Does this mean I’m not playing music anymore? Not at all! I’m gearing up right now for a huge 10th season of the Brackley Beach Ceilidh! 10 years. I can hardly believe it. I’m in the midst of making some changes to the format, just to keep it interesting for all of us. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to catch all of your favourite artists and see some new faces as well! Our opening night will be Tuesday, July 2nd (Canada Day is hard to compete with!), and we’ll be running on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays all summer long… 3 nights a week! That’s a lot of music.

Another tidbit of exciting news is that I’m now serving on the Board of Directors for Small Halls Inc., the parent organization of the P.E.I. Mutual Festival of Small Halls. I absolutely love this festival and I’m excited to be part of the new team. The festival staff are currently putting the finishing touches on this year’s line-up, so mark your calendars from June 13th-23rd, 2013 and take in amazing events island-wide!

That’s it from me for now; I just wanted to touch base and let people know that I’m still here. Oh, and I bought an accordion. If you’re not sure how you feel about this, I understand… ha! Don’t forget to find me on Facebook and Twitter! Enjoy your day, wherever you may be.

Cynthia

Performing at a fundraiser in Charlottetown (January 2013; photo by Berni Wood)

Cynthia with the Havenwood Studio Step Dancers at the P.E.I. Home and School Federation's 60th Anniversary concert at the Confederation Centre in March 2013

Playing tunes with Kevin & Peter Chaisson at the concert for Lem & Judy Chaisson (March 2013, photo by Anne M. McPhee)

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It’s been awhile. Hard to believe that summer is behind us now; it was another whirlwind season, for sure. We had another fun season of the Brackley Beach Ceilidhs… our 9th season!… and it was complete with the release of the “Live at the Brackley Beach Ceilidh” CD+DVD package FINALLY! If you didn’t get a chance to pick one up, you can order them online.

I have some traveling-for-fun coming up, with fun locations such as California, Hawaii, Argentina and Chile, which I’m very excited about! The Chile part is actually going to be a volunteering experience with Habitat For Humanity’s Global Village. Come mid-November, it’s back to real life, and I’ll be heading back to school this winter to finally finish that degree that I’ve been working on for, oh, just about 9 years now.

In case you didn’t hear… Jon Matthews and I are hosting the 1st Annual Maritime Kitchen Party Cruise! Departing on April 27th, 2013 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we’ll be sailing around the Caribbean for a week to Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Labadee, Haiti on the beautiful “Oasis of the Seas”. Exotic destinations, tropical weather, and lots of Maritime music…. what more could you ask for from a vacation? We’ll be performing with Nova Scotia singer/songwriter Brian England and my super talented stepdancing cousin Bethany MacLeod. Take in concerts, pull out your instruments for some jam sessions (or just sit back and enjoy the party!), and maybe learn a few tips and tricks for fiddling, dancing or songwriting. Oh, and relax and enjoy one of the most amazing cruise ships in the world. Come Ceilidh in the Caribbean with us!

Hope you’re well, wherever you are, and don’t forget to “Like” me on Facebook and “Follow” me on Twitter for smaller, more frequent updates. Thanks for checking in!

Cynthia

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Time always gets away from me. I can’t believe I haven’t written a post since January, and I’m very sorry for that! Let’s see, what’s been going on…

Well, the Manitoba tour that Jon Matthews and I did a few months ago went great. Manitoba has got to be home to some of the friendliest people in Canada (and that’s saying a lot, being from the East coast!). Lovely audiences, fun theatres and superb hosts everywhere we went. And the infamous prairie winter weather held off while we were there too, which was a welcome surprise! All in all, it was a great time and I’m hoping we see some of our new Manitoba friends on the island very soon.

Fast forward to March: I was on PEI briefly, working like a madwoman on the “Live at the Brackley Beach Ceilidh” DVD, and played another rockin’ St. Patrick’s Day at the Olde Dublin Pub and the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse. I’m telling ya, St. Pat’s is fun in other parts of Canada, but there’s no party quite like on PEI. There were Irish people visiting PEI just for St. Patrick’s Day, that’s how good it is!

