Fundraisers

Join us on Wednesday, August 28th for an intimate concert in The Aeolian's Dave Southen Lounge, featuring the amazing Sarina Haggarty

The Aeolian's Save Our Stage Concert Series happens on Wednesday nights throughout August and will feature some amazing local performers!

These concerts are being held to help raise money for some much needed stage repairs, as we get ready to launch our 2019-2020 season!

Save Our Stage Concert Series: Sarina Haggarty
Wednesday, August 28th
Dave Southen Lounge, Aeolian Hall
7pm (Doors at 6:30pm)
$20 + Eventbrite Fee

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SARINA HAGGARTY

Sarina Haggarty has been making music for as long as she can remember. She has been an inspirational figure for many around the world. With the wide amount of support and fans, Sarina has performed in front of full houses in many of the venues in her hometown such as London Music Hall, Aoelian Hall, London Music Club and more. Sarina’s music has gained attention from many in the music industry for her soulful songs that are beyond her years. Successfully selling out London Ontario’s top venues, Sarina has released two EP’s in the past two years “Missing Pieces” in 2016 and her new EP “Compass” in 2018.

Born and raised in London, Sarina was always surrounded by musicians as her family is very musically inclined. She has been inspired by other artists around her and has used reality to help her write original music. Sarina’s music branches out into every genre possible.

She has had encounters with artists such as Sarah Smith, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Lennon & Maisy Stella, Kim Churchill, Shawn Mendes and Mark Schulman. Growing up, Sarina was a Make-A-Wish patient, and dreamed to perform on stage with a major artist. She did upload a cover video while in the hospital of her singing “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers ft. Daya which went viral and got noticed by thousands with much feedback. She then had the opportunity to perform at Quicken Loans Arena during a sold out Shawn Mendes concert in Cleveland, Ohio where she shared her first original ever written song “Distracted”. A couple weeks later, her wish was said to be a highlight of 2017 internationally and she then started attending Make-A-Wish conferences worldwide as a speaker and a guest performer. From Toronto, Phoenix and Dublin - it never gets old. Experiencing the tour life encouraged her to have high hopes and keep dreaming to be on her own successful tour one day.

This past year Sarina has been involved in things such as London Music Office, Jack Richardson Music Awards (Winning Fan Favourite 2018 and presenting the award in 2019), Western Fair, Bethany’s Hope Foundation, London Celebrates Canada, Make-A-Wish, Epilepsy Support SWO, LHSC and many events she gets asked to perform at. Sarina has performed in local open mic nights along with the national anthem for the London lightening and on Canada Day at Harris Park. Sarina regularly uses her music ability to raise money for various charities in any way possible. She is involved in all Forest City London scene and is grateful for all the musicians and management she has met.

Sarina frequently gets interviewed on National Radio stations and has had many articles written on her journey and music. Radio stations such as Country 104, CFPL 980, 103.1 Fresh Fm, Fm 96.7, Jack Fm, CBC London, Easy 101 and CHYM 96.7. Starting local, she then ended up live on air with Niall Boland on Classic Hits 94-105FM in Dublin, Ireland. She has shared her journey with companies such as CTV, London Health Science Centre, CBC, CORUS and Rogers.

She is currently attending Fanshawe’s Music Industry Arts learning from professors and meeting more musicians of all ages. She is heading into studio this year with unbelievable producers and engineers, getting ready to release new music of her own genre.

Join us on Wednesday, August 21st for an intimate concert in The Aeolian's Dave Southen Lounge, featuring the incredible Bryan Gloyd with Sonja Gust!

The Aeolian's Save Our Stage Concert Series happens on Wednesday nights throughout August and will feature some amazing local performers!

These concerts are being held to help raise money for some much needed stage repairs, as we get ready to launch our 2019-2020 season!

