A new tradition my extraordinary father and I began last year is attending the Calgary Mini Maker Faire at the Telus Spark Science Centre. The Maker Faire is a place where everyone from robotics engineers to homemade crafters to garage tinkers, come to share their projects and ideas. One of my favourite parts about the Maker Faire is the incredible array of people presenting and attending.
On that note, let me begin by introducing the coolest kid we met, Arpad, the Science Lad. Arpad built a Van de Graaf generator using the battery pack from a bug zapper, a Tesla coil, a few lightbulbs, and a bunch of tinfoil. He was thrilled to tell us all about his creation and how much fun he had building it. He told us about how dangerous this sort of experiment could be if he wasn’t careful. “Kids shouldn’t play with these things,” said the 10 year old. I could have hung out with Arpad all day, but had to move on.
We walked past the wearable LEDs and tried on some glowing accessories. Two sisters, one with the creative design mind, and one with the LED know-how, work together to make really incredible wearables. We stumbled upon a pancake printer. Yes, a printer that prints pancakes into designs right on the pan. The device squirts out the pancake batter onto the pan as it cooks, and as if by magic, but knowing full well it is by science, an Eiffel Tower pancake appeared on the pan.
We learned about Protospace, a space for members to gather and work on their dreams and ideas. One member of Protospace showed us his can crusher. He instructed us to put an empty can in the hole. The can slid into place, sat for a split second, and then a very loud hydraulic press crushed it.
I smiled as I walked around, seeing all of the passionate makers explaining their projects to other passionate makers. It is so cool to see ideas being shared in such an open minded and rad space. The room was all a buzz. Then a kid ran by me ecstatically yelling, “ROBOTS! ROBOTS! MOM! THERE ARE ROBOTS EVERYWHERE!”
Next, I took a turn blowing up asteroids with a Virtual Reality mask. It was fun, but I couldn’t help but think about how crazy I must have looked; spinning around, bending my knees and extending the control— my gun— out in front of me. I was even making shooting and explosion sound effects, that probably didn’t sound like shooting or explosions. Dad just laughed.Dad took a turn shooting an infrared gun at a target. Once he hit the target, a big blast of fire shot out into the air.
I left the Maker Faire with a hand made button made from a comic book, a custom engraved lego piece, and a rekindled appreciation for the incredible people who build and design technology. Thanks for the rad day of art, science, and technology, Calgary!
With a grumble in my tummy, I walked out of my hotel and past a few different cafes. I walked into one called Hippopotamus and sat at a lovely table on their patio. In my endearing broken French, I ordered a glass of red wine and the salmon. Next thing I know, the waitress brought over a 1/2 litre carafe of red wine. Oh boy. My French really isn’t that good. I guess I ordered a carafe?
About half way through my main course, I looked at the sky and marvelled at the changing colours. I had the thought, I should go up to the top of the Arc Du Triomphe and watch the sunset! Oh my gosh! I should go up to the top of the Arc Du Triomphe!!!!!! I quickly paid, finished the carafe of wine, and was out of the restaurant in a flash. I channeled my inner Carrie Bradshaw and whistled at the nearest cab. “Arc du Triomphe,” I said! He stepped on it! He asked which do I like better, Canada or Paris, and I said I liked both for different reasons. Secretly, I answered, “I like the Paris cab drivers more. I have never had a sexier cab driver in my entire life.” He put on the radio and Imagine by John Lennon played. I smiled and looked at him in the rear view mirror. He smiled too. How do you ask a cab driver out on a date in French?! It was a beautiful moment.
We were at the Arc du Triomphe in a flash. He stopped on a side street on the outside of the roundabout. He told me that nobody is allowed to stop in the middle. Fair enough, this roundabout is like an extreme game of Frogger. One in which nobody wins. I paid him and thanked him profusely. I walked towards the steps he told me were the entrance to the tunnel, but they turned out to only go down to the metro. I looked over at my cab driver and he motioned for me to get back into the car. I told him those steps didn’t lead to the entrance, and asked how I get there?! I hopped in the cab and he cut across traffic. He pulled to the side of the Arc du Triomphe and rushed me out. I really felt like I was in a movie. If only there was a beautiful man who gave me some sort of romantic ultimatum to meet him at the top of the Arc du Triomphe at sunset, or he will never love me again.
