Pamela Marie Pierce: Embracing Saint John

Whether you’re familiar with Pamela Pierce or not, if you live in Saint John it’s likely that you are at least familiar with her artwork. It can be found in many of our coffee shops and storefronts, gracing the covers and pages of Hard Times in the Maritimes, and, for the month of December, she has opened a ‘Pop-up Art Shoppe’ on Germain Street. Continue reading Pamela Marie Pierce: Embracing Saint John

12 Beers of Christmas

Roast some chestnuts on an open fire and don your ugliest Christmas sweater; the next twelve days will be full of Christmas cheer in the form of beer. Starting today, December 12th, at The Brewtique in downtown Fredericton, Picaroons Traditional Ales will once again be releasing a different festive brew each day for twelve days, as part of their annual 12 Beers of Christmas event. Continue reading 12 Beers of Christmas

Halifax Instrument Library: Instruments Wanted

This fall, Halifax has been all abuzz with talk of libraries; from the rising success of the Halifax Tool Library, to the brand-new Halifax Central Library, Haligonians are now, more than ever, embracing the culture of sharing. A third library is emerging on the scene in the form of a musical instrument library, being pioneered by the good folks at the Halifax Music Co-op. Interim Development Director for the Co-op, Stephanie Pronk, has been appointed as the fundraising champion for the library project. “The Halifax Music Co-op is all about making music accessible. That’s actually our mission: music for everyone. Currently, we’re really accessible in that you can come in, play an instrument, and there’s very little commitment from you; you just have to show up for your lessons and take part in the ensembles. You only have to pay as little as one dollar per year to be a member. Financially, it’s open to whoever wants to join; the only problem is that you have to come with an instrument because we don’t have any.” Continue reading Halifax Instrument Library: Instruments Wanted

A Fireside Chat With Mike Biggar

“I’m a dynamo! Pew-pew-pew!” Mike Biggar launches into the interview with both guns blazing. He’s had two cups of coffee, or at least two that I’ve seen, and they’re both working. Mike is a country musician and, full disclosure, I’m not a country music fan, so when I say his album, ‘Feels Like Now’, is listenable, that is high praise indeed. There’s even an unnerving sense that it has grown on me, but Mike waylays any fears of early onset Achy-Breaky-Heart-Disease, “I’m not a very twangy, cowboy hat wearing… My Keith Urban hair is the closest I get to Nashville. I try to not put the word ‘country’ out without the word ‘roots’; I worry that people get the impression that I’m striving to be a representative of the most country of country music.” Continue reading A Fireside Chat With Mike Biggar