It's Been Awhile...

An explanation for my conspicuous absence of late. The recording seems to be picking up momentum. The first five songs are nearly complete, which will give me almost half an album. Andre, one of my writing partners, has come up with piano arrangements for our two songs that are astonishingly beautiful. The drummer and bass player are lined up for their sessions. This the closest I've come to realising this long standing dream. It's actually beginning to take form. In the meantime, Belle has been helping me build a website, slated to launch in conjunction with the release of the first single, "Your Room", co-written with the inimitable Owen Pallett. 
Despite the good news, unemployment still weighs heavily, both financially and emotionally. I'm trying everything to find work, even resorting to workshops at the local employment centre.
With the free time itinerance gives, I've taken the opportunity to pursue some weighing health issues, going for all the tests and check-ups my G.P. feels are necessary with encroaching middle-age. This in itself is practically a full time job. I suppose I should be grateful for the opportunity.
Weaning off the methadone finally seems to show a light at the end of a long, claustrophobic tunnel. I'm down to 60mgs. At the rate of 5mgs a week, I should be free of the "liquid handcuffs" by the summer.
The discipline of writing daily can be transplanted into other aspects of life that I'm trying to wrestle: a better diet, morning yoga, perhaps running again, even finding time and strength to be more social. Too much isolation adds to the depression that already plagues me .I'm blessed by wonderful friends, and a devoted extended family. I thank the Goddess for their love each and every morning.
But I digress...
I will be more diligent with my posts in the future.

Oooh, What a feelin'...What a shame...

Yesterday morning I was listening to CBC's Q, as is often my want. Lorrie Brown, the old Much Music mainstay was filling in for the usual host, Tom Power. At one point, she was interviewing Peter Bowker, the writer of the BBC series "The A Word"-a hard hitting depiction of a family struggling with an autistic child. Our own CBC has been running the series on Sunday nights. The subject of the soundtrack was raised, as music figures prominently in the series. Songs by such artists as the Buzzcocks and The Jam are featured, as are pieces by Gordon Lightfoot and Ron Sexsmith. It was then that Lorrie Brown drew her proverbial nails across the chalkboard of my mind, and asked a question so offensive that partially desiccated pancake almost fell from my gaping mouth.
"Did you include those Can/Con tracks because you knew the series would be shown in Canada?"
GAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I gargled, nearly choking on my breakfast.
Now, this is something I take issue with. I have a love/hate relationship with our Can/Con regulations. It seems that people outside our borders are more partial to Canadian artists than we are. Pick up any copy of MOJO magazine and you'll find articles about Mary Maragret O'Hara, Metric and the afore mentioned Ron Sexsmith, as well as a multitude of lesser known Canadian indie artists, all included among the British, American and International artists covered by the discerning English magazine, but listen to average hipsters standing in line at a Wholefoods checkout, discussing a recently watched Canadian film, and they will always seem surprised that it was good. The recent offering of CBC's wonderful comedies are "almost as good as American sit-coms". You'd never know they were Canadian! I realise we needed to legislate Can/Con to remedy this kind of self deprecation.
HOWEVER...
For decades, The Can/Con legislation has been in desperate need of restructuring. It has always been highly flawed. When someone like a Celine Dion, who's only remaining link to Canada is a birth certificate, can fall under the C/C umbrella, it has failed. When radio stations, desperate to fulfill the regulated  percentage gives airtime to the running joke that is Nickleback, it has failed. C/C has always perpetuated mediocrity.The legislation regulating the percentage of Canadian content on radio was put into effect in 1971. Before that, there were dozens of successful Canadian artists welcomed outside of Canada. Because they were good. Neil Young, Steppenwolf, The Guess Who, Joni Mitchell, The Band, The Diamonds, Paul Anka and countless others became huge stars outside our border because they stood up on par against American and British acts. They didn't have airtime offered to them out of the need to fulfill a quota.
Today we live in a global village-as far as broadcasting is concerned. The internet has no borders. Is the Can/Con legislation-as it stands today-becoming obsolete? This leads me back to Lorrie Brown's inane and insulting question to Peter Bowker, did they in fact 'include songs by Gordon Lightfoot and Ron Sexsmith because they thought the series would be shown in Canada?' How fucking humiliating. On behalf of all Canadians, I was insensed but even more so, profoundly embarrassed.
Bowker sounded almost bewildered as he answered, "no...they're good songs".