I paid my entry and began my trek up the 284 stairs. The slow, unfit, sober tourists in my way, were pushed aside as I bounded past. I think the adrenaline took over because I somehow made it to the top and onto the terrace in 7 minutes. After a carafe of wine to myself, I pretty much become an olympic athlete. I caught the end of the sunset as it made its way past the tall buildings of the city centre and disappeared behind the horizon. The view was breathtaking. It brought me close to tears. The Eiffel tower began twinkling as the clock struck 10, and I stood and watched with all the wonder of a child. I walked around the entire top, and took about 100 couples’ photos for them. I walked down the steps as the terrace closed and head to the nearest metro station. What a perfectly magical way to say goodbye to Paris. I fell in love here, not with a boy, but with a city.
What could be better than an art party with plant portraits, shadow puppets, poisonous plants, and bees? If you ask me, not much. On August 11, it was time for another Happenings at Arts Commons. Happenings always has a major theme, and Happenings #5 was centred on the theme of plants and nature. As always, there were many free activities that anyone and everyone could enjoy.
I invited my friend Jess to join me. Our evening began with a snow-cone— I got one with root beer flavour, how could I not?— and a wander through the building. I felt all kinds of classy; there I was at an art party, rockin’ my glamourous red lipstick and my rockstar red high heels, slurping back a root beer snow-cone. While we enjoyed our icy treats, we wandered over to the Apiaries and Bees for Communities presentation to learn a bit about bees. Jess confessed to me that she loves bees. We learned about the different nest designs, and how to construct one to attract honey bees to your backyard. Jess is excited.
Jess and I enjoying our classy AF snow cones.
We ran into Richard, the Communications Manager at Arts Commons. He suggested our next stop be with Alyssa Ellis and her collection of poisonous plants. “Don’t touch or eat them though, because you will die,” said Richard. “No actually. You will die.” We decided that we were too engrossed in our snow cones to be responsible enough around poisonous plants, so we enjoyed them from afar. The plants were gorgeous. Nature is so tricky, making plants that will kill you so beautiful and tempting.
Next stop was the Bizarre Garden of Eden. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, you’re right! It was a place to design and create your own shadow puppets! I wanted more than anything to create a unicorn shadow puppet, but I didn’t know how. I expressed my disappointment to Jess and a woman overheard me. She gave me the fastest unicorn drawing lesson you’ve ever seen. I sketched it out, and really surprised myself. That woman enriched my life. Jess cut out a dancing mushroom and we went behind the sheet to put on a show.
Jess’ dancing mushroom and my unicorn!
After our shadow puppet debut, we decided to check out some of the art that we were celebrating. On our way to the Ledge Gallery, we walked past artist Trevor Gieske and his potato printing station. We didn’t get the chance to try it out because the table was at capacity pretty much the entire evening- who knew potato printing was so popular! We entered the Ledge Gallery and wandered through the green world created by Natural Real Supreme. Green walls, green plants, green bits and pieces all around, green, green, green. The environment was so very soothing and lovely. It was nice to be above the crowd, too, to escape the noise and walk through a bit of artsy nature.
The view from the Ledge Gallery. Courtesy of Arts Commons
Our evening ended in the coolest place: We were surrounded by green streamers and ribbons hanging from the ceiling, red and green lights illuminating the space, and the sound of crickets filling the room. Rob Knudsen and Janine Bennet, two artists whose work is in and around Arts Commons took part in a discussion. There were questions written on paper leaves attached to the hanging streamers and the audience had the opportunity to pick a leaf and ask a question. The artists discussed their processes, their beliefs, their dreams and goals; it was really cool. The shroud that often covers the artistic process was pulled back this evening. We had the chance to learn about how art is created, see art being created, and even create our own art!
As always, the Happenings was such a rad time, and don’t worry if you missed it, because Happenings #6 is on October 31. Thanks for the nature art and the chance to create, Calgary!
