promo vid

Here a video from the Love Shines Release concert.....enjoy!

featuring Boris Sichon, Kevin Boese, Philip Janz, Peter Davyduck, Brian Thiessen, Jonathan VanDyke & Rebecca Sichon

Cathy & her band of men

photo by revival art studio www.rastudio.ca

  This photo was taken just before the Love Shines concert on April 16th - you may not be able to tell - but there were still a few butterflies in my stomach at this moment!  These guys really were fantastic that night and I want to tell you a bit about each of them ...
On the far right - Philip Janz.  Philip is the guy that produced the whole CD and engineered and mixed it as well.  He is incredibly talented as a musician and as a producer.  He has an amazing ear and understood the direction of many of my songs as I shared them with him in a simple form at the beginning of the project.  Philip believed in me and pushed me to be the best.  He was an amazing support for this release concert and played drums and sang with me.  I love this guy!
Beside Philip - Peter Davyduck.  Peter is a new friend of mine and I love his positive energy.  He was so supportive in the studio and gave his all at our rehearsal and performance on the 16th.  Peter - I want you to join me again!
Between me and Peter is Kevin Boese. Kevin I have known the longest of this gang....for around 16 years.  He has been a faithful friend and a huge supporter of my dreams.  He has served me in a zillion practical ways with setting up sound equipment, performing with me and encouraging me in my dreams. He is a great friend and was an awesome support at this concert.
On the other side of me is Brian Thiessen.  Brian did an incredible job of playing various guitar-like instruments on the recording.  His musical touch adds a lot to the Love Shines CD.  Brian put his back out on the week of the concert and was in tremendous pain that night.  But he served me in the midst of his pain and played incredibly.  Thank you Brian.
Beside Brian Thiessen is Jonathan VanDyke.  Jon and I have been friends for around 5 years now and he has an incredible voice.  It was awesome to have him there at the concert to add some harmonies and textures vocally.  thanks Jon.

On the far left is Boris Sichon.  Many people after the concert came to me and told me how much they loved the concert - and then they would add......and that Boris!!  Wow!  Boris has travelled all over the world performing on many world stages with his talent.  To have him support me in my musical dreams has been a deep honour.  I have learned so much from working with him and have enjoyed every minute of it.  Lots of laughs and good times we have had sharing music together.
what a great group of guys to surround me as I sang my heart out!!

photo by Jason Brown of Revival Art Studio  rastudio.ca

Song Stories #9

It was the afternoon the day of Myron Berg's funeral that Philip Janz, Boris Sichon and I were working on the song Prayer - which is a chant I wrote this past year.  Boris plays the didgeridoo as a low drone while I sing the chant overtop.  The low drone takes me to ancient sounds...sounds I have heard from other cultures and time periods.  It was a 'moment' during recording when Philip and I looked at each other and each expressed the same thing - 'I was thinking of Gillian'.  Gillian is the wife of Myron, who stood and expressed such deep love for her husband that very morning at his funeral which Philip and I both attended.  So, Gillian, you were on our minds and hearts as we recorded these sounds and words and as you choose each day to 'breathe'.  But I hope these are words that we can all resonate with - we all have a choice each day how we will choose to live.

In the video above, you can get a taste of the world music that Boris has in his fingertips.    At about the 4.30 minutes mark you can hear him play the didgeridoo which we have used on this  piece.  

Here is an excerpt of the words.......

As I breathe in a new day before me

I breathe in Life

Fill me with courage to face the unknown

I breathe in Life

Fill me with wisdom for each step ahead

            I breathe in Life

Deepen my roots that I may taste joy

Deepen my trust that I may know peace

            I breathe in Life

            I breathe in Life 

excerpt from Prayer from the Love Shines CD

Love Shines CD Stories

Working with Philip Janz

There are people in your life that you realize are huge gifts.  People that push you to fulfill your potential - not 60%, not 80% but drive you to your 110%. Philip has been that for me with this recording - pushing me, driving me, expecting the best that I can be and can give to this creative project. This is exciting and also at times exhausting. However, I am so grateful. There are not many people that I can count in my life that do this for me

and so again I become a student, a learner, and realize I have been given an opportunity to grow and develop.

Philip has huge musical talent. He is an amazing pianist, drummer, vocalist as well as being one who records, produces, mixes and engineers a complete project from A-Z.  As the producer, he must have the big picture in mind at all times as well as a zealous determination for the smallest detail. Philip is able to hold both of these aspects at the same time and brings his passion to both the overall vision and the miniscule detail.

However,  I think the greatest gift Philip brings is his ability to listen to the heart of the musician and honour the story they are bringing into their work. It would be easy to impose his own ideas, creativity, and plans into another persons work as he is so incredibly gifted and creative. And he DOES offer his ideas and suggestions and critique in a very open way. However, Philip offers this with kindness and with great respect for the love of creating the best in what the musician has offered.

I am very grateful for this recording process! The past 8 days have been intense vocal days and I'm heading into the last session tonight. They have been some of the best days of my life.

Philip - thank you.

(Photographs by Revival Arts www.rastudio.ca)

my brother, Randy Friesen, made this video of me and Philip working together this past Saturday - ENJOY!!

Song Stories #6
Love Shines CD

Joy is coming

In this video you get a picture into the studio on Friday night when Boris and Philip were going at it working on a whole range of songs. I joined them for a bit of wine and sushi! In this video they are working on the tune, Joy is Coming.
Boris Sichon has been a huge part of this album. He has listened to all the songs and offered so much wonderful feedback and input. He is an amazing musician that has travelled the world and learned from many musical masters. His talent and expertise is a treasure that I deeply value. But more than that, Boris has believed in these songs and helped me to follow my heart with this dream of Love Shines.

This song is the most recent song that has been written for this album. It is simple and reminds me of the time I spent in Africa in my early 20s where i enjoyed beautiful rhythms. I wrote this in December at the beginning of Advent.... Advent reminds me of all the things we are waiting for, longing for and that we hope for. Underneath our waiting, I've become aware of a deep sense of joy. Joy is coming and joy we can taste even now if we pay attention. So, it was with a lot of joy and hope that this song got recorded - and a lot of fun!