Sunshine Coast bands Sudo Sol and Spouse, comprised of youth aged 16 to 20, were able to record their original music at Juno-winning producer Garth Richardson’s renowned recording studio, The Farm Studios, after receiving a grant from Daniel Kingsbury Music for Youth (DKMFY) in the spring of 2018.
“This was truly one of the most incredible experiences of our life thus far,” says Brendan Smith of Sudo Sol. “Since the recording, I can’t help but shake the feeling that I must continue to pursue music in every way possible.”
The seed money for DKMFY was raised in 2005 when as a Grade 12 student, musician Daniel Kingsbury inspired his musical friends to create a double CD of their original music. Eight thousand dollars was raised through performances and CD sales, and a fund was created to help support youth with financial barriers to realize their musical dreams. Daniel’s vision to create a permanent fund was realized in 2008 when the Music for Youth endowment was established, held by Sunshine Coast Community Foundation. After Daniel’s passing in 2015, the fund was named the Daniel Kingsbury Music for Youth Endowment.
Today, through further youth-initiated fundraisers and community support, the endowment has grown to $44,000. Earnings from the fund are granted yearly in partnership with Sunshine Coast Community Services and Coast Cultural Alliance, to Sunshine Coast youth who are passionate about music. Daniel has left a legacy that has enriched the lives of the 30 young recipients of the grants since 2009.
In 2018, a one-time funding opportunity was made available by an anonymous donor enabling DKMFY to offer a recording opportunity for young Sunshine Coast musicians with original work; this resulted in the CRAMMM (Create, Record, and Mix, Master, Mentor) grant.
The DKMFY committee set out to find a producer willing to take on the project. “We learned of The Farm Studio, a very high-end professional studio in the community and thought how amazing it would be for the bands to learn from the best,” said Linda Williams, DKMFY committee member. “We decided you never know until you ask and discovered how on-board Garth wanted to be with the project.”
Richardson was inspired by Daniel Kingsbury’s story, and understood the positive impact of supporting youth in creative endeavours, having opened Nimbus School of Recording and Media in Vancouver in 2009. He agreed to support the two bands through the process over a number of weekends in August and along with Steve Wright, local musician, music teacher and owner of Sound Space in Sechelt, helped guide the young grant recipients through the recording process. Having this expertise in the room was vital to the experience for the young musicians.
“Working with somebody as experienced and talented as Garth was incredibly impactful to the way that me and my band members not only make music, but listen to it,” said Smith of Sudo Sol.
The original music produced in August is now available to download on SoundCloud. There are also over 200 songs by Daniel Kingsbury available on SoundCloud.
– Submitted
