Latest news with #AvrilLavigne
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I'm extremely nervous': Students rock out on stage for Bluesfest's final night
On the final night of Bluesfest, crowds could hear 'Mr. Brightside,' 'Girlfriend,' and 'Sweet Child O' Mine' resonating from the LeBreton Stage. But The Killers, Avril Lavigne and Guns N' Roses didn't make an appearance at Ottawa's biggest music festival this year. Instead, the guitarists, pianists, drummers, bassists and singers from about 10 different schools or community groups were rocking out on stage, with some performers as young as seven years old. The performers were part of Bluesfest's Be in the Band and Blues in the Schools programs that offer elementary and high school students mentorship opportunities from local artists. Following weeks of music practice during the school year, the students perform at their school or local community centre. Some are then offered the opportunity to take their show to Bluesfest. 'It's a pretty big deal,' said Bluesfest community programs manager Alan Marsden. 'You come together for a show in your community and see your kids performing up there. 'It gives you a sense of pride.' Blues in the Schools — 'a large bucket of cuteness,' according to Marsden — was up first. Twenty-two Grade 2 students from Corpus Christi lined up and sang just under 30 minutes worth of music, accompanied by dance moves and harmonicas simulating train sounds. The student's teacher, Jeannie Wong, has been involved with Blues in the Schools for 26 years. She gives up her summer holidays to prepare the children to have the 'one-of-a-kind experience' of performing at Bluesfest. 'I'm always excited to learn something new, but also bring that love of music and excitement for the children to spark that passion in them,' Wong said. 'It's thrilling to see the kids so excited and the light in their eyes when they finally get up on the stage.' Be in the Band was up next, with 18 separate sets of musicians, mostly playing rock or pop tunes to an audience that grew throughout the night, particularly when the rain started just before 8:30 p.m. Each group sang a song or two before cycling off the stage to make room for the next. Louisiana Saucier from Hadley Philemon Wright High School in Gatineau, Que., plays bass. This was her third time performing with Be in the Band. Before hitting the stage, the 14-year-old said it can be nerve-wrecking to play for a crowd — but it's still a great experience. 'It's fun to be in a band with people my own age,' she said. 'It's nice to just create something.' Not every performer is as musically experienced as Saucier. Seventeen-year-old Aspen Horgan, from Norman Johnston Secondary Alternate Program, had never touched a bass prior to getting involved with Be in the Band. 'It's just surreal, honestly,' Horgan said backstage before performing. 'I'm extremely nervous … Bluesfest is such a massive thing.' Horgan's band, The Tragically Dustins (an ode to their teacher, Dustin Wenzel), performed 'Coffee Girl' by The Tragically Hip with a cool and calm demeanour under the warm glow of purple, red and white spotlights. 'I was very in the moment,' Horgan said, adding that the sizable crowd ended up fading into the background. Rosy Tlem, also 17, was one of the lead vocalists from Notre Dame High School who sang a rendition of Rihanna's 'Umbrella' and Bruno Mars' 'Finesse.' While on stage, Tlem and the two other vocalists often took each other's hands as they called on the audience to sing along. 'It's do or die,' Tlem recalled after the show. 'This is my secret desire to perform in front of people.' For some of the young artists, the music programs gave them an opportunity to grow closer to their fellow musicians, as well as nurture a passion for music. 'I've had kids tell me that the program transformed their lives. Saved their life, even,' Marsden said. 'Music is really important to me. I really wanted it to be important to the people who are involved, too.'
