since the world went into quarantine in March last year and closed up again on Boxing Day.

During the first quarantine period, he met local musician SJ (Sarah-Jayne) Riley through a Facebook acting group. The film industry was able to operate during the pandemic according to Joyce and recruited her as an actress.

They would take part in filming short films found on the studio’s Youtube page until Joyce heard of Riley’s singing ability.

The duo have collaborated on a number of songs and videos since meeting each other as a result.

Several of Riley’s songs were produced by Joyce and Treblecock Studios such as “Mansion of Broken Hearts” and “Whoever This Was Written To.”

Riley is performing her first major live gig at the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series this Friday, opening up for country music star Chad Brownlee.

Riley has performed in Peterborough twice in local venues such as the Dark Horse Pub and The Garnet. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

When Treblecock opened back up last month, Joyce noticed a surge of musicians that wanted to record music to regain a sense of normalcy for Peterborough.

“When I was able to open again this June, it feels like everybody wants to get in here and record some music that they've been writing during the pandemic,” said Joyce.

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