N.L. musicians put local performers in the spotlight with new documentary series

CBC

21 hours ago

Two traditional Newfoundland musicians are moving from the stage to the screen to shine a spotlight on the musicians who inspired them.
So Much More to Here follows Rum Ragged's Aaron Collis and Mark Manning in a short documentary series that profiles Newfoundland and Labrador communities and their musicians. It was released last week on the band's YouTube page.
"It was almost like you're letting everyone into the living room where you grew up and learned the music," Collis told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning.
"It's a bit more personal for sure, but it's also a treat to be able to introduce people to other singers and players who meant a lot to us growing up."
Collis said some of the people interviewed aren't those who hit big stages, rather they perform in more intimate settings like kitchen parties.
He said that's where traditional music comes from.
For example, the show visits Boyd's Cove, which Collis said is special to him because it's where his grandfather's family home is located.
"I also met a lot of great musicians up in Boyd's Cove that kind of influenced me and helped me understand really what traditional music … was and how it got passed down over the years," said Collis.
When Collis was first learning music, he used CDs and songbooks, but being in the community made him realize he could approach people to learn songs only a few knew.
"It really kind of struck me … the importance of sharing the music," he said.
Deeper dive
Tom Cochrane, the director, videographer and editor of the series, said he's worked on music videos with the band over the years, and this is a bigger project than he's used to, involving a couple of months of shooting and being on the road.
"I've personally been inspired by their story by hearing them talk about where these tunes come from," he said. "They talk about them every night on stage and [are] always giving credit back."
The series is six episodes, ranging from 14 to 20 minutes in length. Cochrane said that gives them the opportunity to "dive a little deeper" into the subject than other projects he's worked on.
"Even within that 20 minutes, it's not long, but it carries you through a narrative of a place and touches on the history of each place, touches on the stories of the people and the tunes," he said.
Cochrane said he's also hopeful to do more projects like this in the future, adding the team is looking at this series as a "launchpad."
He said the show has been out for about a week and the reception has been "fantastic," with strangers and other musicians reaching out to tell him about the impact this series could have in the coming years.
"People [are] talking about, you know, how they can show it to their kids, so they have a sense of what's come before them and then hopefully [they] want to pass it on and continue on with it," Cochrane said.