Vancouver currently has about 265 kilometres of bike path, and works continually toward building the infrastructure to encourage even more cycling. The way Vancouverites have adopted and accepted cycling culture has definitely turned a few heads around the world. With that much dedicated cycling space, you can see a lot of Vancouver from these paths. Even the most tenured Vancouverites can’t say they have seen it all. So, what better way to learn about and see more of a city you love, than with people who love this city? Cycle City Tours believes that one of the best ways to see Vancouver is by bike, and there is no better bike ride than a bike ride shared with friends!
I decided to do one of their tours! I have lived in and cycled a fair amount around Vancouver, and would say I know this city pretty well, but I am a firm believer that everyone should be a tourist in their own city once in a while. I met the group, a family from Belgium, a family from England, and Kate, our tour guide. We started from the Cycle City shop on Hornby Street and cycled through the West End to Stanley Park. We stopped along the way to learn about Vancouverism, a type of urban design and a style of urbanism Vancouver does so well that other cities around the world have adopted it, and Vancouver’s plans to be the “Greenest City” by 2020. In Stanley Park, we visited Totem Park, and the “Girl in a Wetsuit”, Vancouver’s tribute to the statue. She also mentioned that “in a truly Canadian example of vandalism,” someone swam out and placed a Canadian soccer jersey on the statue last year during the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
We left the seawall and turned into the Park. All of a sudden, we were in the jungle! We saw trees that were 600 years old, and still growing. I think I often take for granted the beauty of this city. Seeing trees like this, just ten minutes from downtown, reminds me just how totally rad Vancouver is. After another stint on our bikes, we hopped on the Aquabus and went to Granville Island. It was here I treated myself to a classic Siegel’s Rosemary Rocksalt bagel with Vancouver lox and cream cheese. If you’re going to act like a tourist, you may as well eat like one!
The rest of the tour was more cycling and fewer stops. It felt like we saw the entire City! Kate had so many interesting stories and tidbits about the development of Vancouver, and facts about all the various communities. It was clear too, from the way she told these stories, that she loves this city, and enjoys sharing that love with new folks. The families that were on the tour with me were clearly falling in love with this place, just like so many of us have.
Cycle City Tours offers three different types of tours: a 3-hour Stanley Park and Seawall tour, a 5-hour Grand Tour (which is what we did), and a tour of craft breweries complete with beer tastings at each stop. They have the option to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bike), or to rent a bike for the duration of the tour. They boast “friendly shop staff” and rightfully so. Kate was enthusiastic and excited, and knew so much about the city. The folks who helped the group with their bikes and helmets were super friendly and genuine. This tour should be on everyone’s “must do” list, both visitors and locals alike. Be a tourist for a day, and fall back in love with your city.
I remember going to Heritage Park as a kid. My family would make a day of it. I loved the Caterpillar ride and the boat swings, I would eat so many root beer candies from the candy store, and my family toured around the Glenmore reservoir in style on the S.S. Moyie. Going to Heritage park is like traveling back in time. With all the lovely memories I have of the place, you can imagine my total delight when my friend Natasha invited me to spend her birthday with her at Heritage Park!
We began at Gasoline Alley and checked out the cars, the airplane, and all the gasoline pumps from back in the day. Everything looks so beautiful under lights in the display building. We learned about the gas pumps and some of the original companies in Alberta. We wandered around admiring how shiny everything is, and in such good condition, including my obvious favourite, the 1909 McIntyre, Model M, believed to be the only restored example of its type in existence!
The path led us to the Famous Five Centre of Canadian Women, to the Jewish Synagogue, and the Prince House. The buildings are all rebuilt, refurbished, and designed inside to appear the way they would have 100 years ago. The furniture, the wallpaper, the light fixtures, and even the little accessories and toys on dressers and tables are all pieces from the turn of the century. We listened to a bit of the very inspiring speech one of the employees was giving about the Famous Five and the impact their work would have on the lives of women in Canada forever. We had the chance to look into the reimaginings of the bedrooms in the Prince House, and listen to a history lesson of the Jewish Synagogue.
Next stop was the Games of Amusement in the antique midway. Much to my dismay, I discovered that as an adult, I am not permitted to go on what was my favourite ride as a kid— the boat swings. I stood for a moment and enviously watched the six year olds squealing and laughing with joy, before making my way over to the ferris wheel. That wheel spins way faster than I imagined. The wind whipped our hair, the breeze freshened our faces, and at the top of the spin, we could see the whole reservoir. It was a stunning view.
