Faculty Biographies
Rik Emmett - www.rikemmett.com
Rik Emmett has a fair share of gold and platinum hanging on the wall after surviving more than three decades in the music biz. International notoriety as the lead singer/songwriter/guitarist with hard rockers Triumphgained him entry into some Halls of Fame, and Rik also garnered a few Best Guitarist awards in various categories from ‘81 to '05. Ever-evolving, he managed to snag the Canadian Best Smooth Jazz Duo and Album Of The Year awards in '06 for his role in Strung-Out Troubadours, then launched a new blistering hard rock band called Airtimeworldwide in November of ‘07. The singer/songwriter at the heart of it all has nothing to prove except a continuing commitment to the dignity and maturity of great music. Rik is also a music educator of long-standing with Humber College in Toronto. Holding true to his dreams of the magic power of the music, and sharing this with every audience and every classroom, Rik is the Artistic Director of the Humber Songwriting Workshop.
Blair Packham - www.blairpackham.com
Wanting to emulate the witty and emotional music of heroes John Prine and Steve Goodman, Blair Packham began writing songs as a teenager in the 1970s. He was also influenced by the punk and New Wave sounds of Elvis Costello, Jules and the Polar Bears and XTC and formed a rock band he called The Jitters in 1981. With that band, Blair wrote or co-wrote five Canadian hits between 1987 and 1991, including “Last of the Red Hot Fools” and “’Til the Fever Breaks”. The Toronto Star called Everything That’s Good, his solo 2001 debut, “superbly-crafted...tuneful, honest, sharp-witted, and performed with style and confidence”. The followup Blair Packham CD, “Could’ve Been King”, appeared in 2004, also to critical acclaim. Currently, Blair has a flourishing career creating music for TV and film. Global Television, Discovery Channel, TSN, MuchMusic and YTV are just a few of his past clients. A songwriting educator as well, Blair is the Program Director of the Humber Songwriting Summer Workshop
Christopher Ward - www.songwriters.ca
Christopher Ward has written songs for Diana Ross, Hilary Duff, Wynonna Judd, Meredith Brooks, Tina Arena, Amanda Marshall, Colin James, Roch Voisine and many others. His best-known song is the worldwide # 1 hit for Alannah Myles, “Black Velvet”. Previously, Ward was a member of the Second City Touring Company, based in Toronto. In 1984, as Canada’s first ‘VJ’, he helped launch MuchMusic, where he interviewed artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel and Tina Turner. In 2002, Ward was featured in ‘Austin Powers - Goldmember’ in the group Ming Tea, alongside Susanna Hoffs, Matthew Sweet and Mike Myers. For the first two seasons, Ward contributed songs to the soundtrack of the Epitome Pictures/ CTV hit series ‘Instant Star’. Recently, he’s been developing the career of new Montreal rock artist Lindsay Robins, whose debut CD was released on Aquarius Records in September ‘06 He’s still working on the great rock n’ roll novel
James Linderman - www.theharmonyhouse.ca
Pop/Country/R&B/Contemporary Christian songwriter and music educator James Linderman has current writing projects with Canadian Idol singer Gary Beals, Toronto Independent Blues Artist of the Year Liz Tansey, national touring artist Suzie Vinnick, EMI recording artist Wendy Lands, and Toronto singer/songwriters David Leask, Andrea England, and Lorraine Lawson. He is an active member of the Urban Music Association of Canada, The Canadian Gospel Music Association, The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, The Canadian Country Music Association, and SOCAN and does music jury work for the CCMA and FACTOR. James lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music lesson, songwriting and recording preproduction facility in Newmarket, Ontario.
Ember Swift - www.emberswift.com
Ember Swift is a Canadian artist and activist who performs alongside the amazingly talented Lyndell Montgomery. Generally as a duo (and sometimes with additional players), they perform approximately 150 dates a year bringing their politically-charged music to stages across Canada, the U.S. and Australia. They have just launched their tenth release entitled "The Dirty Pulse" [Few'll Ignite Sound, 2006.] Their music (performed in both English & French) sounds like: "The bilingual love child of Paul Simon and Laurie Anderson who is being raised by Joan Jett." Ambitious, quirky, funny, passionate: these words also describe the music of Ember Swift.
Fergus Hambleton - www.fergushambleton.com
A fixture on the Canadian music scene for the last four decades, Fergus Hambleton is a versatile singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. Fergus’ musical career began in the 1960s in Toronto’s famed Yorkville and then in the 70s, he went on to produce two solo albums for Capitol Canada. These folk-rock albums, All The Right Noises and Town of Fergus were instant successes, with a hit single, “Ice on the Road,” quickly climbing the Canadian radio charts. A third album, Fergusongs, was recorded for the independent label Axe Records. In the early 1980s, a chance meeting with legendary Jamaican musician Jo Jo Bennett began a lifelong musical partnership that has earned them a unique place in Canada’s rich musical tapestry. The unique Bennett/Hambleton partnership forms the core of their ever-popular reggae band the Sattalites, and they continue their journey peppered with numerous high-profile concert events, six albums, two Juno Awards and a host of national and international awards and accolades. Currently living in Toronto, Fergus has a busy teaching and performing schedule.