Save Our Stage Concert Series: Bryan Gloyd
Wednesday, August 21st
Dave Southen Lounge, Aeolian Hall
7pm (Doors at 6:30pm)
$20 + Eventbrite Fee

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BRYAN GLOYD

Bryan Gloyd's musical career has many facets including working as a church musician, recording artist and jazz pianist. Bryan has accompanied many local musicians and organized jazz programming at The Aeolian. He has also accompanied two-time Grammy Winner Matt Alber, the legendary songwriter Marc Jordan and the Canadian National Jazz Award Winner Denzal Sinclaire.

SONJA GUSTAFSON

Music has been an integral part of Sonja’s life since childhood. Growing up with a music historian and a classically trained soprano as parents exposed her to a great deal of classical repertoire. Sonja spent much of her youth singing in choirs and playing the violin. In her late teens, she was presented with the opportunity to audition for the world reknowned Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan. She decided to audition for the voice department, where room was available for one more student.

Sonja graduated from Interlochen with flying colours and returned home to Canada to continue studying voice at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at The University of Western Ontario. As part of her studies at UWO, Sonja performed in several operas to gain more experience on the stage. She also took up the position of soprano soloist at First St. Andrew’s United Church, which is widely recognized for its fine music program.

Simultaneously, a close friend encouraged her to try Jazz. Her initiation into the Jazz world was a New Year’s Eve gig at a local restaurant. That night proved to be a trial by fire as Sonja spent the evening entertaining the crowd with Jazz standards she’d only just learned (and more than a few which she had to sight-read!). Finding it to be an exhilirating experience, Sonja continued to work on expanding her jazz repertoire and finding a vocal technique that lent itself better to jazz than opera.

Following graduation, Sonja found herself performing more and more Jazz at local restaurants, clubs and private functions. She also worked full-time as a waitress, performing for enthusiastic crowds on nights and weekends. She collaborated with many of London’s very talented Jazz musicians, learning the skills of jazz musicianship as she went. Their mentoring of her singing paid off and in 2005, Sonja was recognized with a London Music Award for Most Popular Jazz Performer.

It was at this time that a life-changing opportunity arose. At the prompting of her mother, she sent an audition CD to the producers of a new television reality/documentary series entitled Bathroom Divas. Chosen from hundreds of CDs to come and audition live, she earned a spot on the show as one of six finalists that would attend a three week Opera ‘Boot Camp’ in Toronto. Having gone six years without any voice lessons, this was the ultimate opportunity for Sonja to receive not only training, but invaluable feedback from some of Canada’s top operatic performers and trainers. The experience was incredibly valuable and renewed her interest in the classical and operatic repertoire, as well as her confidence in her operatic capabilities.

After three weeks of boot camp and a second-place finish, Sonja decided to continue the process of musical growth by returning to her classical music studies at UWO, where she obtained the degree of Master of Music under the tutelage of Mary Lou Fallis, one of the instructors and producers of Bathroom Divas. During her studies Sonja kept a busy performing schedule, which included roles in several operatic productions with UWOpera and Orchestra London. She also released her self-produced debut jazz CD, which has been met with great enthusiasm from her fans and the arts community in London and the surrounding area and led to an invitation to perform at London's highly successful summer music festival, Sunfest in 2008. Sonja was the only local performer to take the stage in the festival's jazz village, performing two shows for enthusiastic crowds.

On the classical side of things, Sonja was pleased to be a featured soloist with Orchestra London, the Victoria Symphony and the Vancouver Island Symphony in a Christmas Pops show written and arranged for her and conducted by fellow Jazz musician and UWO grad, Jeff Christmas. Hence, she has become a regular guest performer in the Orchestra London Pops series.

Desiring to create more opportunities for herself and other UWO music grads in the London area, she formed her own production company, Diva Lounge Productions, which is busy developing several original works in collaboration with local London composers. In addition to these many accomplishments, Sonja was also honoured to win several awards, scholarships and competitions for both her jazz and classical performing.

Whether crooning jazz standards with her band, singing with the symphony or performing on the operatic stage, Sonja's passion for music is evident in her presence and attitude. It is this passion coupled with her consummate musicianship, sparkling voice and versatility that make her a performer to remember and enjoy!

Join us on Wednesday, August 14th for an intimate concert in The Aeolian's Dave Southen Lounge, featuring the one & only Sarah Smith!