After the ferris wheel, we stopped into the hotel for lunch and delicious root beer, and then made our way down to the water for our boat cruise! The S.S. Moyie in which Heritage Park ferries its passengers is a half-size replica of the original ship built in 1898. From the boat we saw some deer on the shore, lots of birds, and were able to wave to people sitting on the water’s edge. It was also on the boat where we sang the birthday song to Natasha.
We walked through the main street and to the farm area. I stopped for a quick swing in the playground, and overheard a little boy say to his mom, ”Heritage park is now my favourite.” I smiled. It began to rain as we went into the saloon, so we waited out the downpour inside. A few beers, a few rounds of cards, dominos, and Yahtzee, and the rain stopped.
We ran after the train to take us back to the candy store— probably the most important stop of the day. I bought a root beer candy stick, like I always did as a kid. I remember thinking they were so expensive when my only income was my weekly allowance. Even with the rain, Heritage Park was the perfect destination for our Saturday. The ticket price for an adult is $26.25, and once inside the park, the boat, the rides, and the train are all free. A lot of bang for your buck, and way less expensive than what I assume time traveling would cost. Thanks for the rad blast from the past, Calgary!
In my travels, I have come across a myriad of surfers; in Portugal, two really relaxed surf instructors, on the West coast of Australia, I watched my buds shred the waves, and one night in Hawaii, I had dinner on the beach and with the setting sun as a backdrop, watched the surfers rip around. I have always been enthralled by the sport. When asked which sport do I wish I could just be the best at with no work or practice? I answer surfing. I have spent most of my life living in Calgary, the land-locked city, and early on, I came to terms with the fact that I, Calgarian, will never “ride a gnarly wave” or “hang ten.” Turns out, I gave up too soon.
My friend Matt is an avid river surfer. Yes, that’s right, an avid river surfer. Living in Calgary, Matt goes surfing on the Bow River once or twice a week. Matt invited me to join him one fateful day and I decided to try my dreams on for size. On the south side of the river, under the 10th St. bridge is Calgary’s wave. It formed after the flood, when a few logs were caught on the bank and pushed the water towards a dip in the rocks. Since then, surfers and the Alberta River Surfing Association* (yes it’s a real thing) have built up the logs to create and maintain the perfect wave.
Photo by @ma77allen
At noon, we were the only two on the river. Matt took some time to teach me the basics— how to get onto the wave, how to hold the board, how to jump up, and how to swim safely back to shore. I may have a bunch of photos of me trying to look like an advertisement, holding surf boards, but I have never actually surfed, so I was soaking up as much of this crash course as I could, paying close attention to the safety tips. Matt said, “jump really really far out in front of the wave, and if you fall, just don’t panic.” Right on! How hard could it be?
The first time I jumped into the water, I felt SO cool. Like, someone get this girl a surf sponsorship. I immediately bailed, of course, but because I knew what I was doing, quickly made it back to the river bank. Matt cheered me on and declared my first attempt was totally rad! My second attempt was even better. And my third. I found that each time I stood on the rock, poised and ready to jump, I psyched myself up by saying, “jump far, frog legs.”
Photo by @ma77allen
Soon, a few other surfers joined. After a few hours, there were about thirteen, all different skill levels. There was the Beth level, jumping on, staying in the “sweet spot” for a hot second, then bailing, there was the Matt level, throwing the board into the water, jumping onto it(!) and surfing like a pro, and there was everything in between. Who knew river surfing created such an incredible community!
Photo by @ma77allen
The day was stunning and the sun did an excellent job of warming us up after being in the cold river. It was the perfect day for my dream of being a surfer to kind of come true. I kind of surfed! I may not have stood up, but I rode a gnarly wave and I got to “hang ten.” I just still can’t believe I didn’t say “cowabunga” today. Not even once! Thanks for the lessons and the rad day in the sun, Matt! Thanks for the epic river surf, Calgary!
