Interview by BCIT News about Covers for the Cause and the Honda Celebration of Lights Festival performance tomorrow, 4pm
Click the photo to read the interview! Thanks Suzannah!
Over $7000 raised for Music Therapy at SJMA, and playing the Honda Celebration of Light Festival Second Beach Stage with special guests, Aug. 2nd, 4pm
Huge thanks to everyone who requested covers and contributed, shared, and encouraged my efforts in the Covers for the Cause campaign put on by Music Heals. Total amount raised for the music therapy program at SJMA (St. James Music Academy) is close to $8000!!!
As an amazing bonus, I’ve been given the opportunity to perform at the Honda Celebration of Lights Festival on the Second Beach Stage, August 2nd, at 4pm. I will be bringing on some special guest artists to join me for this special experience, so come down and celebrate with us! Artist names will be revealed here soon :). The Boom Booms will be playing later that evening, and are a band not to be missed!
Amazing work to all the musicians who raised funds for music therapy through the Music Heals covers campaign. In one month, the artists involved and their supportive audiences raised over $17, 000 for music therapy! How cool is that?!?
You know what else is cool? Donations and the opportunity to request covers from your favourite local artists are going to continue to be open, so if you’re looking for something special to contribute to, or know an artist who would love to be a part of this, send them to coversforthecause.com. I am always happy to take further requests, and you can contribute for that here
Thanks again everyone!!! See you on a big stage on the 2nd of August!
West Coast Tour with PK Tessmann, July 4th-July 9th
It has been a while since I played on Vancouver Island, and I am thrilled to be coming back for a short tour with award winning musical Islander/songstress, PK Tessmann. We’ll be doing a few shows on the island, and a couple on the mainland. Check below for dates/locations, and email for info if you’d like to attend a house concert:
July 4th Ladysmith, BC, House Concert w/PK Tessmann, 7pm (email michael@michaelaverill.com for info)
July 5th – Cumberland, BC, Rare Bird Bookshop w/PK Tessmann, 6:30pm
July 6th – Quadra Island, BC, Kameleon Cafe w/PK Tessmann, 7pm
July 8th – Mission, BC, House Concert w/PK Tessman, potluck dinner 5pm, show at 7pm (email michael@michaelaverill.com for info)
July 9th – East Vancouver, Notional Space Concert w/PK Tessmann, 6:30pm
Request a song to be covered on cello and help support music therapy through Covers for the Cause
Ever wanted to have one of your favourite tunes re-interpreted by me on the cello? Here’s your opportunity to do so and support music therapy in Canada.
Music Heals launched a new campaign to raise support and awareness for music therapy called Covers for the Cause, and I jumped onboard to participate. I just finished one request for Billie Jean by Michael Jackson (Thank you Nicole!), so if you’re wondering what this may look like, check this out:
Why on the cello you say?? Why the heck not!?!?! Playing the cello is a new adventure for me, and I’ve been loving it! I thought it would be a great personal challenge to see if I could make covers happen this way, and I welcome your requests with open arms :).
Deadline to request and donate is July 17th, so if you want to take part, either as an individual or group, do so soon. You can contribute and request on my page here. If you’re not into the cello challenge, there are many great musical friends of all genres involved I would highly recommend contacting below:
Dawn Pemberton (Soul/R&B), Sadie Campbell (Roots/Rock), Chicken-Like Birds (Ragtime Country Blues), Luca Fogale (Soul/Folk), Dom Fricot (Rock), Sam Lynch (Heart ache Electric Folk), Colleen O’Connor (Jazz), Elle Wolf (Rock), Alex Maher (Soul/Hip Hop), Chase Your Words (Pop/Punk)
Either way, only good can come from more support for music therapy as a means of recovery and growth.
