2013 Songwriting Mentorship
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The Songwriting Mentorship Program will bring together six youth who are interested in exploring the art of songwriting. Over the course of the program, they will work with three professional mentors who are making waves in the Canadian music scene: Aidan Knight, Kathryn Calder and Giorgio Magnanensi. Through a series of one-on-one and group sessions, the mentors will lead participants through the process of writing memorable and meaningful songs.
Along the way, participants will also meet with some of the city’s top arts administrators and industry professionals for skill building workshops in areas such as media relations and grant writing. These Industry Sessions are specifically designed to assist young artists who wish to pursue a career in the arts.
The program culminates in a showcase at The Cultch, one of Canada’s premiere performing arts venues. The content and nature of this performance is entirely up to the participants.
The application deadline is January 15, 2013. It is free to apply. Participants are chosen in early-February by a jury made up of the mentors and The Cultch’s Youth Program Manager.
About the Mentors
Aidan Knight
 Aidan Knight is a songwriter and performer, born in Victoria, BC where he still resides. Musically, Knight inhabits a place in between classic songwriters such as Julee Sill, The Band and Steve Earle, but continues to shape and stretch folk, pop and experimental music with his live collaborators (Julia Wakal, Olivier Clements, Colin Nealis, and David Barry). Electronic Autoharp, flugelhorns, live looping, and octaved viola are all staples of Knight’s sound, both live and in the studio. His music has been compared to Andrew Bird, Steve Reich, and Wilco.
During the two years leading up to 2010′s Versicolour, Knight was a player and performer with bands such as Hannah Georgas, The Zolas, Dan Mangan, David Vertesi, Maurice, and many more. 2010 started with slow reveal of Versicolour, and the first glimpse of a new songwriting voice. It ended with awards from CBC Radio; performances with Patrick Watson, Frank Black (The Pixies), Damien Jurado, Tegan & Sara, Dan Mangan, Karkwa, and many others. Versicolour landed on best-of lists across the country and Knight’s 7″/EP “Friendly Fires” followed up his incredible year, transforming himself from a backing musician to a creative frontman. Knight and his band have been touring throughout 2011 while spending the past 6 months writing and readying a new LP.
Giorgio Magnanensi
 Born and raised in Italy, Giorgio Magnanensi currently lives in Roberts Creek. His diverse artistic practice includes composition, conducting, improvisation, circuit-bending and video art. From the early 80s to date he has been working as a composer, conductor, teacher, and performer on contemporary and experimental music in Europe, Japan and Canada. He is artistic director of Vancouver New Music and lecturer at the School of Music of The Vancouver Community College.
Kathryn Calder
 Life is full of surprises. Nobody knows this more than Kathryn Calder.
After years of playing with indie darling Immaculate Machine, she found herself in the very unexpected position of being asked to record and tour with The New Pornographers. Before she knew it, she was inducted as a full fledged member of that group. In 2010, she once again surprised herself (and fans) by releasing her first solo album of her own compositions entitled Are You My Mother?, which would garner favorable press throughout the world and hinted a dizzying array of different avenues that the songwriter could explore in the future. Kathryn’s sophomore album, Bright and Vivid, is a masterfully refined piece of work that illustrates a maturation that can only come from intense growth and change. This album defies ANY comparisons to Kathryn’s current association with The New Pornographers as well as her past history with Immaculate Machine. Kathryn has found her own beautifully unique voice… one that is best summed up by the title: Bright and Vivid.
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