And then I took off to Europe for six weeks on a little vacation, wandering around fun places like Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, Rome… the list goes on. It was absolutely fantastic! I’ll have lots of stories for you all this summer. Here’s a little sample of my adventures:

Skydiving in Interlaken, Switzerland

I just got home from Europe last week, and after a couple of days on PEI, I went down to Massachusetts with my good friends Eddy Quinn, Jeff Matheson and Tara Goobie to play for a fundraising concert. It was a wonderful success, and a great time to boot! I’m now on PEI again for a few days, and am continuing work on the DVD and this summer’s Brackley Beach Ceilidh schedule. Keep an eye on my schedule for additions of guest musicians for each show. Oh, and guess what: This year, we’re adding TUESDAYS! That’s right, in the peak season, we’ll be hosting the ceilidhs on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays!

I think that’s it for now. Cheers!

Cynthia

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Tonight, we’re playing at the William Glesby Centre here in Portage at 7:30. We’re just about to head out to soundcheck, and I hear the venue is pretty nice. Plus, I remember meeting the good folks from the arts council here in Portage, and they’re fantastic, which is no surprise. Manitoba is home to the world’s nicest people, I think! Well, other than East coasters.

Tomorrow, we’re in Dauphin, and then we’re spending a couple of days in The Pas with a show on Monday, and then a show waaaay up north in Leaf Rapids on Thursday, Feb. 2nd. Hoping we get to see the northern lights while we’re up there! It will officially be the furthest north I’ve ever been in Canada.

If you know folks in Manitoba, send them our way! Oh, and guess what… Jon and I will be listening to more mixes from the Brackley Beach Ceilidh DVD during this trip, and hopefully it will be ready to master when Jon goes back to PEI! Woohoo!

Cheers,

Cynthia

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First of all… Wow, time has flown! The summer was a whirlwind, as per usual. Lots of awesome shows, lots of fun times with great musicians, lots of new friends made. I’m happy to say that the Brackley Beach Ceilidhs had a successful 8th season, and big news… next year, we will be having ceilidhs on Tuesday nights during our peak season! I’m so glad that the ceilidhs continue to grow with the support of you all.

One of the highlights of the summer would definitely be performing in the Charlottetown Festival‘s “Come All Ye”. What a terrific show! I have a feeling they’ll be bringing that show back next year, so be sure to check it out. It was fantastic working with great musicians and friends in one of PEI’s best venues.

For the past couple of months, I’ve been traveling around parts of Canada and the US, checking out the sights and relaxing. So I’m all set to hit the road again, this time to Manitoba with Gordon Belsher and Nils Ling! Between this trip and another trip in January with Jon Matthews, I’ll definitely know my way around the province. We’ll be visiting lots of small towns from southern Manitoba all the way to Flin Flon. Take a peek at my schedule to see where all we’ll be performing, and please pass the word along to your friends and family in Manitoba! We’d love to see lots of people at the shows.

And last but not least, I’ve had many inquiries about the upcoming CD/DVD package from the Brackley Beach Ceilidhs, and I’m very happy to say that we’re *almost* there!! It’s definitely been a work in progress, and sadly it had to go on the back burner a few times because of other commitments, but we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Keep tuned for more info, and some exciting road stories from Manitoba!

Cynthia

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Well, May was an absolutely fantastic month. Before heading off to the New England States, I performed in the always-fun Bootleggers Ball in Charlottetown. There were so many fantastic musicians playing that night; it was an honour and an absolutely blast to be on stage with them!

Jon Matthews and I were in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts from May 12th-29th, and it might possibly be one of the most fun tours we’ve ever done. We kicked off with a school show (fourth & sixth grades) and a private house concert in Houlton. Let me tell you, kids always make you feel like rockstars. We got raucous applause just for tuning when they were coming into the gym! Houlton Southside School, you are a fantastic group of kids.