*Read more about Calgary’s wave and the other waves around Alberta, plus safety tips and links to blogs and forums on the ARSA website, http://www.riversurfing.ca/arsa/
This past weekend, I had the total honour of being my fantastic friend, Kelsey’s plus one to the Calgary Folk Music Festival. As a sponsor of the festival, Kelsey’s employer was given passes for the whole weekend, and she generously shared with me. When I looked at the totally stacked line-up I nearly fainted. With the amount of incredible talent on the schedule, how were we going to choose which artists to see and which workshops to attend? On Thursday night, I donned my cutest festival outfit and head to the grounds.
Kelsey and I
We began at the beer garden to sit under the trees and plan our evening. We were able to see The New Pornographers, a band I have loved for years, and the last few songs of The Cave Singers, a band I had never heard before. We caught the first bit of The Dudes’ set, a band made up of four Calgarians, and finished our evening with The Tallest Man on Earth, a band from Sweden! It was during the Tallest Man on Earth that my friend said enthusiastically, “the best thing about folk fest is the nonstop killer vocal harmonies.” I agree! It was a brilliant day one of Folk Fest and I bicycled home with a giant smile on my face. Three more days of this?! Best. Weekend. Ever.
Our Friday began at the “Voice Male” workshop, featuring the Bros. Landreth, The Cave Singers, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Northern Beauties. A stage chalk full of incredibly talented and inspiring male singer/songwriters? How could we miss it? I am glad we didn’t. The songs that evolved from this workshop had me swooning and falling madly in love with the men creating this music. Once my legs became less jelly like, we wandered to the Mainstage. It was here that we saw Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, a Calgary legend, whose lyrics and music are as magical as his smile. The Bros. Landreth was on the Mainstage next. Another band I had not heard until this weekend, and my goodness, I count my lucky stars I was here to see them. Their music had my skin in goosebumps the whole set. To end the perfect day, we danced all evening to Lord Huron. I had not heard of them until I was standing in front of them, but I liked what I heard, and it was impossible not to dance!
Our Saturday began with the workshop “Do the write thing,” featuring Bobby Bare Jr., The Dudes, Foy Vance, and Bry Webb. It is so rad to see people on stage doing what they love and having a fantastic time with it. That kept us in the beer gardens for a while, where we met up with some friends, and made some new ones. The Calgary Folk Festival brings so many different people out, you never know who you might meet. It always makes me smile to see teenagers partying alongside sixty-somethings, only a few feet away from a family whose young children are also enjoying the music. With our passes, we were invited to sit in the artist lounge. It was here that I would meet Calgary meteorology legend, Darr Maqbool and his lovely wife Lynn (see? You never know who you will meet!). We chatted for a long while about the arts in Calgary and how this City is truly up and coming. Then Kelsey and I watched The Sadies from backstage. These guys know how to rock! The drummer kept spinning his drumsticks as he played— the coolest trick for us non-drummers to see— and the vocalists danced and partied like they were born to do so. José González closed off the night to a huge audience. It was a brilliant way to end a crazy and beautiful Saturday.
Darr Maqbool and I
We arrived Sunday and caught the tail end of the workshop, “Idiom Savants,” featuring Bobby Bare Jr., Elizabeth Cook, Robbie Fulks, and Northern Beauties. I was sad we didn’t get to see more of their set, the music that emanated from the stage was just what I needed on a hangover Sunday. We found our way to the next workshop on our ‘to see’ list, “Defining Moments,” featuring Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Amelie Patterson, Colleen Rennison, and The Weather Station. It was so lovely to hear the stories each of the artists shared about defining moments in their life. MBF told us of the first time he played at Folk Fest in Calgary and how rad it was for him, and now eight or so years later, he took the Mainstage. How cool is that?! We sat in the artist lounge for a while to soak up some much needed shade (again, hangover Sunday). Kelsey and I had a hilarious conversation about being traveling musicians with the Bros. Landreth, when they came to eat dinner at our table, and we chatted about music and then politics with Robbie Fulks and his drummer. We marvelled at the drum beats of the Krar Collective, and closed our eyes to be swept away with Cat Power. We stood in the middle of the crowd for Cat Empire, whose music had everyone up out of their lawn chairs, dancing like crazy. The weekend closed with the infamous Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans, who had everyone singing along, and craving a bit of rye whiskey.
