Capital Project | Episode 3 |Spotlights

Regional music festivals have been a huge influence on the Fredericton music scene. The renown international Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival has been running for over 30 years and arguably has had the biggest impact on influencing local musicians for generations. The founders and current organizers share the ins and outs on how the festival became a major success for the City of Fredericton.

Singer Songwriters share their creative process on how they refine their craft. Electronic musicians provide insight on how they create music in makeshift home studios. And young hip hop artists share the art of the sample and the inspiration behind writing lyrical bars. One band discusses the importance of collaboration in the writing process.

The episode begins with students learning music as young children. The Girls Rock Camp showcases how female musicians inspire young teenagers to pick up an instrument for the first time and rock out. One high school band and a group made up of recent graduates demonstrate how musicality progresses through practice and determination.

Fredericton is the home of some incredibly talented Indigenous musicians. From traditional singing and drumming, to hip hop, folk, metal, electronic music, and indie rock, these inspiring musicians provide an insightful perspective on how music moves them.

For many people, music can be used as a form of therapy. In this episode, musicians share how music helps them process their emotions and general mental wellness. The second half of the episode presents Project Alive, which is an organization set up by veterans from the Canadian Armed Forces who play music as a way to address PTSD.

Discover Fredericton’s music scene from those past and present who share anecdotes, experiences, and personal insights on what makes the regional scene unique. The Local Scene also explores the impact and influence College/Community radio has had on the scene. The episode concludes with how a positive and encouraging work environment can produce contributing musical acts.

The Capital Complex, Grimross Brewing, Corked Wine Bar, Lansdowne House Shows, and The Tipsy Muse share how their venues have carved out a niche venue experience. They all have managed to find their own audience by providing environments and an atmosphere conducive to the live music experience.

Generations of Fredericton musicians are showcased. Both parents and their children share how music impacted their family dynamic and musical influences. In some cases, band relationships evolve into family. From folk to hip hop, country to rock, and blues to punk, ‘family’ has had a beneficial effect on the entire scene.

Teachers from around Fredericton explain the importance of music education from elementary through to high school. The Second Chances Band invites people of all ages to pick up where they left off to relearn their instruments, or in some cases, learn a new instrument altogether.

I Hear You is a non-conforming medical drama about a group of gender oppressed women and non-binary people, who each struggle with sexual health issues, and the newly graduated doctor who believes she can help them as they all navigate the frustrations of the Western medical system and their own personal limitations to find hope and help on the other side.

This feature-length documentary from 1974 takes viewers inside Fidel Castro's Cuba. A movie-making threesome hope that Fidel himself will star in their film. The unusual crew consists of former Newfoundland premier Joseph Smallwood, radio and TV owner Geoff Stirling and NFB film director Michael Rubbo. What happens while the crew awaits its star shows a good deal of the new Cuba, and also of the three Canadians who chose to film the island.