TEMAGAMI – Music has a way of inspiring and connecting.
Living Temagami – Arts and Culture recognizes that and feels that music makes the North a better place from a cultural point of view.
In light of that, Living Temagami plans on hosting an acoustic music concert series in the “Raven’s Nest,” which is located on the mezzanine level of the Temagami train station.
Concerts are planned to occur on the last Sunday of each month this year starting at 3 p.m.
“The first one-hour show for this calendar year will be streamed on YouTube on Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. featuring duo Temagami Blue, (which is the) blues and folk rock-oriented talents of John Shymko and Dylan Shigwadja,” said David Laronde, a Temagami musician who is serving as the music director for the concert series.
“The link to the YouTube stream will be posted on the Living Temagami - Arts and Culture Facebook page as it becomes available,” he said in an email interview.
In order to abide by COVID-19 protocols, Laronde said the first concert will be recorded at the performer’s home and streamed on Jan. 31.
“Hopefully the Feb. 28 show will be from the Raven’s Nest stage at the Temagami station,” he said.
Laronde said the Raven’s Nest was chosen as the venue for the concert series as both an intimate music concert venue and art gallery for painters, photographers and artisans displaying and vending their original works.
“The acoustics of the Raven’s Nest are very lively in terms of resonance and natural reverb,” he noted.
“It has a classy, historic music venue feel.”
Half of the train station’s lower level contains more display space and the Living Temagami office. The other half is occupied by the Chamber of Commerce as the town’s Information Centre.
“The station was recently restored to its original beauty with generous oak ceilings and trim around windows and doors,” said Laronde.
“Elegant masonry from 1907 forms the exterior walls making this a classy, timeless venue to visit and experience year round.”
Laronde added that Living Temagami recognizes music as an integral part of the arts scene in Northeastern Ontario and says it “hopes to foster and promote the singer-songwriters and musicians and make Temagami an important Northeastern Ontario music venue.”
Jamie Mountain is a Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter for the Temiskaming Speaker. The LJI program is funded by the Government of Canada.
