Performers
Bios: Natalie
Edward Born in 1988, Natalie Edward is a young, fresh face in the Canadian
Independent Music scene. Influences come from Sarah Mclachlan, Jewel, Joni
Mitchell, Janis Joplin, The Cranberries, David Gray, Damien Rice, and much more.
Natalie grew up in Mississauga , Ontario , but moved to Vancouver at the age of
18 to attend Simon Fraser University , which was when the EP project "October"
was born. October, released in 2007, is a pop/rock/roots EP that portrays the
very beginning of her life away from home. She is still working to complete a
degree in Communication at SFU.
Since recording October, Natalie’s style has slowly developed into the
folk/roots genre, a style that is becoming better suited to her voice and
songwriting. She plays the guitar, piano, mandolin, and mouth harps, and can
often be seen playing at venues around Vancouver and the lower mainland.
Daniela
Elza has released more than 120 poems into the world, some of which recently
appeared in 4poets (Mother Tongue Publishing, 2009), Matrix, and Vallum. She
just completed her first full length manuscript, and will be the feature poet in
the Spring issue of The New Orphic Review. Daniela is also working toward the
completion of her doctorate at SFU, and is currently the Vancouver/Lower
Mainland Rep. for the Federation of BC Writers.
http://strangeplaces.livingcode.org
Ryan
Fletcher Since moving to Vancouver from Prince Edward Island four years ago
Ryan Fletcher has been active as a poet in the Vancouver scene. Using a
distinctly quiet and direct approach Ryan creates an intimate atmosphere when
reading, then with skilful timing draws audiences into the many different worlds
of his writings. With poetic voices ranging anywhere from the soft and deeply
romanticized, ‘Healthy Hearts’, ‘Beach’, and ‘Cranberry Juice’ to impassioned
calls to activist action in, ‘Just TV’, ‘Broken Hearts Die Slowly’, and ‘Ode to
the Weed’ to the more dangerously outrageous voices present in pieces like his
popular, ‘Damn Romance!’, attending one of Fletcher’s readings is an emotional
experience. As he said in an interview, “it is emotion that one ultimately takes
away from life situations, and it is my interest to explore that part of
living.”
With a simple and direct writing style and a gift for perspective, Ryan Fletcher
writes works built to reach any kind of audience, whether it be analytical
academics or regular blue collar workers. With an academic background of
English, History, and Psychology, and work experience ranging from harvests and
landscaping, to warehouses, fast food joints, organic delis, casinos, offices,
museums and radio stations, Fletcher knows many voices. He said his ultimate
interest lies in, “Disarming any lies we may be telling ourselves and
celebrating the human experience, good and bad”, “It is my hope that my poems
will leave audiences with beautiful impressions of truth that has them feeling
good and curious about the magic of life.”
To read some of Ryan’s works visit the ‘Rhyme and Punishment’ section of the
www.unconformed.com website, and you can usually catch him performing live in
Vancouver Friday nights at ‘Trees Coffee House’
Warren
Dean Fulton is a poetic prospector, panning for gold along the banks of
language. He runs a micro poetry publishing company, pooka press. This June, he
embarked on a tour, pookapalooza - a poetry roadshow celebrating 15 yrs of pooka
press, which brought him to 8 different cities in 6 provinces in 15 days (
Kamloops , Calgary , Regina , Winnipeg , Ottawa , Montreal , Thunder Bay ,
Vancouver ). He has been published in lit mags, now & then, here & there.
Mary
Kastle Since graduating from Vancouver ’s Capilano College with her
Bachelors of Jazz Studies, pianist/vocalist Mary Kastle has found herself most
at home bridging the divide between jazz and contemporary pop songwriting. She
has released two EPs, the latest thanks to a FACTOR demo grant, and criss-crossed
Canada several times in support of them. In 2008 she also received a Canada
Council study grant to work with esteemed jazz pianist Tim Ray ( Jane Siberry,
Lyle Lovett, Berklee & NEC Faculty) in Boston . Her forthcoming debut
full-length recording is entitled ‘Beneath the Folds’. Produced by Juno-Award
winning avant-folk producer/guitarist Steve Dawson, it will be released June
1st, 2010 on Black Hen Music. Mary plans to tour extensively throughout North
America and Europe upon the album’s release.
Karen
Larson, a West Coast treasure with a soul to burn and a voice to match. Her
debut album "Fire and Ice" showcases both her rich, soulful vocals and gift for
moving seamlessly between rootsy country-tinged pop and smoldering jazzy blues.
