This article was written for the Fall 2015 issue of CV Collective. Click the photo for link to CV Collective’s online site.

 

 

JOY DISTRICT 

WORDS BY ANDREW WOOD

Halfway through Joy District’s set, the power to their bass, both guitars, and all four microphones cut out. On its feet, the crowd shifted from energetic towards empathetic. From the only cordless instrument, an impromptu, two stick and kick-drum solo filled the stage as bass and then guitar and finally cool vocals were layered back into the original song.

The Comox Valley’s alt-rock group lived up to the “deep, unspoken bond” that earned them $5000 and a spot competing in BC’s Peak Performance Project. The competition is funded by the Jim Pattison Group and run through Vancouver’s 102.7 The Peak. As stated on the website, it’s “designed to educate, promote, and develop BC musicians”. The initiative has poured resources and expertise into the foundations of bands such as: Said the Whale, Current Swell, and The Boom Booms.

Each finalist receives live performance, song writing, marketing and promotion mentorship, as well as, radio play and the chance to win the $102,700 grand prize. A panel of industry judges will review a portfolio compiled over a summer that evaluates the band’s use of the $5000, its ability to fundraise for a local charity (Comox Valley Transition Society) and the quality of their live performances.

The four members–three Denman Island childhood friends, two of whom are brothers–all agree one of their biggest strengths is live performance. It’s a strength shared by Mother Mother frontman Ryan Guldemond who performs with his sister and brother in-law.  In 2015, Guldemond started working on production with Joy District. It’s an opportunity the band credits to “preparation” and “luck”, adding “…he understands our level of commitment, there is no plan B.”

Drummer Gamble embodies musical dedication. At age 13 Gamble received a full scholarship to a drum camp at Hollyhock with Armando Peraza. At 19 he traveled to Conakry, Guinea, in West Africa where he spent five hours a day for three weeks straight studying the Djemb, a rope tuned, skin hand drum.  Gamble later received a Diploma in Music Performance with a Double Major in “Latin Percussion and Jazz” and “Contemporary Drum Set”.

Lead vocalist, Eli Hillberry, had a less pre-determined trajectory. After graduating from GP Vanier, Hillberry moved to Victoria to play rugby with James Bay’s Premier club team, training with team Canada’s 7 asides at the same time. Eventually, his teammates had to settle for a simple rational: “band practice is just more fun.”

In the seventh and final year of BC’s Peak Performance Project, Joy District is the Comox Valley’s last chance to garner musical notoriety before the contest shifts its focus exclusively to Alberta. On October 16th text and online voting opens to the public allowing for hometown communities to connect with and support their aspiring Island Artists.

For information on upcoming shows, or to support the band you can follow them on Facebook at Joy District.

FACEBOOK.COM/JOYDISTRICT

TWITTER.COM/JOYDISTRICT

INSTAGRAM.COM/JOY_DISTRICT_MUSIC

Sea-to-Sky Corridor Poetry Slam/Open-Mic

“The Little’s Bakery”
-wbw

I was honoured to work with/and have the support of Quest’s Student Representative Council this past year. As the Minister of Arts & Culture my platform was to bridge the Squamish and Quest communities through the arts. The Sea-to-Sky Corridor Poetry Slam/Open-Mic was one of those initiatives. At our first event we hit capacity at the Brackendale Art Gallery with approximately 100 students and 50 Squamish residents. While numbers fluctuated throughout the winter, once things were rolling I felt more comfortable stepping out of the organizer role and into a preferred role as a performer. This is one of the first pieces I performed. Enjoy.

Article in BARE Magazine This was an article that I wrote at Quest for a Journalism project with visiting tutor Erin Millar co-founder at Discourse Media. The article was being researched as the then Conservative government was passing Bill C-36 in response to the Supreme Court Ruling Canada VS Bedford. The Supreme Court unanimously decided that the Criminal […]

A Crew That Conquered (Short)

Squamish Valley Music festival, at the best it will ever be (for me at least).

Rosa Bud & The Chia Seeds

To all of those in long-distance relationships…

“BACKYARD SESSIONS: Building A Monster”

Happy to present my first published article, complete with the first photo of me snowboarding to make it to the glossy pages.  This article came from a serendipitous walk in the rain with Rosa and my moms because we wanted to drink a bottle of wine. Instead of our going to our go to, we ended up at the closest restaurant where I met the head editor and publisher of Mountain Life. Open to random interactions and you never know what can happen.