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
'I'm extremely nervous': Students rock out on stage for Bluesfest's final night
On the final night of Bluesfest, crowds could hear 'Mr. Brightside,' 'Girlfriend,' and 'Sweet Child O' Mine' resonating from the LeBreton Stage. Article content But The Killers, Avril Lavigne and Guns N' Roses didn't make an appearance at Ottawa's biggest music festival this year. Instead, the guitarists, pianists, drummers, bassists and singers from about 10 different schools or community groups were rocking out on stage, with some performers as young as seven years old. Article content Article content The performers were part of Bluesfest's Be in the Band and Blues in the Schools programs that offer elementary and high school students mentorship opportunities from local artists. Following weeks of music practice during the school year, the students perform at their school or local community centre. Article content Article content 'It's a pretty big deal,' said Bluesfest community programs manager Alan Marsden. 'You come together for a show in your community and see your kids performing up there. Article content 'It gives you a sense of pride.' Article content Blues in the Schools — 'a large bucket of cuteness,' according to Marsden — was up first. Twenty-two Grade 2 students from Corpus Christi lined up and sang just under 30 minutes worth of music, accompanied by dance moves and harmonicas simulating train sounds. Article content Article content The student's teacher, Jeannie Wong, has been involved with Blues in the Schools for 26 years. She gives up her summer holidays to prepare the children to have the 'one-of-a-kind experience' of performing at Bluesfest. Article content Article content 'I'm always excited to learn something new, but also bring that love of music and excitement for the children to spark that passion in them,' Wong said. 'It's thrilling to see the kids so excited and the light in their eyes when they finally get up on the stage.' Article content Be in the Band was up next, with 18 separate sets of musicians, mostly playing rock or pop tunes to an audience that grew throughout the night, particularly when the rain started just before 8:30 p.m. Each group sang a song or two before cycling off the stage to make room for the next. Article content Article content Louisiana Saucier from Hadley Philemon Wright High School in Gatineau, Que., plays bass. This was her third time performing with Be in the Band. Before hitting the stage, the 14-year-old said it can be nerve-wrecking to play for a crowd — but it's still a great experience. Article content 'It's fun to be in a band with people my own age,' she said. 'It's nice to just create something.'
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Bonnaroo festival to return after flood-forced break
The Bonnaroo festival will return in 2026, with organisers promising to reseed the event site, improve access roads in campgrounds and add more drainage after flooding forced them to cancel the 2025 event. The festival had been set to take place in the US city of Manchester, Tennessee, in June with performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age but was cancelled after one day due to "record-setting rainfall". Organisers say the festival will return to the same location from June 11-14 in 2026, with some changes. "We've been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what's next for the festival. And now, it's time to share those plans with you," Bonnaroo said in a statement posted on Instagram. "Campsites located in areas most affected by flooding will not be utilised. This will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space)," the post said. It outlined plans to stagger camping entry and programming across the festival's stages and promised "the calibre of artists you expect from us" would remain "very similar" to previous years. "In the 2025/2026 off-season, we'll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritise the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025," the statement said. "Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways. "We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June." The statement said weather experts had confirmed the record-setting rainfall experienced in 2025 was "extremely uncommon". "All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo," it said. The Bonnaroo festival will return in 2026, with organisers promising to reseed the event site, improve access roads in campgrounds and add more drainage after flooding forced them to cancel the 2025 event. The festival had been set to take place in the US city of Manchester, Tennessee, in June with performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age but was cancelled after one day due to "record-setting rainfall". Organisers say the festival will return to the same location from June 11-14 in 2026, with some changes. "We've been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what's next for the festival. And now, it's time to share those plans with you," Bonnaroo said in a statement posted on Instagram. "Campsites located in areas most affected by flooding will not be utilised. This will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space)," the post said. It outlined plans to stagger camping entry and programming across the festival's stages and promised "the calibre of artists you expect from us" would remain "very similar" to previous years. "In the 2025/2026 off-season, we'll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritise the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025," the statement said. "Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways. "We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June." The statement said weather experts had confirmed the record-setting rainfall experienced in 2025 was "extremely uncommon". "All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo," it said. The Bonnaroo festival will return in 2026, with organisers promising to reseed the event site, improve access roads in campgrounds and add more drainage after flooding forced them to cancel the 2025 event. The festival had been set to take place in the US city of Manchester, Tennessee, in June with performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age but was cancelled after one day due to "record-setting rainfall". Organisers say the festival will return to the same