ASSINIBOIA - Greg Dandeneau threw an idea to fellow musician, Marie Lerminiaux, to host an open mic in Rockglen on a monthly basis and the vision has become reality. At times, in this small town of 400, there have been anywhere from 30 to 70 people have been in attendance with up to 13 performers.
Every third Thursday of the month, with local Rockglen musical talent, which forms a house band at the community New Horizon Drop-in Centre, open mic has become a much-anticipated monthly activity.
“Musicians from small towns around the area are invited to perform and the house band, called The Front Porch Band, steps back as the performance slots fill,” adds Dandeneau.
Fellow organizer, Marie Lerminiaux, once traveled as far as Regina during winter road conditions to enter open mic events to gain valuable experience performing in front of a live audience.
Dandeneau acknowledges, “I was worried about her somewhat so I proposed the idea of ‘Why don’t we just start our own?’ Together we worked hours and hours to have enough material to cover a show, should no one else show up. But it’s never been us two going it alone so as the saying goes, ‘if you build it, they will come.”
The event runs all year round in an intimate, relaxed, café style setting with only a $2 cover charge. At least ten local women take turns providing home banking, while Dandeneau affirms that many other just show up with arm loads of baking, unasked, and it is sold by donation during the ten-minute coffee break at half time of the two-hour performance.
“At least six volunteers assist during the evening while the audience is quick to pile the chairs and tables back after the last song of the evening has all the performers of the night join in on Country Roads by John Denver. “
Including towns within a 150-kilometre radius, Rockglen’s open mic has highlighted performers passing through from Calgary, Kelowna, Ottawa and as far away as Australia. Special guest poets, including an award-winning cowboy poet from Medicine Hat, have also performed.
Dandeneau says, “Our biggest challenge is the ‘house band’, The Front Porch Band, getting enough time to all get together to come up with new songs and practicing them-we always want new material for the audience. Sometimes so many performers show up, we so dislike stripping down their time to only two songs each-especially if they’ve travelled so far. But so far, everyone has expressed nothing but gladness to be there, which is a great spirit.”
The secret to the success of this event, “don’t du-et alone”.