The Aeolian's Save Our Stage Concert Series happens on Wednesday nights throughout August and will feature some amazing local performers!

These concerts are being held to help raise money for some much needed stage repairs, as we get ready to launch our 2019-2020 season!

Save Our Stage Concert Series: Sarah Smith
Wednesday, August 14th
Dave Southen Lounge, Aeolian Hall
7pm (Doors at 6:30pm)
$20 + Eventbrite Fee

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SARAH SMITH

There are few artists who exude the depth of passion, spirit and talent as London, Ontario’s Sarah Smith does on a stage or in a recording studio. Music is more than a vocation for Smith: it is her calling. The combination of her extraordinary personal magnetism, breathtakingly emotive voice and empowering music has created an impressive following of devoted fans and true buzz on the Canadian independent music scene.

Smith lives music, loves music – it imbues every fibre of her being and the result of this all-encompassing devotion to her craft is a catalogue of compelling songs that are deeply personal and revelatory, and mesmerizing in their soul-bearing sincerity – especially in a live setting.

“I am just so blessed. I can’t believe how much I have filled my life with music. Although I have been trying to slow down a bit, I just have this incredible urge to play music. I really love it. Even when I am off the road, something else comes along, like a recording session or I am writing with someone else, or working on a music video. I am always busy with music and I love every second of it,” Smith said.

A working musician her entire adult life, after paying her dues in a number of different bands Smith came to prominence as the frontwoman and primary songwriter for the popular rock act The Joys – a staple on the Canadian club and festival scene beginning in 2005. .

The Joys had songs that charted nationally on Canadian college radio, and won Best Rock Act at the Jack Richardson Music Awards two years in a row. The music of The Joys has also been licensed to everything from Sony PlayStation to Teletoon, OUT TV and Chris & John’s Road Trip. And sales of more than 15,000 albums, primarily off the stage, landed them opening slots for the likes of The Trews, Sloan, Thornley, Big Sugar, Sam Roberts, Kim Mitchell, Robert Plant and Finger Eleven among others.

Seeking a more solitary and introspective creative outlet, Smith boldly stepped out as a solo artist in 2012 and has released three critically-acclaimed CDs, 2012s Stronger Now, 2014s The Journey, and an artistic masterpiece, 11, which was released in 2016. Also on the list of releases for 2018 were a LIVE CD as well as a Christmas CD titled A Christmas Wish. She also released a live DVD in 2015 and has built a substantial and ever-growing audience through more than 250 live performances a year – including becoming an in-demand artist throughout portions of Central Europe.

“I just played a few shows over there and one good show leads to another and the next thing you know there are agents and club owners and even fans calling you trying to get you to play in their town. I think people see that I am legitimate, that I am very passionate about what I do and that the songs and my emotional performance of those songs really connects with people – no matter what language they speak. The fans in places like Germany and Luxembourg and the Netherlands have been so amazing to me,” she said, adding that she continues to work hard at spreading her fan base throughout the rest of Europe and into the U.K.

Her albums feature songs that are emblematic of Smith’s remarkable ability to mine the depths of her heart and soul to create music that is profoundly moving, inspiring and instantly memorable. Songs from it were compelling enough to draw interest from Los Angeles film director Marina Rice Bader, who featured Smith’s music in her compelling film Anatomy of A Love Seen. The CBC series Cracked also featured some of Sarah’s songs.

“I am the worst songwriter because I just write about me and my feelings, my experiences, my emotions and my relationships. I write about my battle with drugs, my newfound inner spirituality and my pain. So it’s kind of like therapy,” she said. “The song Stars is about wanting to hit the road with someone you love and getting lost together – kind of like Thelma and Louise. Into The Light is about the deconstruction of an old relationship and rebuilding it back up into something new and better. Then there’s a song like Empty Void, which is literally about an empty spiritual void that I have tried to fill inside me. It’s a plea to my partner to just hang tight while I go off and try to find something to fill that void; that I will be back and when I do come back, I will know so much more about myself.”