Guests Biographies
Eddie Schwartz - www.myspace.com/eddieschwartz & www.songwriters.ca
Currently Acting President of the Songwriters Association of Canada, Eddie Schwartz is best known for writing such classic hit songs as "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" recorded by Pat Benatar, "Don't Shed A Tear" by Paul Carrack, "The Doctor" by the Doobie Brothers and “When There’s Time For Love” by Lawrence Gowan. As a songwriter, he has had over two hundred songs recorded and performed by artists such as Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Peter Frampton, Robert Palmer, Jeffrey Osborne, Donna Summer, Rita Coolidge, Rascal Flatts, Amy Sky, April Wine, Matt Minglewood and Mountain among others. His worldwide sales are currently in excess of 30 million. A native of Toronto, Eddie has won numerous music industry awards including multiple Junos, BMI awards and SOCAN awards, and SOCAN's prestigious William Harold Moon award. He is also an artist in his own right and has released four albums which have garnered international acclaim and top 30 singles in the United States.
Alan Frew - www.alanfrew.com
A five-time Juno Award winner and Grammy nominee. Alan Frew is a twenty-year veteran of the Canadian music industry. He is a charismatic vocalist, with a truly captivating style and he is the voice of the internationally renowned recording group Glass Tiger. With them, he sold over 3 million albums worldwide. As a songwriter, Frew has written numerous Number One hits, including Someday, So Blind, I'm Still Searching and Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone. Alan is the recipient of four Canadian Classic Awards for songs each being played in excess of 100,000 airplays on Canadian radio.
Currently, his love of people and art has led him to writing a motivational book, mentoring young musicians--specifically a young solo artist called T (www.justtmusic.com)--painting, acting, writing a screenplay, launching a cartoon (www.fragg.com) and a clothing line (www.odwear.com). He remains strongly connected to charities for children.
Sam Reid - www.willowmusic.com
Willow Music was founded in 1994 by award-winning songwriter/artist, Sam Reid. As the keyboardist for the successful Canadian pop group Glass Tiger, Sam expanded his musical direction with the creation of his first instrumental series – Sanctuary – which was an unqualified success. Sam continues to create a unique selection of music exclusively for Willow Music, as well as performing with Glass Tiger on an on-going basis.
Arlene Bishop - www.arlenebishop.com
Funny, charming and highly respected in her hometown of Toronto, Arlene has opened for artists as diverse as Ani DiFranco, Barenaked Ladies, Bruce Cockburn, Dar Williams, Moxy Fruvous, Ron Sexsmith, Loudon Wainwright III, Barenaked Ladies, Jonatha Brooke, and the Beach Boys. She’s a singular songwriter, writing only for herself and to express her unique worldview. Her voice is also like no other, and she delights audiences everywhere she goes.
Mike Northcott - www.nelvana.com
A Music Supervisor with Nelvana Ltd, one of the world’s premier television animation producers, it is Mike’s job to find candidates to submit music and then shepherd those composers and songwriters through the process of making it “right” for a specific show. Themes, underscore, Mike does it all. He has a deep understanding of the place where television and music intersect, and this understanding is only enhanced by his being a musician and composer himself.
Paul Sanderson - www.sandersonlaw.ca
Paul Sanderson is a lawyer in private practice, specializing in arts and entertainment law. Sanderson Entertainment Law is an entertainment and arts law firm providing legal services concerning clients’ specific contractual matters, but also providing service and advice to clients concerning trade mark, copyright and corporate matters relevant to their business affairs. Paul is the country’s leading writer on legal aspects of Canadian music law and is the author and editor of Musicians and the Law in Canada, 3rd. Edition, a unique and practical text, providing a fully current overview of the law, contracts and the legal issues confronting musicians in Canada. The book also provides discussion of the various publishing and recording agreements and other contracts affecting musicians, and each is accompanied by a detailed checklist for negotiating and drafting the specific agreement. Paul is also a published poet, an accomplished photographer and a musician in the original blues band, Blue Room, of which he is the founder, lead guitarist and songwriter.
Dan Kershaw - www.socan.ca
Dan Kershaw brings a wealth of experience to his role as SOCAN Member Services Representative, including years in the concert business as a production coordinator at Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall, and a further period as music programming assistant at Harbourfront Centre. Member outreach and public speaking on behalf of SOCAN are special aspects of his job, aspects which keep him out and about at shows, seminars, and industry events. Dan is also on the board of the Songwriters Association of Canada. In addition, Dan writes and performs with the Juno-nominated alt-country group The Brothers Cosmoline.
