[Canadian Musician Contents]  [Canadian Musician Showcase]  [Canadian Musician Music Online]  [Canadian Musician Recording Studio]  [Canadian Musician Artists] 


Metalworks Hosts SASS Adventure

Twelve Canadian student songwriters of the School Alliance of Student Songwriters (SASS) program have had the chance of a lifetime to co-write and record songs with some of Canada’s most noteworthy songwriters at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, ON from April 18-21.

SASS is a not-for-profit organization that brings songwriting into Canadian elementary and secondary schools. Schoolteacher and songwriter, Devon “Artemis” Chartier and songwriter, producer and guitarist Dale Russell, former lead guitarist for the Guess Who, established it three years ago. SASS has a goal of giving students a chance to control their self-expression while protecting their creative rights. This program is now instilled in over 50 schools across Canada. The word “Alliance” in SASS indicates that students are provided opportunities to network through meetings, workshops, co-writing and interschool recitals. SASS was developed in the Durham, ON Region and has expanded this year into the Guelph and Peterborough, ON and Vancouver, BC areas.

Sarah Nadeau, A.J. Ottaway, Laila Darwish, Ian Lennox, Tony Ranalli, Lindsay Broughton, Samara Van Leeuwen, Lindsay Regan, Joey MacDonald and Tafar-I Davis are students of Durham who attended the event. Braedon Quarles of Stouffville, ON and Sonny Parmar of New Westminster, BC complete the 12 students at the event who were selected out of hundreds of students based on their songwriting, instrumental, vocal and interpersonal skills. They were split into groups of three, each with one songwriting professional. The mentors included Damhnait Doyle, Shaye; Haydain Neale, Jack Soul; Justin Gray, Sugar Jones, Joss Stone, etc.; Stan Meissner, songwriter and President of the Songwriters Association of Canada. Each group wrote and recorded a song each day and on Friday they had the opportunity to watch one of their songs professionally recorded with studio musicians and singers.

“This week was designed to bring the Canadian Music industry a little closer to the schools and young people,” said Don Quarles, who is the event organizer and Writer-Mentor Program Coordinator for SASS by day and the Event Manager at the Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts by night. “With concerns about music disappearing in the schools as well as the music industry going through a constant evolution, it seems not only logical but crucial that we expose young Canadians to music and music creation opportunities. What better way to have an appreciation for the music we listen to on a daily bases than to learn how it is created, and try creating some ourselves.”

For more information, visit www.sasscanada.com.

| Contents | Showcase | Music On-Line |
| Studio Guide | Canadian Artists | Link To Us |

Norris-Whitney Communications
Contact us