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Sonia describes her younger self as a “shy extrovert.” She always loved music, but it took some coaxing to get her out of her shell and singing in front of an audience. Ultimately, her involvement in the church choir (as the youngest member) and musical theatre throughout junior high and high school is what helped her to find her voice.

Since then, Sonia has become an unstoppable force, pursuing her love of music and performing in many different settings such as Cornerstone Music Cafe, Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar, and the Ironwood Stage & Grill.

One setting Sonia never expected to perform was at the Calgary International Airport.

“I’d never seen music in airports or heard of such a thing, but when I heard about it, it was a hard yes for me immediately. I love the airport, I love people and I think the airport just has so many stories—there are so many reasons to fly somewhere!”

Sonia continues to write and release new music, many of her recent themes focused on finding hope in times of chaos, or in her words, “pointing your face towards the sun.” Her music reflects her optimism about the current challenges artists are facing. In some ways, Sonia says she is grateful for how the pandemic has strengthened the sense of community between local musicians.

“We all felt this same vulnerability and it feels like we all have to lean on each other a little bit and we have to be a community. I hope that I’m right and I hope that we don’t lose sight of it.”

Visit Sonia’s Stagehand profile to learn more about her.

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After returning from her travels to Europe and Africa, Sylvia started working at Cornerstone as a receptionist in 2004. At the time, Cornerstone was just a music studio but it soon evolved to become much more. 

Sylvia and her husband purchased Cornerstone Music Cafe in 2011—and she says she hasn’t been bored since! In addition to operating a music studio and running a cafe, Cornerstone Music Cafe regularly hosts live music performances. To date, Cornerstone has booked more than 250 events through Stagehand and hosted artists such as Amy Bishop, Carolyn Harley, Kate Stevens, Jory Kinjo, and Jay Semko.

Although the pandemic poses many challenges, Sylvia and her team at Cornerstone are finding ways to adapt and continue supporting the community. Inside the Cafe, visitors can purchase goods from local vendors and pick up takeout options from a food-to-go fridge. Music lessons are now offered in-person or online, and throughout the summer Cornerstone featured local musicians by hosting live music performances outside the Cafe.

Reflecting on how Cornerstone has adapted so far, Sylvia says she’s hopeful that the current situation will motivate people to seek out change.

“Change is really hard, but change can be good. I’m kind of excited to see what comes out of all of this—whether our communities get stronger and whether people recognize that they need to get out more and support the music community when we get through the initial part of this.”

View Cornerstone Music Cafe’s Stagehand profile to learn more about the venue.

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Coming from a musical family, Lisa grew up surrounded by sound. Her father, a professional musician, introduced Lisa to the bass guitar when she was just 10 years old, and by age 12, Lisa was playing her bass onstage with her family at the Calgary Blues Festival.

Almost inseparable from her electric bass guitar, Lisa continued to pursue her love of music. She regularly played music in school, directed shows in church, and later, performed in local bars.

While continuing to work as a session musician, Lisa earned her degree in music therapy. As a therapist, Lisa has had the opportunity to create music with people of varied abilities in many different settings including schools, hospitals, and even a maximum-security prison. Lisa says she is grateful for how this side of music balances her and keeps her grounded. 

“It keeps me connected to the real things that matter because in the music industry it’s very easy to lose sight of what really matters.”

Lisa has written, recorded, directed, and performed with a variety of artists, including Juno winner Paul Reddick, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Wide Mouth Mason, Suzie Vinnick, Amy Bishop, and Jann Arden. She was also in a bass-vocal duo band with Jocelyn Alice called Jocelyn & Lisa. The duo played a plethora of live shows, including a Christmas show in New York that featured their rendition of “O Holy Night,” which Lisa alleges is the greatest thing she’s created on bass.

Most recently, Lisa spent six months touring North America as the bassist of “We We Rock You”, a musical based on the British rock band, Queen. 

Although the creative community is facing tough times with the challenges posed by the pandemic, Lisa is optimistic about the future of Calgary’s local music scene. She is inspired by how the community is uniting in support of artists and local venues. 

“I’m excited because there are people here who care about music and care about the arts and are willing to work at it.”

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While studying political science and anthropology at Carleton University, Dan regularly played in coffee shops and performed at open mic nights, receiving a high amount of praise for his talent. Never one to follow traditional routes, he turned to street performing in Ottawa’s ByWard Market and the Sparks Street pedestrian mall. This gave him an opportunity to hone his craft while earning extra income from the tips he collected. For Dan, that’s when the idea of being a professional musician started to come to fruition. 

Dan describes himself as more of an entertainer than a musician, which he says is especially important as a street performer. 

“If you were a guy standing on the corner playing Bob Dylan or Neil Young songs, people didn’t really notice you. But if you were a guy standing on the corner with a drum on his back, a harmonica, and a guitar singing ‘Like a Virgin,’ people noticed you—and even just saying that makes you smile!”

By leaning into the novelty of his act, Dan is able to set himself apart and stand out as both a performer and a musician. He takes the music seriously but aims to keep his performances lighthearted and comedic. 

Having now spent three decades entertaining professionally, Dan the One Man Band has mastered the art of mixing music and comedy to engage audiences of all ages. He regularly performs at corporate events, fairs, festivals, schools, and community events, and has also entertained all over the world in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Kenya, and Peru. He has performed on stages, streets, Royal Miles, Music Miles, and he even had a scene in a movie with James Caan. He also released a children’s album in 2019. 

Dan is also part of the team at Stagehand. As the music industry changes rapidly and faces new challenges, Dan is a valued team member in reimagining live music experiences and creating new opportunities for artists. 

Visit Dan’s Stagehand profile to learn more about his music. 

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Bob became fascinated with music early in life. His mother was a piano player and Bob loved singing his heart out to the gospel songs played in church—until he was told that he couldn’t sing. Bob was described as a monotone who couldn’t carry a tune and he was advised to pursue other activities. For a while, Bob believed this was true, but it never put a damper on his amazement with music. 

In university, Bob met Michael Millar, a bass player for a country-folk band called Humphrey and the Dumptrucks. Michael taught Bob how to make and play a washtub bass and Bob continued playing after he graduated from university and started his teaching career. Although Bob says he “was never really good at it,” he enjoyed playing a washtub bass in bars because it allowed him to meet other musicians. 

At sixty years old, Bob’s musical journey took a critical turn at an Arnold Guthrie concert. The man sitting next to Bob who had sold him the concert ticket realized Bob’s passion for music and encouraged Bob to attend FAMI camp. It was during a camp band scramble playing John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” for an audience of 150 people that Bob found his buried voice and reignited his love of singing.  

Bob has been singing every day for the past half-dozen years since rediscovering his voice. He has written more than 100 songs and has performed in venues such as the Ness Creek Bluegrass and Old Tyme Festival, and the Water Valley Festival. He’s well known as the “Mayor” of Calgary’s Music Mile, a project that created a music district in the heart of Calgary, and he is committed to helping people find their art by hosting “Songwriters in the Round” at the Gravity Café on the Music Mile in Inglewood. 

Bob Chartier’s story is extraordinary and it’s what’s made him an all-around inspiring artist.

Visit Bob’s Stagehand profile to learn more about his music.

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