New live video from The Acoustic Guitar Project Vancouver at St. James Hall
Back in November 2016, a great cast of Vancouver based artists (at the time) and myself took part in the global songwriting initiative called The Acoustic Guitar Project (Click the link to learn more). It was an absolute delight to share the stage with Chicken-Like Birds, Joline Baylis, Kristina Lao, Sadie Campbell, and Tanya Gallagher, and to have them all backing me up with this goofy tune.
Hope it brings a smile to your day, and a reminder that if you ever want to pick up the guitar, it’s never too late to learn!
Thanks Doug Tombe for filming and producing this video, and The Rogue Folk Club for hosting this grand event!
Upcoming workshops and shows in June
Lots of fun ahead this month in the bay!
I’m honoured to be leading a couple of classes this weekend for the Georgia Strait Guitar Workshop for the second time. Last year was an absolute blast, and can’t wait to jam with everyone again!
On Saturday, June 10th, I will be MC’ing and performing in a very special event hosted by the Left Coast Labour Chorus at the Russian Hall in East Vancouver. The night is called Just Voices:Union Made, and is a celebration of labour and union efforts, past and present, through song and story. It will be a wonderful evening with performances from the Re:Sisters, Gram Partisans, Griffin and Holdstock, and the Left Coast Labour Chorus. Great people, great music, great place = wickedly enjoyable evening!
Show information and tickets can be found here
For more info on shows in June, visit https://michaelaverill.com/shows/
New album out today from Julia Spitale!
Today is a unique day, and I’d like to share something special of a good friend of mine. North Vancouverite, Julia Spitale, just released a new 5 song EP/album today, and I wanted to post it here for you to listen to (Click here, or on the album cover below and scroll down once on her site).
I had the pleasure of producing this project with Julia (titled Good Again), and it’s the first time I’ve recorded another artist this way. Julia is a lovely writer with powerful messages in her songs about mental health, overcoming grief, and holding strong through difficult times with the people we love. Sit down, get cozy, and have a good take it in session with these 5 songs. Enjoy, and happy to hear any thoughts or feelings on this.
*This whole album was completed at the Vancouver Public Library Inspiration Lab, and was a delight to work on! For those who are unaware, the downtown library in Vancouver has studios you can utilize to record music, video, podcasts, as well as a variety of amazing multi-media production equipment. They offer wicked courses for free, and is a fantastic resource. I took a 4 week Documentary Film Making course in March with award winning film producer, Julia Ivanova, and I learned so much!
Check out Julia’s songs, check out the library, live long, and do fun things with good people :).
Two special shows in Kelowna April 29th/30th
Fresh off the Vancouver release, I am now headed east for the Okanagan portion of the All We Ever Need Launch!! Going to be 2 very different shows this weekend:
April 29th – Roots Revival Event at Little Creek Gardens, innovative picnic style event, I’ll be performing alongside Leila Neverland and Nils Loewen. Click the picture below for this very unique event and team:
Sunday April 30th – House Concert release of All We Ever Need with special guests. Click the album cover below for info and link to tickets:
All We Ever Need release show at St. James Hall a huge success!
Photo by Nicoleta D
After 4 years of build up, writing, walking, rewriting, walking some more, collaboration, sweat, blood, tears, and laughter….all of it came to beautiful fruition at St. James Hall on Friday night. Meet the cast of characters that helped me to bring All We Ever Need into this world. From the left, Jon Anderson, Natalie Ramsay, Bre McDaniel, Shera Kelly, Darren Beattie, Me, Chris Couto, Colleen O’Connor, and Heather Hay! What an honour it was to play to a packed house with this all star team.
I wanted to take a moment to thank all the wonderful supporters who contributed to the fundraiser, and to the Creative BC/BC Music Fund team for helping to make this project real. With the new album in hand and properly launched, so starts the action of this project with all that was intended for it – increasing connection, building community, and growing the love! Giddy up folks. Giddy up!!
Vancouver album release to be held at St. James Hall, April 21st! Free album with ticket purchase before March 31st!
Click the above flyer for early bird tickets, and a free album!
All We Ever Need is here and available to the world!
