Sandy
Scofield web site
Sandy Scofield is a Metis (of Saulteaux and Cree descent) artist/composer
based in Vancouver. Her most recent release, Ketwam
won the 2003 Western Canadian Music Award in Aboriginal music,
and Best Folk Album and Best Production in the 2003 Canadian
Aboriginal Music Awards.
Her Riel's Road, was nominated in 2002 for Canada's
Juno award for Aboriginal Music of Canada, and had already come
up a winner at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, where
Sandy captured a second award for "Song of the Year" for
it's lead-off track, "Beat the Drum".
Sandy has fronted many bands in her day - from rockabilly to
cajun and zydeco fun bands to highly accomplished folk-rock, and
vocal ensembles. Sandy has performed at events like the Vancouver
and Winnipeg Folk Music Festivals, Mariposa, Edmonton's Dreamspeakers
International Aboriginal Festival, Seattle's Bumbershoot and the
Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards at Toronto's Skydome, and opened
for artists such as Buffy Ste. Marie, Tom Jackson and Buckwheat
Zydeco. In 1994 she released her first, critically acclaimed CD,
Dirty River, followed by Riel's Road
in 2000, and Ketwam in 2002. Her songs have appeared
on numerous compilations totaling twelve in all.
Creatively kickstarted ever since a 1995 Banff Centre for the Arts
program in traditional music, Sandy's music began to find its way
into film soundtracks and theatre. As a singer-songwriter, here
is a complex person who, at one moment, can sing delicate, satiny
pop creating a cracked and broke down scenario, and in another she
can boldly harness robust rhythm, blues and rock. Like a transforming
trickster, Sandy can use melody and beautiful harmonies to carry
weighty messages. Her keen ear for original arrangements, her experience
articulated in powerful lyrics, and her beautiful vocal instrument
combine to form a growing body of incisive musical works which touch
contemporary audiences of all cultures.
Career Highlights
Discography
Dirty River / 1994 / Arpeggio
Riel's Road / 2000 / Arpeggio
Ketwam / 2002 / Kokum
compilations:
Exposed Roots / 2003 / Canada Council
2003 Western Canadian Music Awards compilation (going into 15,000
cases of Big Rock beer in Alberta and Saskatchewan)
Tandem Music compilation (from Ketwam) /2003
Redwire Magazine sampler (from Ketwam) / 2003
"Get High," (from Riel's Road) on the Skin Tight
Blues / Sweetgrass Records, distributed
by EMI Music, Canada / 2002
Westcoast Sacred Music Festival Compilation / Festival /1999
Westcoast World Music Compilation / Pacific Music Industry Association
/1999
Grrrls With Guitars / Aural Traditions / 1999
Mariposa Festival Compilation / Festival
New Women's Voices Compilation / CBC Variety Records
Routes West Compilation / Festival
Save Howe Sound / Fluid Records
Film / Theatre
The People Go On, documentary by Loretta
Todd. Screened at Toronto’s International HOT DOCS Festival 2003;
They Call Me Chief, a documentary on First Nations athletes
in the NHL,features Sandy's award-winning "Beat the Drum."
(broadcast nationally on Global TV 2002/2003);
Turtle Tales 45 minute show commissioned for 2003 Vancouver
International Children's Festival;
In collaboration with award winning composer Russell Wallace (Banff
Centre's Chinook Winds), 70 minutes of music and soundscape for
Blackfoot choreographer Byron Chief Moon's dance company’s ensemble
piece Quest for inclusion in the 2004 International Dance
Festival, Ottawa ON;
Original Music for Namgis Playwright Laura Cranmer's play DP's
Colonial Cabaret, Bellfry Theatre, 2002
One song for Kwin'cxen Rainbow Native Youth Theatre Players, 2003-09-14
Wawatay, playwright Penny Gummerson, original music (while a work-in-progress),
Performance Works
Urban Tattoo, playwright Marie Clements, original music (while
a work-in-progress), Firehall Theatre
I Witness Soundscape in collaboration with Ben Cardinal,
Glen Gould and Fara Plamer for Floyd Favel (Dead Dog Café),
commissioned by the Edmonton Art Gallery
Journey of Spiritual Healing, filmmaker Sheila Jordon for
documentary about former Canuck hockey player Gino Odjick
In collaboration, soundscape for choreographer Santa Aloi's Pulse
dance performance, Simon Fraser University 2002
Radio / Television
Indian Time Three Variety TV show with Buffy
Sainte Marie, Derek Miller and Shingoose, Bravo and Global broadcasts
2003;
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Buffalo Tracks,
Beyond Words, Into The Music 2000-2003;
CityTV City Pulse, Toronto with Duke Redbird;
Star TV interview and performance, St. John's Newfoundland,
Toronto broadcast;
Many CBC, NPR, Northern Native Broadcasting and Campus radio stations
Festivals & Events
Folk festivals -Toronto's
Mariposa; Vancouver Folk Music Festival; Winnipeg Folk Festival;
Whitehorse's Frostbite; Dawson City Music Festival; Yellowknife's
Folk on the Rocks; Bella Coola's Discovery Coast; Harbourfront World
Music Festival; Haida Gwaii's Edge of the World; Seattle's Bumbershoot;
Comox Filberg Festival; Harrison Festival of the Arts; Mukwas Geezis
Festival at Toronto's Harbourfront; Caravan World Rhythms; Honouring
Our Words International Writers' Festival; North Vancouver's Under
the Volcano; Vancouver's Sacred World Music Festival; Salmon Arm's
Roots and Blues Festival; Vancouver's Trade and Convention Centre
Canada Day Celebration; Mission Folk Festival; David Suzuki Foundation;
Powell River's Sunshine Folk Festival; Western Front Annual View
from the Front.
Aboriginal Festivals - National Aboriginal Music Awards
at Skydome (performer and presenter); Museum of Civilization, Prince
Rupert Headliner, Vancouver Robson Centre’ Nov.2001, Edmonton's
Dreamspeakers International Aboriginal Festival, N'gan Girra Festival
in Albury, November 28-30, 2003; 2002 Winnipeg Indigenous Games;
Surrey Pow Wow; Mount Currie Colours Festival; Semiahmoo First Nations
Salmon Festival; National Arts Centre with Tom Jackson and Susan
Aglukark; First Peoples' Cultural Festival, Squamish Rec Centre.
Forums and Workshops
Native Youth music mentorship workshops - Penticton,
August; Moberly Lake, on the Saulteaux Reserve for Cree youth, September
World Music Symposium, November 2003, Britannia High School; BC
Festival of the Arts for Indigenous Service Arts Organization, Powell
River; UBC's Humanities Program, Musqueam Reserve; Guest Lecturer
on Aboriginal Women in Music, Langara College; Okanagan Youth Career
Opportunites lecturer and workshop mentor, Penticton.
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