Mountain Life’s Online flip magazine is at the link below!

http://flipmag.mountainlifemedia.ca/cm/2015-winter-spring/#78/z

 

 

OWNERSHIP.

  Ownership.

…a collection of words by woods.

Welcome to the ownership.

masts and brass, anchors and rope.

…A vessel where we look to the stars

                                                          -for we plot the courses.

The teacher is, are and will be broad

Breathe deep. Feel nervous. Breathe deep.

Sirens will sing the voice of vice, so plug your ears and think well twice.

We all bought in,

                           liking what was,

                                          and set for

                                                           sail on the journey- the trip.

Realize. Accept…and once again:

Welcome aboard the ownership.

Where we piss to the wind, life experience our leader.

Resist internal mutiny

 stomp yer pegged leg or bark at the moon but allllways fly the flag.

Remember the only valuable lessons are the ONES

                                                                             so WE

                                                                                       KEEP on

                                                                                                      continuously conversing

                                                                                                                                             and searching

                                                                                                                                                                 and while sailing our souls through the wind chop and knolls.

            Remember always to bring it back to the building blocks…

                                                                                                                                 the cornerstone.

What was the point?

To make a point? Argue a point? Object a point…

Can we pointLESS at the problems and more to solutions.

More than just Solution A and Solution B

                                                               A diagnostic relation,

                                                                                               not always best,

                                                                                                                        expressed mathematically…

Nor simply tossed back and forth

                                                   with our philosophical

                                                                                    mindseyes

                                                                                                    pried open

our emotions engaged.

No turning back.

Now we turn

                     to

                         and face.

Wits tight, shoulders square, straight backs—>Attack

the inequality of man imposed, dualistic structures.

A transformation, a reconciliation for,

                                                           to some,

                                                                         ignorance was bliss.

Know, now is the time for discourse and collaboration.

Colin Powel-the ex U.S.Secretary

                                         quotedof

                                                   toSTATE that:

                                                                          “Perpetual Optimism is a force multiplier”

– don’t scowl- simplify- divided opinions and by subtracting the context from this piece we are left with the Big-O.

Optimism is contagious. Optimism

..is, has and always will be

                                         the key,

                                                     for at the very least, this hopeful homie.

                                                                                                                  …this writing, rapping, rhyming

                                                                                                                                                                    don’t

                                                                                                                                                                             fool

yourself into thinking like your partners for projects- with all

                                                                                               DO

                                                                                                     FOR and respect the reason.

Reel in the point of the practice:

-to catch the metaphorical fish…

So, YIP, YIP ALL ABOARD the Ownership.

Take, just for one moment, an image of vessel, now for ten mirror seconds

allow me to demasculate… a poor straw man (now female), for arguments sake.

Ownership?…Oh-HER-ship!

Sails down, masts up.

Thats the way we like to ….

                                             Fuck–

                                                         practiced procreation for obvious enjoyable recreation.

Where is the love?

Boy-sterous banter or ego-inflation PAUSE

                                                        STOP

                                                                   and deflate, dismiss, then decompose

                                              press PLAY

                                                                                                                             and fertility will follow, then new growth…

Neither muscle nor mind, rather raw true self.

Plants lose leaves through “leaf abscission”…therefore…Number

1.) Ego abscission. It is paramount

    TO.) plant your roots deeply in eachothers lives

            3.) Cultivate through colaboration and

                 FOR.) the mutually beneficial techniques, trials and healthy smiles.

The Voyage is long. The bounty is varied. The stress is tangible.

So before you accept to,

                                  or even expect to,

                                                              spit scurvied teeth from gums and cheek.

Remember it can be preventable:

simply harvest the citrus fruits

                                              of your lab-or-ous

                                                                           love for the learning.

Individual treasure, communal wealth

Speech between neighbours…

when two questions face one another: an idea can be seen?

Visualize.

Celebrate diversity and the mirror image of

                                                               and if

                                                                you

                                                                         lose your sense of direction or even destination

just remember the conundrum of the windless doldrums and think about

the North and South easterly trades

Turn your back to the land, throw sense to the sea

“volta do mar” the shit out of life!

follow the winds of change…

In complete circles if need be and dependent on

                                                                            weather

seen as a reward

or just as a bust

I still wish to thank all of thee for our, newly established trust.