Karen Larson is a talented songwriter that digs deep for her lyrics and her
honesty translates well. A seasoned performer who's been going solid and strong
on the performance circuit for ten years. She has CBC Radio one airplay across
Canada , is a repeated guest performer for the Vancouver Jazz Festival for the
last seven years and has performed eight shows for the Manitoba Stampede. A few
other performing credentials to Karen's resume include - - Grrrls with Guitars
series, Kimberley Music Fest, the Vancouver and Richmond Cultural Centre as the
featued artist/performer, the Douglas College Theatre and is a repeat guest at
Vancouver ’s beautiful St. James Hall. She performed at, organized and hosted
the twenty week concert series 'Music4Food' in support for the Vancouver Food
Bank.
Bill
McNamara is a Storyteller and Poet from Vancouver . He was the Story Slam
Champ of Vancouver from '05 to '06 and is presently the city's oldest Slam Poet.
He is also the host/organizer of Thundering Word, Vancouver 's Finest Open Mic.
Since the passing over a year ago of it's originator, the late, great T-Paul
Ste.Marie, Bill, and his co-host Wanda-Sue Nowicki have kept this wonderful
event going strong. He still performs at various events and festivals around
town and in the Fraser Valley .
Marni
Norwich has facilitated writing workshops in educational facilities,
community centres, drop-ins, and prisons for over sixteen years. Her poetry
collection, Wildflowers at my doorstep (Karma Press, 2008) recently won an
Independent Publisher Book Award. She’s a regular reader at benefits and events
around Vancouver and has performed her work as part of the dance and music
ensemble, Bad Poetry. Marni works as a writer/editor with her business, Inkcat
Media (inkcatmedia.com). She’s also an independent journalist whose articles
have appeared in many Canadian publications, including the Globe and Mail, the
Georgia Straight, Profit, and Herizons.
Shannon
Rayne is an accomplished performance poet and storyteller who has
facilitated creative writing workshops for over five years. She is the workshop
facilitator at the Fearless Writers Circle in Vancouver 's vibrant Downtown
Eastside and has led writing and performance workshops in elementary and high
schools in the Greater Vancouver area and in cities across the country when on
tour. Shannon has also worked in the field of addiction and mental illness and
has taught writing workshops geared toward self-expression for those in recovery
and transition. She has performed at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, the
Vancouver International Storytelling Festival, and Under the Volcano Festival.
Her work has been published in broadsides and chapbooks by dirty rat pack press
and pooka press and has appeared in other publications and literary journals.
Bryant
Ross prefers to be known as a "Storyteller" But his ex-wife refers to him as
a "Lying Bastard" You be the judge. For the last three years, Bryant Ross has
been telling stories in various venues around Vancouver , mostly at "Thundering
Word" ( Vancouver 's finest open mic) and Vancouver Story Slam, where he
recently won the 2009 championship. Other appearances have been at the "In the
House" and the "Under the Volcano" festivals along with the "Car Free" day on
Main Street last summer.
Bryant is a 48 year old, 28 year veteran of the Langley Fire Department and
lives in Langley with his wife, three kids and two hound dogs.
Ms.
Spelt is a consistently top ranked performance poet in Vancouver and has
been for over a decade.One of the founders of the Vancouver Poetry Slam, He was
Creative
Director of the Individual World Poetry Slam 2007, and the only Canadian to ever
win Poetry Slam Inc.'s The Spirit of
the Slam Award which he did in 2002.He has also been one of the hosts of Tales
of Ordinary Madness and founded and ran INK-Hardcore Spoken Word; a poetry
reading in and for the DTES.
Briana
Stewart and The Madman’s Gospel. They're all a little mad and they sure
don't play no gospel but they make great tunes and want to share them with you!
Sylvia
Taylor is an award-winning freelance writer, editor and educator in Metro
Vancouver, with a passionate commitment to communication. The current Executive
Director of the Federation of BC Writers, Sylvia first served nine years on the
board and two as President. She writes a wide variety of magazine and newspaper
articles and commercial works and consults with a diverse range of entrepreneurs
and businesses. She edits in all genres and works extensively with authors
through all stages and phases of writing and publishing. She is also an
inspiring public speaker and presenter at conferences and in writing programs
and judges numerous writing competitions. Her creative writing has appeared in
anthologies and genre magazines, in Canada and the U.S, and was shortlisted for
the 2008 CBC National Literary Awards. Her devotion to wellness and the arts led
to a nomination for the 2002 Women of Excellence Awards.