location from June 11-14 in 2026, with some changes. "We've been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what's next for the festival. And now, it's time to share those plans with you," Bonnaroo said in a statement posted on Instagram. "Campsites located in areas most affected by flooding will not be utilised. This will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space)," the post said. It outlined plans to stagger camping entry and programming across the festival's stages and promised "the calibre of artists you expect from us" would remain "very similar" to previous years. "In the 2025/2026 off-season, we'll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritise the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025," the statement said. "Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways. "We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June." The statement said weather experts had confirmed the record-setting rainfall experienced in 2025 was "extremely uncommon". "All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo," it said. The Bonnaroo festival will return in 2026, with organisers promising to reseed the event site, improve access roads in campgrounds and add more drainage after flooding forced them to cancel the 2025 event. The festival had been set to take place in the US city of Manchester, Tennessee, in June with performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age but was cancelled after one day due to "record-setting rainfall". Organisers say the festival will return to the same location from June 11-14 in 2026, with some changes. "We've been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what's next for the festival. And now, it's time to share those plans with you," Bonnaroo said in a statement posted on Instagram. "Campsites located in areas most affected by flooding will not be utilised. This will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space)," the post said. It outlined plans to stagger camping entry and programming across the festival's stages and promised "the calibre of artists you expect from us" would remain "very similar" to previous years. "In the 2025/2026 off-season, we'll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritise the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025," the statement said. "Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways. "We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June." The statement said weather experts had confirmed the record-setting rainfall experienced in 2025 was "extremely uncommon". "All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo," it said.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bonnaroo festival to return after flood-forced break
The Bonnaroo festival will return in 2026, with organisers promising to reseed the event site, improve access roads in campgrounds and add more drainage after flooding forced them to cancel the 2025 event. The festival had been set to take place in the US city of Manchester, Tennessee, in June with performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age but was cancelled after one day due to "record-setting rainfall". Organisers say the festival will return to the same location from June 11-14 in 2026, with some changes. "We've been taking your feedback to heart over the past few weeks as we plan improvements and talk about what's next for the festival. And now, it's time to share those plans with you," Bonnaroo said in a statement posted on Instagram. "Campsites located in areas most affected by flooding will not be utilised. This will result in a reduced capacity on The Farm (more dancing space)," the post said. It outlined plans to stagger camping entry and programming across the festival's stages and promised "the calibre of artists you expect from us" would remain "very similar" to previous years. "In the 2025/2026 off-season, we'll be dedicating an additional multi-million-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritise the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025," the statement said. "Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways. "We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June." The statement said weather experts had confirmed the record-setting rainfall experienced in 2025 was "extremely uncommon". "All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo," it said.
Engadget
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
TikTok's latest feature will help songwriters show off their work
TikTok has proven to be a powerful platform to help tunes go viral and now the company is making it easier for songwriters to benefit from that reach. The social media site has rolled out a pair of new features in beta: a Songwriter label that identifies users as such under their profile, and a Songwriter Music Tab that lets them spotlight tracks they've written or co-written. So far, only a limited number of publishers and songwriters can apply to get the new label and tab. TikTok noted that several established songwriters including Lauren Christy (Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears), Toby Gad (Fergie, John Legend) and Justin Tranter (Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande) are among the first to gain access. Others who want to join can put their names on a waitlist. TikTok and its parent ByteDance developed the Songwriter Features after surveying 871 songwriters and doing 18 in-depth interviews. Those findings informed the design of the feature with the aim of improving discovery and monetization opportunities while raising songwriters' profiles on TikTok. The platform noted that 53 percent of full-time songwriters who post content on social media do so on TikTok. When it comes to royalties and copyright, TikTok has taken a similar tack to YouTube and other social media sites. All the music available on TikTok can be used in videos and the platform has deals in place with distributors and labels to license music. Artists then receive royalties whenever creators use their music on TikTok, the amount of which depends on the individual distributor. TikTok is following belatedly in the heels of Spotify, which has offered a similar songwriter spotlight feature since 2020. Last month, ByteDance introduced the TikTok for Artists music insight platform designed to help musicians gain access to "data and insights about their music, posts and followers."