I am so thrilled to announce that my new album project “All We Ever Need,” after 4 years in the making, is out and available on every kind of music platform imaginable. Below are links to a variety of sources where you can find it, listen to it, share it, purchase it, whatever your preference may be. Just click on the below link to go where you want to go :).
Enjoy!
Album art above designed by Celestial Folk star – Bre McDaniel
Another rung around the tree
If I were a tree, then today, I would magically sprout a new layer of external shell. You could cut me in half, count the layers, and discover my age. Pretty wild when you think about it. Looking at the inside of a tree is like looking at a story board for a book or movie. Every line/layer is packed with information, stories, emotions, lessons, and experience.
However, these layers don’t just show up on their own. The ground holds the base of the tree stable, allowing it to root and grow. The rain and surrounding micro/macro creatures do what they do to help bring nutrients. The sun shines on the leaves, provides energy, encouragement, and advice on where to go in its life. It takes a forrest to raise a tree :).
These last few years, I have opened up to the wonders of collaboration. For a long time, I tried to do everything on my own, and definitely added some tough layers to my stump! When I look back today on how much stronger I have become from focused/intentional work with others, co-creating, and admitting that I need help, I feel an overwhelming sense of appreciation and gratitude.
Thank you to everyone in my forrest! If you are reading this now, you have had a profound impact on me, and the latest rungs I have acquired are entirely because of you. They are the best I have ever had, and all I can say is thank you! I couldn’t have got here on my own.
Like a human bone that becomes stronger and more dense as a reaction to bearing load, so do
New live video for “Thank You,” entered in CBC Searchlight 2017!
Exciting news! CBC has just started their 2017 round of Searchlight, a national program that helps bring new Canadian music to your lovely ears. I have entered it this year, and have put in a new song and video in lieu of my upcoming album release “All We Ever Need.” The song is called “Thank You,” featuring the amazing Chris Couto on Djembe, and is one of the most dearest to my heart. This is the video I submitted:
(Video filmed and produced by Kale Beaudry http://klphotograph.com)
Searchlight works as a mixture of judges opinions as well as crowd voting. You can vote once per day, for any and as many artists as you like. I am one out of 12 in the “Folk,” category for “Vancouver City.”
Click the “Searchlight Vote Now” picture below to vote for “Thank You.”
Round 1 goes from today till February 27th at 3pm. The prizes for this are pretty special, and include mentorship, a chance to write a song for Canada’s 150, and some incredible performance opportunities with CBC’s festivals around Canada Day in Ottawa.
I am inviting you to participate in this journey with me, however far it goes. You can vote once per/day at the above link, and I appreciate all and any help. If you connect to it, or think of someone else who might enjoy this song and its message, feel free to share!
*For the Facebookers out there, feel free to join the EVENT PAGE and follow along for some entertaining, humourous, and uplifting daily voting reminders.
Lastly, there are a few other artists that I know and have personally played with before that are in my category. They are well worth looking into. If you feel inclned, vote for them too. They are fantastic people, and amazing musicians, and you can vote for as many artists as you like:
Natalie Ramsay
Echo Nebraska
NO MOTHERS
Thank you for time!
Bring your Soxy to The Roxy, Jan. 11th!
Cool news! I was invited to come play at The Roxy this Wednesday with some solid musical forces from around Vancouver. I’ll also be making a special announcement to do with an upcoming music video about mismatched socks, so if you’d like to be a part of something very cool, come by the Roxy.
In lieu of this, I’m also doing a sock drive for those who could use some extra foot warmth out in the cold. If you have some solo socks kicking around, and you don’t use them, bring them on Wednesday night, and I’ll make sure they find a good foot home.
Let’s have a good old Soxy night at The Roxy ;).
First song from “All We Ever Need” released on compilation album to support local food bank
I am so excited about this post today! I am absolutely thrilled to announce the release of “Thank You,” the first song shared from my Spring 2017 release “All We Ever Need.”