Event Details:
March 15th, 2010
Arts In Harmony Fundraiser
Presented by Pandora’s Collective and
the Vancouver Artists’ Collective Association
Pandora's Collective and The Vancouver Artists Collective have come
together to bring you Arts In Harmony, a night full of entertainment you won’t
forget. This night is a fundraiser for both non-profit organizations to continue
their work in the growth of local artists and community development. We hope you
will come out and support all the work these organizations do in our community.
Tickets: $20 at the door includes entertainment, a burger with fries and
beer. After costs, all proceeds go directly Pandora's Collective and The
Vancouver Artists Collective.
There will also be door prizes so prepared to have a win/win evening.
Guest
musicians and poets: 6:00-6:30 ♫♫ Mary Kastle
6:30-7:00 Spoken Word: Bill McNamara and Bryant Ross
7:00-7:30 Poetry and Dance: Ryan Fletcher
7:30- 8:00 ♫♫ Natalie Edward
8:00-8:30 Poetry: Daniela Elza and Marni Norwich
8:30- 9:00 Dance: Ammara Dance Company
9:00- 9:30 ♫♫ Briana and The Mad Man’s Gospel
9:30- 10:00 Spoken Word and Story: Shannon Rayne and Sylvia Taylor
10:00-10:30 ♫♫ Taylor Harp and the Shield
10:30- 11:00 Spoken Word and Story: Svelte Ms. Spelt and Warren Dean Fulton
11:00- 11:30 ♫♫ Karen Larson Band Time: 6 pm - 12am Location: The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street @ 29th Avenue
RSVP if possible Contact to buy tickets:
Bonnie Nish, blinsh_pandoras@yahoo.ca
Natalie
Edward Born in 1988, Natalie Edward is a young, fresh face in the Canadian
Independent Music scene. Influences come from Sarah Mclachlan, Jewel, Joni
Mitchell, Janis Joplin, The Cranberries, David Gray, Damien Rice, and much more.
Daniela
Elza has released more than 120 poems into the world, some of which recently
appeared in 4poets (Mother Tongue Publishing, 2009), Matrix, and Vallum. She
just completed her first full length manuscript, and will be the feature poet in
the Spring issue of The New Orphic Review. Daniela is also working toward the
completion of her doctorate at SFU, and is currently the Vancouver/Lower
Mainland Rep. for the Federation of BC Writers.
Ryan
Fletcher Since moving to Vancouver from Prince Edward Island four years ago
Ryan Fletcher has been active as a poet in the Vancouver scene. Using a
distinctly quiet and direct approach Ryan creates an intimate atmosphere when
reading, then with skilful timing draws audiences into the many different worlds
of his writings. With poetic voices ranging anywhere from the soft and deeply
romanticized, ‘Healthy Hearts’, ‘Beach’, and ‘Cranberry Juice’ to impassioned
calls to activist action in, ‘Just TV’, ‘Broken Hearts Die Slowly’, and ‘Ode to
the Weed’ to the more dangerously outrageous voices present in pieces like his
popular, ‘Damn Romance!’, attending one of Fletcher’s readings is an emotional
experience. As he said in an interview, “it is emotion that one ultimately takes
away from life situations, and it is my interest to explore that part of
living.”
Warren
Dean Fulton is a poetic prospector, panning for gold along the banks of
language. He runs a micro poetry publishing company, pooka press. This June, he
embarked on a tour, pookapalooza - a poetry roadshow celebrating 15 yrs of pooka
press, which brought him to 8 different cities in 6 provinces in 15 days (
Kamloops , Calgary , Regina , Winnipeg , Ottawa , Montreal , Thunder Bay ,
Vancouver ). He has been published in lit mags, now & then, here & there.
Mary
Kastle Since graduating from Vancouver ’s Capilano College with her
Bachelors of Jazz Studies, pianist/vocalist Mary Kastle has found herself most
at home bridging the divide between jazz and contemporary pop songwriting. She
has released two EPs, the latest thanks to a FACTOR demo grant, and criss-crossed
Canada several times in support of them. In 2008 she also received a Canada
Council study grant to work with esteemed jazz pianist Tim Ray ( Jane Siberry,
Lyle Lovett, Berklee & NEC Faculty) in Boston . Her forthcoming debut
full-length recording is entitled ‘Beneath the Folds’. Produced by Juno-Award
winning avant-folk producer/guitarist Steve Dawson, it will be released June
1st, 2010 on Black Hen Music. Mary plans to tour extensively throughout North
America and Europe upon the album’s release. 
