Interview with Scribes & Songsters
Crissi Cochrane
Last August, I had the pleasure of finally visiting my friend Vanessa’s writing studio, Gertrude’s Writing Room, to be interviewed for a local television show called Scribes & Songsters.
Vanessa Shields at Gertrude’s Writing Room.
The show is hosted by one of my very favourite interviewers, Veronique Mandal. I’ve gotten to know her a little bit in the few times that I’ve been a guest on TV broadcasts shot out of the MediaPlex in downtown Windsor (part of the St. Clair College Journalism program). Her warmth and magnetic charm make her so very easy to talk to her, and an excellent interviewer and host.
Because we filmed back in August, I completely forgot what we talked about, so I watched the interview finally yesterday morning with a little apprehension, wondering if I’d spoken well or not. I was relieved to see that it went well!
I talked about the cliquey little girl group bands that we used to make on the playground when I was nine or ten years old.
I talked about teaching myself to play guitar, learning to play songs I liked with the help of guitar tabs online
I talked about how Spin magazine inspired me to want to be a music writer, and spurred me to successfully apply for a scholarship for Journalism to St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB.
I talked about how my parents got into independent music when they lived in a different province from me.
I talked about taking the Music Business program at NSCC in Dartmouth, and how that helped me phase out my day jobs and just do music.
I talked about the evolution of my sound - my origins growing up in a punk scene, then cutting my teeth in the folk community in Halifax, then building up my record collection with jazz and soul albums in Windsor.
I talked about coming to Windsor for the first time because I had money from a tax return and wanted to go somewhere, and wanted to come see what Michou were up to and play a gig at the newly christened “Best Live Music Venue in Canada,” the Phog Lounge. I talked about how I’d probably be a barista or an admin assistant if I had've moved to a city like Toronto instead.
I talked about stumbling upon Spotify success and how .4 of a cent per stream really adds up when there are 12 million of them.
Veronique asked me something no one has ever asked me before - she asked about my goals, and whether or not I’ve achieved them. I was so pleased to be asked this question because I feel like my goals have been so modest - I just want the quality of life that any working person deserves, to have a house and a car and a family - and so far, I have those things, and I just want to maintain them.
If you get a chance to watch the whole video, please do, because the first half was an interview with Windsor’s poet laureate, Mary Ann Mulhern. When I spot her around town, I always whisper to Mike, “that’s the poet laureate!” In her interview, she talked about the years she spent living as a nun, and the things she revealed were so fascinating.