The song has been added to a digital compilation album with 28 other incredible artists and bands in support of the food bank this Christmas. This project was the brain seed of a special friend and musician, Luca Fogale, and I am so honoured to have my first track off the new community focused album put out this way.
29 songs by 29 artists, by donation, all going to a great cause! Give the gift of music to your friends and family by clicking on the album cover below (A Bit of Light, Vol. 1) to purchase and help people out this season.
Happy Holidays all!!
The Acoustic Guitar Project 2016 Success!
Wow……Thursday November 17th at St. James Hall – What a night!! Still buzzing from a heart felt evening of incredible performances, impromptu jamming, and wonderful stories.
The Acoustic Guitar Project is the epitome of everything I love doing – Bringing a bunch of rad people together in a beautiful space through a form of shared creativity. Nothing charges me up more than this! Thanks to all the artists that brought this round of the project and night to life. Here is where you can find them:
Sadie Campbell Music – http://
Kristina Lao – http://
Joline Baylis – https://
Chicken-Like Birds – http://
Tanya Gallagher – https://www.facebook.com/
Thanks to all the great folks that came out to support the event, The Rogue Folk Club and volunteers for hosting the night, and to all the Sponsors (Corduroy Lounge, Eva Munroe, Float House, Tapestry Music, Craft Beer Market, The Rogue Folk Club) who donated a prize to the night. The signed ukelele in the picture below (donated by Tapestry) was bought in the auction, re-donated, re-bought, and raised a good chunk of funds all by itself! Rough estimates of door and separate donations are just over $2000 – all of which will be matched by the city, so the night is putting a minimum of $4000 back into repairing St. James Hall! Amazing! Also big thanks to Roundhouse Radio for the interview with Sadie Campbell and I.
*This Sunday I am a part of another unique night at The Wise Hall downstairs lounge in East Vancouver, which will also be a fundraiser for St. James Hall. This night, 12 artists will be sharing the stage, and covering each other’s music for an event titled “Second Hand Songs.” It starts at 8pm, is $5, and will make for a very special evening. Let’s keep the ball rolling :)!
Album Recording Finished!!
WHAAAAAAAAAAAA???? Exsqueeze me? Baking powder? haha. Yup, you read correctly! After 90+ hours of recording over the month of October, my upcoming album, All We Ever Need, has been completely laid down! It was a marathon that literally came down to the last 5 seconds of time I had in the studio, and what has resulted is absolute magic! As we speak it is going through the mixing stages, followed by the mastering process, and I am so thrilled to hear it on the other end.
So many highlights throughout this experience. One of them was having the likes of master percussionist, Chris Couto of Kutapira (and many other groups), lend his skills on conga and djembe for a couple of songs!
Big thanks to all who played on this (Shera Kelly, Blake Williams, Darren Beattie, Chris Couto, and Jon Anderson), and for all who helped contribute to make this kind of album a reality. There are some wonderful surprises in store for you all :).
Back in the studio with Mr. Blake Williams!
Pumped to be back at Protection Island with Jon Anderson today and tomorrow, continuing solid work on All We Ever Need. Had the honour of having Bodhran superstar, Blake Williams join in for a very special tune. Judging by our feet, I’m sure you can guess what song we were plugging away on….:). It’s all sounding so so good!!!
Recording of All We Ever Need has begun!!
Happy Thanksgiving all!
I can’t think of a better day to post this. I began the recording of my new album (All We Ever Need) with Jon Anderson on Friday and Saturday, and will continue on and off throughout this month and early November. The first couple of days have been fantastic, and it’s sounding pretty sweet! Brought in a couple of characters to contribute their musicality to a couple of tunes (Darren Beattie and Shera Kelly), and as you can see below, they know how to candidly pose for a camera :).
I am so thankful for all the support that made the recording of this album possible! It’s been an overwhelming experience to hear back how it is already taking shape. You guys and gals are gonna love it!
Enjoy the weekend, and more updates soon!