You are now extended family

SO- be there for them and here for you.

The point of the practice

Optimism is contagious

and to digest daily our self farmed fruits

on this personal navigation along un-plotted courses

throwing down on unseen forces

we bring each other up

so please Give a fuck

and once again, Id like to finish with two more

YIP! YIPS!

FOR I DO BELIEVE IN

THE OWNERSHIP! 

Manologues

Manologues is the long overdue platform for discussing what it means to be a man and was created by Quest University Alumni Jon Farmer, who conducted several interviews with men across the globe about what it meant to them to be a “man” in society today.  Vagina monologues has a male counter-part.

“I’ll Tell Them” BY:  Jon Farmer, performed by Rosa Culbertson

“Aidan” BY: Andrew Wood

Constants & Variables

A performance from ‘Cabaret Expectations‘ about the concept of Constants & Variables at Quest University Canada

A Crew That Conquered.

All photos by the one and only: Ali Parker (http://lifeofalimarie.blogspot.ca/)

Musicfestivals. http://lifeofalimarie.blogspot.ca/

 

This is an epic about a crew that conquered at The Squamish Valley Musicfestival.

A crew that stretched before shows,

A crew that knew shortcuts and cheat codes

They bought ipod docks and built temporary tent fortresses with Walmart receipts

They sold tickets for half price because this

crew that threw sit down dance parties when heads and calves were too swollen to walk.

They were a hectic collective of

Ninja spirits their martial art – was groovin it.

They were students, planters, dream and music enthusiasts, and

Like last minute money transfer emails they

SENT IT.

..In 8 passenger multi coloured caravans

that read like CAD-A-LLAC -no cataracts

sights were set and solid like standards and musicfest manors

This is not a claim of “THE BEST”

Because there were better and definitely worse.

But if good vibes died, these mutha fuckas put the herse in reverse

They woke mutually hung like hippy blankets 

While the promise of base, shiftin first morning crumpled shapes 

-altered states.

They carried eyes of wide into it, and with pupils like pulleys

they moved awkward stares to vibe on stage

they cut through crowd discomfort with loose shoulder blades

sharing green breath, sweat, beer and vocal sprays.

affluent in life and crowd currents

they flowed through Rock and Hip Hop

like rap/actors- Childish Gambino

ALL in at the Love Life Casino

Apex predators, T-rex style and Lyrical executioners

like ‘A-KILL’ from Jurrasic 5

Harmony hexes for ear drums and anvils,

No Coachella, complexes.

Like when

Others wanted Macklemore, it overlapped, yet was thatch-able,

-sprint through moving mazes, as the crowd changes

from South to North facing forces

overhearing Garibaldi peak gawks- like: “Oh my GOSH -it is Gorgeous”

but eased by gluten free eateries with organic beef

melted cheese mushrooms making mundane magic

mouthing mute words like “This is INSANE”

AND

mental barriers decay via Acid corrosion -not rot,

embraced not fought

psychedelics its mental, natural and chemical

molly slips like fun cop tickets,

real security was subliminal, action level set to minimal

They rattled senses of superior concensus

LIKE “holly shit” did that guy just slip between the fabric zap strapped to the fences

Care free, contagious nature.

AND

The Heavy caught on, droppin day HOWL hooks

Until Gogol Bordello’s wagon unloaded heel stomps and head bangs as clenched fists pump

-The reins synched for the Band of Horses

Crowd hummin lyrics but thundering courses

Paths cut by the kings of the rock era – the queens of the stone age

SIDE NOTE:

to head bang continuous- rock out in circles flowing and liberuous

neck well lubricated like vagina on vertebrae

As girls admire the collective climax of a weekend

leaving life filaments bright and feeling it-

Pretty lights.

-attracting midnight butterflies.

They carried the final set of the festival

to an honourable dewy grassen grave

glow in the dark baton’s

leading a 1000 person, campground parade

“If you got the beats you can come!

…If you don’t got the beats…you can come!”

And we invite you to do so sisters and

BRO. Cause this crew that conquered

would love to jive witch on the West Coast at 

another rad Music Festival

Love,

One of the best crews that ever lived.

A biased* collection of wordsbywoods.