In snowy North Hatley, in a cabin in the woods, a young, native Townshipper has returned to craft his next work of music. Amos Joannides has gone back to the basics for inspiration: a wood stove warms his guitar strings as this rising star plans to spend the better part of this year in the traditional form of “remote control”, that is to say tapping tranquility in order to liberate his muse. Amos’s musical development has been a lifelong journey, from working in musical theatre in Lac Brome to his current trajectory onto the ever-expanding world of popular music.
When the opportunity for a temporary stay in North Hatley arose, it was just the creative element Amos Joannides was seeking. The move away from the bustle is doing the trick. With forty-two works in progress (and this number continues to grow), there’s no lack of inspiration. With his typical grin, Amos, an avid iPhone user, chuckled when Make Way for YOUth/Desjardins Migration Agent Sheila Quinn asked whether or not he has cell phone or internet reception in his new digs. He responded, “if I hold my iPhone up against the glass of the window, in a certain place, sometimes it will come through.” He doesn’t seem alarmed or in withdrawal, however, although he’s still early into his stay.
Amos Joannides will be performing at North Hatley’s La Caravane this Friday night, January 20th, at 8:30 pm. His laid-back, friendly connection with audiences is always a winning factor, as are his ease with story-telling and his ability to go with the rock ‘n roll flow. La Caravane is a perfect spot to see him. For more information on Amos’s music and for the links to reserving tickets, visit Amos’s website at www.amosj.com.
If you, or a young person you know, is thinking of making a move similar to the one that Amos has recently made, consider participating in the Make Way for YOUth project as well. We will be holding the next Discovery Days weekend – an all-inclusive, free chance to explore the Townships – from February 10th to 12th at Orford National Park’s Jouvence.
Over the course of the weekend, several workshops will take place, including a meditation workshop led by Michael Mykolyshyn, a former Discovery Days participant. The group will enjoy outdoor activities such as tubing, skating on the lake (by Christmas lights), use of a sweat lodge and a sugaring off. On Saturday night, the group will attend a networking activity complete with live music. For more information about this weekend, contact Sheila Quinn, Make Way for YOUth/Desjardins Migration Agent, at mwfy@townshippers.qc.ca or 819-566-5717 (toll free: 1-866-566-5717).
For Townships Artists
Townshippers’ Association has recently developed a survey to assess the needs of English-speaking artists living in the area, as well as to determine whether or not the Association could do anything to help meet these needs.
You do not necessarily need to be a professional artist to fill out this survey; we are looking for input from all kinds of artists, both those who consider it their full-time occupation and those for whom it is more of a hobby.
We particularly would like to know how our existing programs could be enhanced or changed, or if new projects could be created to fill needs that are currently not being met by other organizations or institutions in the area. Your input will help us to decide what initiatives we could undertake that would help to benefit artists in our region. In addition to answering the questions contained in this survey, we encourage artists to share with us any additional comments or suggestions they may have.
To access the survey, you can follow the link posted on Townshippers’ Association’s facebook page. If you do not have facebook, you can call the Association’s head office at 819-566-5717 (toll free: 1-866-566-5717) and we will gladly e-mail you the link to the survey. Any additional ideas or comments can be sent to us via email, at the following address: ta@townshippers.qc.ca.
Photo Cutline: Amos Joannides – a rising star in the music industry who has recently moved (back) to the Eastern Townships and is currently participating in the Make Way for YOUth project – will be performing at North Hatley’s La Caravane on Friday, January 20 at 8 p.m. For information or tickets, visit www.amosj.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amos Joannides