From there, we spent some time in New Hampshire, including our first time at the lovely Adams Memorial Opera House in Derry and a fabulous return visit to Tuftonboro. We spent a few days in Massachusetts, where we did several gigs, including a hugely successful fundraiser for our very good friend Gabe Pean. Jon got to have some studio geekage when we went into Charlestown to do a recording session, and then we landed upon 430 Bayside in Ellsworth, Maine. One of my favorite things about Steve’s place in Ellsworth is that not only does he always have copious amounts of wine on hand, but he puts our faces on the bottles!

Wine bottles @ 430 Bayside

There are some videos on YouTube from that night’s concert, but we also made our own mini “danger pay” video, playing tunes perched on the balcony… You can check it out here.

Following our visit to Ellsworth, we spent the weekend in New Hampshire, with shows in Nottingham, Plymouth & Lebanon. Nottingham is home to one of the most acoustically pleasant places we have ever played; so pleasant, in fact, that I think Mr. Matthews and I may head down there this fall to do some recording! We made it to Plymouth after that and had a fantastic time at The Flying Monkey with the one and only Eddy Quinn. What a unique venue, definitely a gem. From there, we invaded Dan & Carla’s house for a house concert and even stayed for a little longer… (That’s what happens when you offer, Dan!)

We finished off our run with some dates in Maine at the Skye Theatre and the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts, and spent some quality time with one of the greatest people of all time, Phill McIntyre. We even had a surprise visit at Skye from our adopted family (or did they adopt us…), Gabe & Maggie Pean!

Phill McIntyre, Gabe Pean, Cynthia, Maggie Pean, & Jon

Phill, Jon & I took the liberty to give a wee plug for the Festival of Small Halls…

PEI Loves Small Halls... and so does Maine!

And while we’re posting pictures, check out this stage at Skye Theatre. It’s such a great venue. All of you folks in Maine, check it out. Fantastic line-up of artists all year round. It’s a magical place.

Rocking out at the Skye Theatre

We ended our tour with a wee detour to Melrose, Massachusetts to play for a birthday party! Yeah, we do that! So all in all, we had a fantastic 2.5 weeks on the road, met lots of wonderful people and were welcomed by the most gracious hosts everywhere we went. Thank you to all of you who made our trip so memorable.

What’s next? Lots of stuff! The Brackley Beach Ceilidhs kick off on June 27th. I have some fantastic shows lined up this month with the Festival of Small Halls, and I’ll also be making a guest appearance at the Moncton Highland Games with Mason’s Tender. The summer line-up looks like so much fun! Check out my schedule for all the details.

That’s it for now! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook & Twitter for more updates.

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Things are busy busy busy here on PEI! I’m still plugging away on the “Live @ The Brackley Beach Ceilidh” DVD. It’s a learning curve, but it’s fun! We’ll be *hopefully* releasing it during the opening week of the Brackley Beach Ceilidhs this season, as long as technology stays on our side. I’m loving how it’s sounding so far!

The ECMAs were in Charlottetown a few weeks ago, and what a time that was. Jon Matthews & I kicked it off with a few tunes to entertain the international delegates at the orientation. We also had fabulous times at our official showcase in the Roots Room, as well as at MIAFest, the Old Triangle and the Olde Dublin Pub. Charlottetown was alive and hopping with so much great music all weekend long! I was fortunate to be asked to perform on the gala awards as well, which was an awesome time. It was a thrill to be on the gala stage for the first time, let alone for it to be in my home province. It was an incredible weekend all around and I’m already looking forward to next year in Moncton! Thanks to those who sent me cell phone shots – here are a couple examples, one of Jon & I performing on Radio ECMA, and another of the gala awards:

Jon & I playing on Radio ECMA

Performing on the ECMA gala awards show

There was no time for recuperation after the ECMAs were over… I headed down to Havana for CeltFest Cuba for a week! That was definitely an experience, and I’m hoping to get back down there next year. There was an East coast contingent, as well as a group of Irish musicians, and of course lots of Cuban musicians. One of the highlights for me was the closing concert in Havana, which featured all of the groups of musicians and lots of dancing, in a beautiful open air courtyard. It was spectacular! Our transportation to that show was also memorable… 5 of us took 3 rickshaws to the courtyard, and the rickshaws decided it would be a great idea to race. It was terrifyingly awesome. Here are a couple of photos snapped by the wonderful Niamh Ni Charra, who was performing there as well:

The East Coast contingent

The questionable rickshaw ride through Havana

I’m on PEI for another week now, with a couple of shows coming up. Tonight, I’m playing at the Old Triangle with Koady Chaisson from 9-11. And this weekend is literally one of the highlights of my year: the 6th annual Bootleggers Ball will be taking place in the ballroom of the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. If you haven’t been out to this show, you HAVE to take it in. Seriously.

And… next Thursday is the beginning of the New England Spring Tour! Check out the dates on my schedule, and let all of your New England friends know that we’re coming. Jon & I have shows in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts for a solid two weeks before we come back to PEI to kick off the summer season. So come on out, New Englanders, and party with us! It’s always a good time in New England!

That’s all for now, folks. Hope you’re enjoying your day, wherever you are. Cheers!

Cynthia

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Lots and lots of news to catch you up on over the past couple of months… So much fun stuff has been happening!

- The East Coast Music Awards are hitting Charlottetown from April 14-17, and it’s going to be a fantastic weekend. I’ll be performing at the Roots Room Showcase and the MIAFest Stage, as well as lots of partnered stages around town. Plus… I’m so excited that the first time I get to perform on the ECMA Gala Awards stage, it’s in my beautiful hometown of Charlottetown! I’m also proud to announce that Riddle has been nominated for the 2011 ECMA Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year.

- And speaking of my latest CD Riddle… It’s now available on iTunes!

- I went to Memphis, Tennessee in February for Folk Alliance International and had an absolutely fabulous time. So much music all in one place, and of course, I did some fun Memphis stuff. Here’s a picture of Dave Gunning and I at Graceland!

I met so many awesome musicians while I was in Memphis, and I had a fantastic time playing with both Dave Gunning and Bua’s Brian Miller.

- A little last bit of news before I run off to play for the masses of Irish and wanna-be Irish people: I’m heading down to Havana, Cuba from April 19-26 to play for CeltFest Cuba! This is going to be such a fun time, and I’m looking forward to playing tunes with all of the East Coasters and Irish folks that are heading down.

Let the good times roll! Happy St. Pat’s, hope you’re celebrating accordingly!

Cynthia

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January 2011 already… where has the time gone? I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that 2011 is treating you well. We’re in the midst of a big week in music here on PEI! Music PEI Week is well underway with lots of fantastic performances all week, wrapping up with the awards show this Saturday night in Charlottetown. I’m excited to be a part of this year’s group of nominees in the categories of “Entertainer of the Year”, “Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year” and “Instrumental Recording of the Year”! Jon Matthews and I will be performing this Friday night as part of Music PEI’s “Friday Night Live” at the Olde Dublin Pub in Charlottetown, as well as at the awards show itself at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

If you’re in Maine, New Hampshire or Massachusetts, be sure to come on out to a show this May with Jon Matthews and I! An updated list of venues will be added to the website schedule shortly.

I’ve been getting lots of emails regarding the upcoming “Live! At The Brackley Beach Ceilidh” DVD! An update: it is still in production but will be released in Spring 2011… only a few months away! I’m looking forward to getting it out for our 8th season of the Brackley Beach Ceilidhs this summer.

I hope all is well with everyone! Have a happy January, I’ll be in touch soon.

Cynthia

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If you’re in Alberta or know someone who lives there, check out Gordon Belsher & I at Carlson’s On MacLeod in High River on Nov. 6th & 7th! Tickets are available now. This is a beautiful venue that I’ve played in several times, and it’s always a wonderful time. Hope to see some of you there.

Best,

Cynthia

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