- Feature: Shawna Caspi
- Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
- Time: Doors open at 7:00PM, show starts at 7:30
- Location: St. John’s United Church, 10990 West Saanich Rd. (just across from Deep Cove Elementary School where there’s lots of parking)
- Admission: $10.00
I guess it’s ageing me a bit, but I do find myself missing the days when music was presented on 12-inch diameter, vinyl discs—the good old LP. I’m not referring to the purportedly warmer sound of that older recording technology so much as to the requirement, back then, that all recording artists had to take time to think through a large (1 foot by 1 foot) spatial canvas demanded by the LP cover. That large LP format forced musicians to engage visual art, design, illustration and/or photography, and was a wonderful vehicle to foreshadow the enclosed music in an eye-catching way. What a marvellous opportunity to cross-fertilize the arts, and some of the most memorable album covers certainly did this (do you remember a particular favourite?). Many of these were amazing works of art.
The LP was soon supplanted by the CD which miniaturized the cover canvas to 5 inches square—the beginning of the end for the album cover. Today, computer downloads have supplanted any form of recording that demands visual communication (unless you find “click here” buttons have aesthetic appeal).
So it was with great delight that I found our upcoming feature performer, Shawna Caspi, has found a wonderfully creative way to re-kindle this cross-fertilization of the visual and musical arts in today’s world of computer downloads. Her solution comes in the form of a post card which features one of her paintings—she’s a fine visual artist. Each of these cards is coordinated with one of her songs and has a download code for the song on the back. This means that, rather than download an album, you can purchase a set of postcards each of which takes you to a specific song. How neat is that? The visual and musical are reunited once again.
For example, here’s the image that goes with her song “Hold the Light”:
This alluring abstract gives an intuitive feel for its song which involves a deep commentary on how, in this Trumpian era, we’ve been seduced into being constantly on high alert with the fear of criticism and cruelty lurking around every corner.
Now when you shout It’s a little bit meaner All of it seems To keep you scared I have been there too And I know the other side I can take you through If you hold the light Hold the light
There’s amazing power, one that defies words, when you put this image together with the song (https://shawnacaspi.bandcamp.com/track/hold-the-light ). The visual and the musical do indeed complement and enhance each other in this format.
You can purchase Shawna’s recent album “Hurricane Coming” as either a traditional CD or the postcard set at the link above (btw bandcamp in one of the few “good guys” in music marketing these days). Or, as would be much, much better, you can come to Deep Cove on April 12, hear Shawna in person, and have the opportunity to purchase either format if you’re moved by her music—which I’m sure you will be. Please mark this date on your calendar and join us for what promises to be a wonderful evening.