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Rosemary Lawton is helping to preserve Newfoundland’s rich tradition by collecting, recording, and performing Newfoundland traditional music.Ìý
She is a multi-award-nominated artist with formal training in classical violin and a degree in Music Education.Ìý
And Rosemary, a passionate advocate of women’s issues, champions the advancement of women in the music industry through her work.Ìý
Next Thursday Rosemary performs in Jasper as part of the Home Routes tour, which brings artists to small, usually personal home locations across Canada.
She talked to Fuchsia Dragon about her upcoming gig.
Ìý
November 21, $20
Jasper Museum
Doors 6 p.m.Ìý
51°µÍø: How are you feeling about coming to Jasper? Have you been here before?
Rosemary: I have never been west of Ontario, I am very excited. I am really looking forward to it, it’s a really great excuse to go to the west.
Fitz: Tell me a little about the Home Routes tour.
Rosemary: They are bringing musicians from all over the world together to do these tours, small selections of about 12 venues for artists with all these different roots. It’s a 14-day, 12 venue tour and the artist goes to play different small venues. It’s mostly house concerts but for one I am playing at a bookstore. They have their own following with friends and family and we come to the events and stay in their homes and feed us. It's really wholesome.
Fitz: How did you get involved?
Rosemary: In Newfoundland they have a music conference with expert buyers and workshops and stuff. Home Roots came to one of the conferences and I met them last year and they were interested and we kept the conversation going.
Fitz: Are you only touring with Home Roots or do you have extra dates?
Rosemary: I have two weeks with Home Roots and I am staying an extra week because I was offered to play at Calgary Folk Club at the end so I am playing a couple of dates at the end of that.Ìý
Fitz: What is the atmosphere like in someone's home compared to other venues?
Rosemary: I think it is much more personal and you get to really know people and develop a connection. I have done a handful of them. I just like it because you get to have the host and get to stay in a friendly, safe place and get to talk to everyone at the venue that came to see you play.
Fitz: So tell me about your music, how would you describe your sound?
Rosemary: It’s really kind of Celtic traditional Newfoundland-type music. I have been playing in fiddle groups my whole life playing classically and my music has a bit of a classic hint. I have empowering songs about women in Newfoundland and Labrador. I put out two albums and a book out - all traditional, old, some a couple of hundred years old, that tell stories about empowering women, singing traditional Irish type music, some Newfoundland. They are songs about women dressing up as men andÌý going off to war or women who are kidnapped and have to trick or fight their way out, women sick of sitting around waiting for that guy and taking matters into their own hands.Ìý
Fitz: Who or what would you say are your biggest influences?
Rosemary: I have lots of influences. I was raised in a traditional fiddle community and have a lot of influence from that. Also Natalie MacMaster and great fiddlers of Canada.Ìý
Fitz: How did you get to where you are now?
Rosemary: I did a lot of youth projects growing up. There are a lot of really great projects in Newfoundland for traditional music. It’s a great culture the classic fiddle. I did my degree and then I was offered to join an Irish rock band and played in pubs for years. I played for about a decade in pubs playing Irish music then I wanted to branch out as a soloist. I put out an album and one thing led to another and I suddenly hadÌý a full album of songs and that was nominated for two awards and it was such a big surprise - then i got picked up with a record label and they have been helping my career.
Fitz: What’s your favourite thing about being a musician?
Rosemary: What's not to like about being a musician? I like being able to travel and meet new people. I really appreciate that. I enjoy being challenged artistically in different ways. I like to paint and sew but with music it feels like it's a part of me physically and comes really naturally and it's not easy. I love being challenged and I find it really satisfying.
Fitz: And what does the future hold for you and your music?
Rosemary: I hope to keep growing and building as a soloist and artist. I am playing country Christmas shows as soon as I get home as a fiddle player in a big group thing across the province. I am really looking forward to that. I love performing. If I can keep doing it and get a living out of it, that would be awesome.Ìý