Music festivals in general are such a crazy and whirlwind way to experience music. It is always fun to see bands you love, especially bands like The Dudes who are total Calgary legends, or an international sensation like The Tallest Man on Earth. What I loved about this weekend too, is that I had the opportunity to see bands I had never heard before. I fell in love with multiple bands while they were on stage, like The Bros. Landreth and Lord Huron. Thank you Kelsey for bringing me, thank you to all the musicians who poured their hearts out on stage, thank you to the incredible volunteers without whom the festival would not happen, and thank you to everyone I met over the course of the festival. For this island in the heart of the City, for the great music, for the Alberta blue sky, thanks Calgary!
Kelsey with the rad sign made my Bob Quaschnick from The Dudes
Taking a bath with a bath bomb is like bathing in champagne, decadent, luxurious, but less of a total mess. I love bath bombs, but I honestly can’t afford them. How many times have you walked into a bath shop or soap store and thought, “this is a ridiculous price for a bath bomb. I feel like I could make this!” I don’t know what goes into making a bath bomb but feel they are simple and wouldn’t take much time.and that others think the same.
Sarah and Kat, two Calgary artists, and the cofounders of Maker YYC, know all too well the feeling of going into a soap shop and thinking, “why would I buy this when I could just make it myself?” They also realize how frustrating it can be to try crafting on one’s own, and they understand the difficulty in answering the questions, where do I get the stuff, how do I actually do this, what is this mess I’ve made, and wtf have I gotten myself into? The beauty of a Maker YYC workshop is that Kat and Sarah provide all the ingredients and tools necessary for the craft of the evening. They do the research and try it out beforehand, so they are the gurus the workshop attendees look to for guidance. The “How to Make Bath Bombs” workshop on July 6 was a sold out house!
Photo from Maker YYC
I sat with Montana, Carla, and Alberta, three lovely ladies who had never been to a Maker event before. We were given our buckets, our mixing utensils, our ingredients, and were told the one rule: don’t eat the citric acid. With a few inspirational images of handmade bath bombs (probably from Pinterest), we were chomping at the bit to begin. Within mere moments, the entire Vintage Caffeine Co. coffee shop smelled like lavender, lemongrass and rose petals. People were mixing and matching colours and scents, pressing their bombs into whichever shape they chose, and waiting excitedly for the time when their bombs could be released from their mold.
Photo from Maker YYC
It was cool to meet and get to know the ladies around my table— all from different walks of life, different backgrounds, and with different interests. There we sat, for two hours, bonding while we created the daintiest and most decadent of crafts. I successfully made six bath bombs, all with different flower petals, swirls of colours, and shapes. I am very happy and I can’t wait to bathe!
So, the total tally from the evening:
Number of beautiful bath bomb makers: 12
Number of beautiful bath bombs made: at least 89
Times I said cute: too many to count
Number of people who put citric acid in their mouths: 0 (woohoo!)
Thanks for the sweet smelling craft night, Calgary!
Calgary is now home to the National Music Centre (NMC)! The grand opening on July 1, saw thousands of people walk through the doors of the newly constructed building. The mission of the National Music Centre is “to give Canada a place that amplifies the love, sharing and understanding of music”; in their new home in Studio Bell, with five levels of exhibitions, a collection of over 2000 artifacts and pieces, and a performance space that seats 300, the NMC more than achieves this goal.
My mom and I checked out the space on July 4, a quieter day than the grand opening, and spent nearly three hours wandering and immersing ourselves in the musical world the space creates. The top level, level 5, is where the ‘Best of Canada’ exhibition lives. It showcases and celebrates the Canadian musicians who left a lasting mark on the world’s stage. Around the corner from ‘Idols and Icons’, is the East Village Skybridge. Here, you can look out over the City and on a classic Calgary day, get lost in the “busy” sky. Patrick Marold’s installation Solar Drones provides a unique soundscape for this most epic of walkways. This incredible mash up of art and science, is constructed from the pianos from NMC’s collection that were destroyed in the 2013 flood. Sixteen wooden pieces hang from the ceiling, and are connected with an electromagnetic system to solar panels on the roof. Each produce a continuous note, or drone, based on the City’s weather conditions. Each time you walk through the Skybridge, the soundscape changes based on the sky above. How cool is that?!
