as you may have heard by now – i hosted APTN’s, “2009 Aboriginal Day Live” from Whitehorse, Yukon this past week and the whole experience has reinforced something that i’ve been saying for years – we’ve got insane talent in the aboriginal community.
i was fortunate enough to be asked to host the northern stage for APTN’s, “2009 Aboriginal Day Live”, and as soon as i was asked – i jumped on the opportunity. it was a no brainer. i mean, hosting events, performing, etc. – that’s easy to me. what i forgot to think about was that it was going to be LIVE, on NATIONAL TELEVISION, and that i’d NEVER done live television before. i’ve been on tv, shot stuff in studios, film sets, etc., but i got the feeling that this was going to be different. it was a weird, barfy, antsy feeling. one that i hadn’t felt about a show for a long time.
the build up to this gig nearly killed me. i don’t think i slept for nearly three weeks before ab. day and it was an ongoing battle to rest, relax, allow myself to enjoy what was happening rather than freak myself out about it. i think i put alot of pressure on myself to make an impression on those that hired me. i was hired to write and perform and i really wanted to show them what i could do. that pressure was heavy and totally unnecessary. they hired me, for who i am and what i’ve done and can do. i forgot that.
the good thing about that barfy, antsy feeling i had was that it injected that love of performing back into me – not that i ever lost it. as someone that’s on the stage alot, the “high” that one gets from performing tends to go away after you’ve been doing it for a long time (13 years in for me, close to 10 years of theatre, improv and sketch comedy, 3 years of standup comedy) and i just relate that back to it becoming “my job”. let me be clear here – i love my job. but i’m sure, doctors, graphic designers, furniture makers all love their jobs as well. i imagine there are days they really look forward to going to work and there are some days they don’t. i imagine at first they all got really excited about their first few weeks, but, after awhile, that wears off. well, it had for me. the most common question i get asked about performing is, “ARE YOU NERVOUS?” i always answer NO. i don’t get nervous. even in highschool theatre, i was always able to stay grounded before i got onstage. what i had to learn as a young performer was to use my “nervous energy” into something positive (being in my funny place, being BIG onstage, etc.)rather than something negative (freaked out, thinking about how they’ll like the jokes, etc.). once i figured out how to channel my energy properly – i never got nervous. THIS SHOW WAS DIFFERENT. i was nervous, that performance rush was there for me, and i felt excited to step onstage again. it was amazing to reconnect with that. i’m going to try and hold onto that for awhile. it’s a feeling i like.
the biggest note i got from the producers and the director was – to be myself. i was told that that’s what got me there and that i could/should just relax and enjoy the time. so, that’s what i did. i’m glad i did too. everything from script meetings, to rehearsals, to the anticipation of doing “live hits”, to hanging with the musicians, to joking with the crew, to memorizing the script, was off the hook.
the lineup for the show was amazing. the list was eclectic and really highlighted the fact that “aboriginal music” bridges gaps, it crosses cultures, and more importantly, it doesn’t fit into a box or category.
here’s the list of performers from the whitehorse stage. please take time to visit their websites, order their music, and keep supporting aboriginal music.
- Ed Peekeekoot (country/roots/spoken word/flute with a hint of comedy)
- Donny Parenteau (kick ass country/fiddle rock/foot stompin’ metis jams)
- Jerry Alfred (northern canada rock & roll with a traditional flavour)
- First Nations People Performance Group (dance/song/language/culture/mind blowing)
- Kinnie Starr (hip hop fused with rock blended with spoken word art rockin’ to a beat)
- Derek Miller (indian blues, grungy party rock, all rooted in killer song writing)
- Crystal Shawanda (old country meets new country, storytelling roots with a rock sensibility)
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