29 October 2005

I'm back in Toronto for a while after spending most of the year in Connecticut and New York. I made some good connections while was there, and plan to keep travelling there to work as much as I can. In New York City, there's a very rich singer-songwriter community (I mean rich artistically, not financially!) and it was gratifying to become a part of that. I started off knowing no one and I just made a list of open mics in the city, by checking web sites and asking around. Then I just showed up as much as I could at as many different open mics as possible. Some were better than others, but I always made at least one new interesting connection at each new event - a bit like solving a mystery. One particularly interesting event is the NY songwriters showcase, held every Sunday and Monday at The Bitter End and CBGB's, which I auditioned for, and eventually played 3 times. The musical calibre of all the performers is very high, and the audience listens attentively. And the last time I played, I met Bob Leone, project director of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame who puts on showcases at the Cutting Room every few months. Out of 150 applicants, he picked me and 8 others to play at the November 17th showcase. At around the same time, I discovered I was to be included on a CD released once a year by Underground Music Online or UMO. UMO runs a weekly open mic at the Baggot Inn in Greenwich village, NY and they record every performance - roughly 1300 a year. At the end of the year, the 14 best are picked for inclusion on a CD, and I'm pleased to say I made the cut for this year's CD! So I'm quite excited about all that. In New York, I also became involved in a weekly songwriter meeting in Manhattan where I met Suzanne Vega. Like me she had recently lost a brother, and was having trouble writing about him.

Speaking of writing, I have been hammering away at several new songs for a few years now, and things finally seem to be coming together. I recently hooked up again with Todd Huckabone, who, with my brother Nick, plays on the first two CDs. Living in different cities, we hadn't played together for a while. But in August, I visited Todd at his new studio in Chelsea, QC and we just jammed - making up songs on the spot and recording them. It was a great experience. I came out that day with at least four new songs. Two months later in October, we decided to spend 3 days - Nick, Todd and I - going through lists of old unfinsihed songs, recording them, making changes, and just finishing them. So that's what we did. After 3 days, I had 24 rough demos of songs, which I'm currently writing lyrics for. The key song will be one I wrote for my brother Leo called "You already lived much more". I'm also going to record two songs that Leo wrote himself.
So a new CD is on the way! Yippee! I can't wait!

8 April 2005

On Sunday April 3rd 2005, we held the First Annual Leo Wyard Memorial Concert at Molly Darcy's Pub in Danbury CT. It was a fundraiser for three causes:
The Heart and Vascular wing at Danbury Hospital
The American Cancer Society
Bethel Youth Soccer Association

I am happy to report that over $3500 was raised and the event was attended by more than 200 people - a roaring success! We're planning to hold the concert every year from now to remember Leo and how he touched our lives, as well as raising money for three worthy causes. If you donated money or were in attendance, please accept heartfelt thanks from all the Wyard family.

22 February 2005

March 24th 2005 will be the first anniversary of my brother Leo's death, and in his honour, and with the help of his wife Sue, I have decided to put on a benefit concert in Danbury Connecticut, close to his home in Bethel where he lived for the last 12 years of his life.

To avoid conflicting with Easter Sunday, the concert will be held one week later, on Sunday April 3rd 2005, 3.00 p.m. at Molly Darcy's Irish Pub, 39-A Mill Plain Road, CT. Proceeds from the concert will benefit three worthy causes that touched Leo's life:

The New Heart and Vascular wing at Danbury Hospital - the hospital where Leo worked as a P.A. for many years
The American Cancer Society - our mother and uncle are both currently recovering from colon cancer
Bethel Youth Soccer Association - in honour of Leo's soccer coaching

Performing at the concert will be myself, Nick Wyard on drums and New York native, David Fateman on bass. We'll be playing a mixture of cover and original material, including some songs written by Leo which, to my knowledge, have never been performed live.

If you live in the Danbury area, and would like to participate, you may purchase advance tickets for $10 by sending a cheque made out to "cash" to: Sue Wyard, 47 Ridgedale Road, Bethel, CT 06801. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $15.
 

6 November 2004

I'm currently staying in Bethel, Connecticut, about 70 miles Northeast of New York City, and playing a number of dates in the U.S. Click on the shows link for live dates.
 

1 September 2004

I'm going to England for a month beginning on the 11th, and when I get back I may go to the States for a little while, so I won't be playing the Unicorn, McSorley's or the Pourhouse for a little while. I'll keep you posted!
 

6 July 2004

The official cause of Leo's death is now believed to be Mitral valve prolapse