My favourite exhibit was on level 4, the interactive ‘Making Music’. It is here that I could have spent my entire day. There was ‘Unplugged’ – where you can check out rare acoustic instruments, ‘Plugged In’ – if electronic instruments are more your style, and ‘Workshops’ – where, through a window into another world, you can watch the NMC “gear-heads” restore and maintain the NMC collection. I spent most of my time on this level being taught, by virtual music teachers, how to play Rush on the drums and then Hedley on the piano. We even had the chance to try our hand at mixing and remixing a classic tune by Tegan and Sara.
On level 3 we were taught some of the science behind the music. We learned how our bodies and brains react to music and why some songs get stuck in our heads easier than other songs – Waterloo by ABBA anyone? We also learned what our vocal ranges are and were tested on our pitch. Only one in 10,000 people in the world are born with perfect pitch, and my mom and I learned that we are definitely in the other 9,999. It was also on this level that I saw the piano Elton John wrote Tiny Dancer on, and I nearly fainted.
The NMC has big dreams for education, performance, recording, and the future of their exhibitions. Their vision is “to be a national catalyst for discovery, innovation and renewal through music,” and I think that Calgary is the perfect place for the NMC to grow and inspire. Even if it’s not the music you are interested in, go for the building. The King Eddy, the adjacent performance space, and a building with the most epic musical past, will be reopened for the duration of the Calgary Stampede. Thanks for the music education, Calgary!
I think meditation is an incredible feat and I am inspired by those who can successfully silence their mind and meditate, but I don’t believe everyone needs to meditate, nor that they even have to want to try! What I do believe is that everyone needs to spend some time with their own mind every once in a while. Every day we are inundated with technological stimulation. Our phones, our computers, our tablets, even our watches, are there to join us with everything and everyone around us. The internet is the place to feel connected. But often, the connections that really matter are forgotten, like the connection we have with our own mind. One of my favourite moments of the day is just before sleep, when I’m just hanging out with my brain and thoughts.
Photo by Shannon Yau.
With this in mind, I decided to try out a float spa. I heard how wonderful it is for silencing everything around you and really encouraging the mind to relax. I figured I would give it a go! Clear Float Spa is Calgary’s newest place to float. It is located in Mission on 18th Ave, just off 4th St SW. I met Bryce and Jesse, two very relaxed, very barefoot people, who welcomed me in and showed me around. Jesse took me to the room that contained my float pod. The pod has ten inches of highly concentrated salt water— 1000 pounds of epsom salts to be exact. After a brief run through of what to do pre- and post-float, I hopped in my pod.
The float pod! Photo by Shannon Yau
I giggled as I lay back in the water and my body lifted off the floor of the pod. The motion activated light in the room went off, and the pod was all aglow with a blue light. I was somewhat startled by the pleasant voice recording of a British woman who welcomed me to my pod. She told me to relax. I tried. I turned off the blue light and listened to the relaxing mediation music.
To be completely honest, for the first bit of my float, I thought, “this is straight up boring.” I played with my hair, and pretended to be a mermaid. I moved around in the water, feeling how soft and silky the salt was making my skin. I played with the eerie blue light— on, off, on, off. I imitated the British voice of the recorded lady who welcomed me to my float. Finally, I realized I couldn’t sit still because my body just wasn’t relaxed. I was aware that the muscles in my neck were holding my head out of the water. “There are 1000 pounds of salt in this water, neck,” I thought to my neck, “you need to trust that my head will float without you.” I felt the muscles in my neck relax and I felt the water creep up my face a wee bit more. The next thing I knew, I woke myself up snoring.
They say everybody ‘floats’ differently, especially the first time. The mind and body do what they need to do while lying weightless in the salt water. I encourage everyone to try it! Clear Float Spa has a great introductory deal— three floats for $49. I am definitely going to go again. I am very curious what the second, third, and fourth floats will be like! Check them out at http://clearfloat.ca. Thanks for the relaxing float, Calgary!
Where the F is Beth? 