Although Smith has only been a solo artist for a few years, her lifetime as a touring musician, the rigors of the road, a roller-coaster ride of a personal life, battles with demons, defeats and disappointments has shaped her into the strong, self-assured artist that she is today. A fixture on the southern Ontario music scene, Smith has been repeatedly rewarded for her skill, talent and prowess as a songwriter and performer.

She has been named Best Singer Songwriter at both the London Music Awards and Jack Richardson Music Awards on numerous occasions, as well as Best Rock Artist and Fan Favorite. She was also named the Best Adult Contemporary Artist at the Toronto Independent Music Awards in 2015.

As a solo performer, Smith has shared the stage with the likes of Emm Gryner, The Tea Party, Bif Naked and more. She is also fiercely independent, running all aspects of her business operation as well as the creative side. And while she is admittedly not comfortable as a music business schmoozer, she is adept at making the connections she feels are most important – with music fans.

Growing up in a deeply religious home, Smith’s earliest musical education came from child-oriented hymn books and spiritual songs. In high school she heard Alanis Morissette’s explosive and ground-breaking Jagged Little Pill album and, after acquiring her first guitar, a torrent of music began to flow out from her.

“I joined the Columbia House CD club and I remember some of the first CDs I got were by Bryan Adams, The Cars, Chicago’s Greatest Hits, Extreme’s Pornograffitti, Celine Dion … I was just trying to catch up. Then when I was 18 I went to New Zealand on what was supposed to be a school exchange, but I never went to school. I just played music and traveled around. While there I got into the music that was on the radio, including Crowded House,” she explained.

“I also went through this whole phase where I developed addictions and habits with alcohol and drugs – just living what I thought was the rock and roll lifestyle. I guess I was angry and rebellious, but I guess I survived and outgrew all that and am now channeling that energy, frustration and emotion into music. I guess music is my new addiction.”

And it is an addiction that Smith continues to share from coast to coast in Canada as well as with her burgeoning fan base in Europe. As a solo artist, in a duo or full band configuration, Smith commands the attention of concert goers with her riveting personal charm, her infectious energy, her compelling songs, and a voice that never wavers in its emotional honesty, it’s power and its darkly sweet elegance.

It is an experience not to be missed.

Join us on Wednesday, August 7th for an intimate concert in The Aeolian's Dave Southen Lounge, featuring the incredible Clark Bryan!

The Aeolian's Save Our Stage Concert Series happens on Wednesday nights throughout August and will feature some amazing local performers!

These concerts are being held to help raise money for some much needed stage repairs, as we get ready to launch our 2019-2020 season!

Save Our Stage Concert Series: Clark Bryan
Wednesday, August 7th
Dave Southen Lounge, Aeolian Hall
7pm (Doors at 6:30pm)
$20 + Eventbrite Fee

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CLARK BRYAN

As an award-winning concert pianist, Clark Bryan has performed internationally, recorded 14 CD’s and has been featured on radio and television. As a teacher, Mr. Bryan has taught thousands of students, adjudicated more than 60 music festivals coast to coast in Canada, given dozens of workshops and written a book “Gateways to Learning and Memory”.

The founder of The Aeolian Performing Arts Centre, Clark believes that everyone should have universal access to music, art and culture. Because of this belief, he launched El Sistema Aeolian in 2011. This free, intensive music program has offered hundreds of children and youth an opportunity to experience the joy of a rich musical experience. In 2016, Mr. Bryan secured Bishop Cronyn Memorial Place, a second facility to develop an education centre. Shortly after securing this facility, he co-founded two new programs. Pride Men’s Chorus London is a choir open to men of all backgrounds and identities. Rebelheart Collective is a conductor-less chamber orchestra that offers mentorship to young apprentices and offers free tickets to every concert.

Mr. Bryan is engaged in community activism and speaks regularly at events, on radio and television and has given a TEDx talk about the power and joy of music study.

He has been awarded Musical Personality of the Year (2005), Jack Richardson Award for Community Contribution (2011). In 2017, Mr. Bryan was awarded the Western Alumni Award of Merit and inducted into the Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame.