Karen
Larson, a West Coast treasure with a soul to burn and a voice to match. Her
debut album "Fire and Ice" showcases both her rich, soulful vocals and gift for
moving seamlessly between rootsy country-tinged pop and smoldering jazzy blues.
Karen Larson is a talented songwriter that digs deep for her lyrics and her
honesty translates well. A seasoned performer who's been going solid and strong
on the performance circuit for ten years. She has CBC Radio one airplay across
Canada , is a repeated guest performer for the Vancouver Jazz Festival for the
last seven years and has performed eight shows for the Manitoba Stampede. A few
other performing credentials to Karen's resume include - - Grrrls with Guitars
series, Kimberley Music Fest, the Vancouver and Richmond Cultural Centre as the
featued artist/performer, the Douglas College Theatre and is a repeat guest at
Vancouver ’s beautiful St. James Hall. She performed at, organized and hosted
the twenty week concert series 'Music4Food' in support for the Vancouver Food
Bank.
Bill
McNamara is a Storyteller and Poet from Vancouver . He was the Story Slam
Champ of Vancouver from '05 to '06 and is presently the city's oldest Slam Poet.
He is also the host/organizer of Thundering Word, Vancouver 's Finest Open Mic.
Since the passing over a year ago of it's originator, the late, great T-Paul
Ste.Marie, Bill, and his co-host Wanda-Sue Nowicki have kept this wonderful
event going strong. He still performs at various events and festivals around
town and in the Fraser Valley .
Marni
Norwich has facilitated writing workshops in educational facilities,
community centres, drop-ins, and prisons for over sixteen years. Her poetry
collection, Wildflowers at my doorstep (Karma Press, 2008) recently won an
Independent Publisher Book Award. She’s a regular reader at benefits and events
around Vancouver and has performed her work as part of the dance and music
ensemble, Bad Poetry. Marni works as a writer/editor with her business, Inkcat
Media (inkcatmedia.com). She’s also an independent journalist whose articles
have appeared in many Canadian publications, including the Globe and Mail, the
Georgia Straight, Profit, and Herizons.
Shannon
Rayne is an accomplished performance poet and storyteller who has
facilitated creative writing workshops for over five years. She is the workshop
facilitator at the Fearless Writers Circle in Vancouver 's vibrant Downtown
Eastside and has led writing and performance workshops in elementary and high
schools in the Greater Vancouver area and in cities across the country when on
tour. Shannon has also worked in the field of addiction and mental illness and
has taught writing workshops geared toward self-expression for those in recovery
and transition. She has performed at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, the
Vancouver International Storytelling Festival, and Under the Volcano Festival.
Her work has been published in broadsides and chapbooks by dirty rat pack press
and pooka press and has appeared in other publications and literary journals.
Bryant
Ross prefers to be known as a "Storyteller" But his ex-wife refers to him as
a "Lying Bastard" You be the judge. For the last three years, Bryant Ross has
been telling stories in various venues around Vancouver , mostly at "Thundering
Word" ( Vancouver 's finest open mic) and Vancouver Story Slam, where he
recently won the 2009 championship. Other appearances have been at the "In the
House" and the "Under the Volcano" festivals along with the "Car Free" day on
Main Street last summer. 
Ms.
Spelt is a consistently top ranked performance poet in Vancouver and has
been for over a decade.One of the founders of the Vancouver Poetry Slam, He was
Creative
Briana
Stewart and The Madman’s Gospel. They're all a little mad and they sure
don't play no gospel but they make great tunes and want to share them with you!
Sylvia
Taylor is an award-winning freelance writer, editor and educator in Metro
Vancouver, with a passionate commitment to communication. The current Executive
Director of the Federation of BC Writers, Sylvia first served nine years on the
board and two as President. She writes a wide variety of magazine and newspaper
articles and commercial works and consults with a diverse range of entrepreneurs
and businesses. She edits in all genres and works extensively with authors
through all stages and phases of writing and publishing. She is also an
inspiring public speaker and presenter at conferences and in writing programs
and judges numerous writing competitions. Her creative writing has appeared in
anthologies and genre magazines, in Canada and the U.S, and was shortlisted for
the 2008 CBC National Literary Awards. Her devotion to wellness and the arts led
to a nomination for the 2002 Women of Excellence Awards.