Celebrated Canadian folk singer, Ian Tamblyn, performed at the Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) on March 6 to honour his year as Carleton’s artist-in-residence.
The event, titled “Ian Tamblyn and Friends,” also featured original songs performed by six of his students.
The show was hosted by Carleton’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the School for Studies in Art and Culture.
James Wright, a music professor at Carleton, said the show was a chance to thank Tamblyn.
“It’s an opportunity to thank Ian, to have a moment to showcase some of Ian’s work and the work of some of the students who have been working with him,” said Wright.
The Artist-in-Residence program brings experienced artists to teach at Carleton for a year. Classical pianist, Maestro Mauro Bertoli, was the artist-in-residence last year. Jazz saxophonist, Petr Cancura, has been invited for the 2015-16 school year.
Tamblyn’s achievements before being Carleton’s artist-in-residence include 35 albums, more than 1,500 songs, and 120 theatrical soundtracks. He won a Juno Award in 1976 for his self-titled album Ian Tamblyn. In 2014, he won Folk Music Ontario’s Songs From the Heart song-writing competition with his song “Away.”
Despite his achievements, Tamblyn said he was surprised when he was invited to Carleton for the position. He said working with the students has been fantastic.
“It’s re-energized me. It’s forced me, in some ways, to take a look at the very process I’ve been involved in for 45 years,” said Tamblyn. “I am amazed at [the students’] courage and imagination . . . I am also amazed that they get up at 8:30 in the morning.”
Tamblyn’s performance included his original songs and the stories behind their inspiration. Many of his songs were inspired touring and travelling around the world to places like Greenland and Scotland. Pictures of his travels played in the background of his last few songs to illustrate his inspirations.
“He always has good stories to tell,” said Mackenzie Di Millo, a third-year bachelor of music student at Carleton. Di Millo performed an original song at the event.
Di Millo worked with Tamblyn last semester in his song-writing class and described him as wonderful to work with.
“Ian’s class really got me to open up to songwriting by myself,” said Di Millo, who said she is not used to performing alone.
Hans Vivian-Wenzel, a second-year bachelor of music student at Carleton, also performed.
Vivian-Wenzel had one-on-one sessions with Tamblyn and said it is “truly amazing” working with him.
“Looking at all the milestones I’ve been able to accomplish and step over, it’s all thanks to Ian, really,” Vivian-Wenzel said.
As an artist-in-residence, Tamblyn was asked to teach two courses in the craft of songwriting, a songwriting master class for the bachelor of music students and serve as adjudicator on some of the graduation recitals.
It was announced at the end of the show that Tamblyn will return to Carleton to teach in the 2015-16 school year.