Mr. Bryan looks forward to a future when everyone has access to the arts and he is committed to making the changes necessary to accomplish this!

Another Inspire! Community event...

The official release of One Last Time, a song by Julia Haggarty, co-written by Justin Zadorsky dedicated to their friend Nathan Deslippe.

Other friends performing through the evening will be The Pairs, Joseph William MacKay Barker III, and Sarina Haggarty.

Shenanigans include an Inspiration Corner, photo booth, raffle, snacks and drinks, lots of inspiration and laughter.

Money raised will go towards the Nathan T. Deslippe Memorial Fund. Message us if you are interested in a family or child ticket.

Join us for an evening of entertainment and tributes to honour Jake Levesque for his significant contribution to musician’s and music lovers of London, Ontario.

Saturday, June 22, 2019
7:30 pm (Doors open 6:30)
Admission by donation – Pay What You Can
Net proceeds after Hall Rental go to: “Belong To Song” https://www.londonarts.ca/belong-to-song

We have already organized a roster of performers for the evening. It was a difficult job as there were so many that wanted to contribute. You are invited to submit something to be part of a collection of memories – stories about how you know Jake, special memories, how he has touched your life, etc. Please email your submissions to Joanne, jdoes764@gmail.com to contribute to this book.

Join us for the 6th Annual Wine Tasting in support of Camp Dawn!

Join us for a wonderful evening of food, art, speakers, friendship and wine!

El Sistema Aeolian is a free, intensive after-school music program based on a program founded in Venezuela in 1975. Each El Sistema program is free to adapt its delivery in a way that is unique to its community, resources and participants. The initiative has grown to include programs in over 80 countries and has won TED, UNESCO and Glenn Gould Awards.

The Aeolian Hall Musical Arts Association launched El Sistema Aeolian in November of 2011, serving 20 children in the pilot project. In its early days youth from the Old East Village Community and in particular Lorne Avenue Public School were first offered the opportunity to participate in this program but it has now expanded to include participants from different areas, groups, and organizations throughout our City of London. There are now 100 spots offered in the program for the 2017-2018 school year.

The Aeolian’s El Sistema is the 4th launched in Canada, is supported by a gifted group of musicians, educators, students, interested community members and the Staff/Directors of the Aeolian and it is built on a set of values and principles and not a homogenized curriculum. On April 2015 The Mayor of the City of London gave El Sistema Aeolian a Pillar Award in recognition for its outstanding community impact.

In Support of Camp Wendake, a one-week residential camp experience for people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. 

Camp Wendake is is an amazing contradiction!

People gather because of a common health concern, but find freedom from focusing upon the disease for a brief time - and find an opportunity to celebrate life. The camping experience occurs in a community where HIV/AIDS is the 'norm'. Therefore people might experience open discussions where people choose to share personal information regarding lifestyle, HIV/AIDS status, or other private details. People may choose to attend camp in order to learn and share more about coping with their overall health and social issues - or they may come for the rest and refreshment of a caring and understanding community.

7:00pm - Doors Open  - Cash Bar & Silent Auction begins

7:45pm - Showtime (Live Auction during intermission)

Tony Dekker is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Most noted as the leader of the indie folk band Great Lake Swimmers, he has also released two solo albums.

Born and raised in Wainfleet, Ontario, Dekker studied literature at the University of Western Ontario. Both of the band's first two albums, Great Lake Swimmers and Bodies and Minds, were recorded in Wainfleet, in an abandoned grain silo[4] and a Catholic church, respectively. By the time of the band's third album Ongiara, Dekker and the band were based in Toronto full time.

In addition to his work with Great Lake Swimmers, Dekker released his debut solo album Prayer of the Woods in 2013. He followed up in 2014 with Tony Dekker Sings 10 Years of Zunior, an album of covers of other Canadian artists — including Old Man Luedecke, Chad VanGaalen, Christine Fellows, Ohbijou, Rae Spoon, Matt Mays, Martin Tielli, Jennifer Castle and Cadence Weapon — released to mark the 10th anniversary of Canadian web music store Zunior.