Projects
Emilyn’s Solo Piano: Emilyn’s solo piano shows take the listener on a journey of music, improvised and composed by herself, that winds up and down the river through the mountains where she grew up. Each note speaks a word of truth in a relaxed, yet complex manner. Since its release in 2008, Holding Time has been gaining popularity as Emilyn’s first solo piano record. People wake up to this music, fall asleep to this music, have been born to this music, and have even died to this music. Listeners have said the music helps them relax, reflect, and reconnect with the beauty of life.
Beneath the Ice (website) : "Folk music from the future," Toronto trio Beneath the Ice twists almost normal sounding tunes into epic tales, winding through time signatures and times in history. This all girl band is bound to catch your attention whether you're a die-hard folky or have never even heard a fiddle play. Their detailed arrangements and diversity in styles will keep any audience captivated and grooving to their unusual beat. Respecting where this music comes from, they feature some of their favourite trad tunes, but also compositions by friends around the world and of course BTI-band originals. Their arrangements have been called as full as an orchestra while being at the same time tight and groovy, yet breathable and open sounding. Watch these young ladies transform the sounds of the violin, bouzouki, guitar, 5 string violin and piano as you experience what can really grow way down beneath the ice.
Eh?! (website): Two veteran Canadian fiddlers/multi-instrumentalists with eclectic tastes team up with a brilliant young musician (piano/5-string violin). Eh?! creates music that is at once old and new. 4 and 5-sring fiddles, voices, piano, accordion, mandolins, guitars, percussion and feet all weave their way through an Eh?! experience. Eh?! is dedicated to exploring the myriad pathways between tradition, innovation, collaboration and improvisation. Anything can happen at an Eh?! event.
Té (website): Inspired by Lewis Carrol’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the Dutch collective Té creates its own musical wonderland. Hasty jigs, lazy waltzes, marching scottishes and mad bourrés, virtuosically played by this tight group of friends. Like Carrol’s tale, the music is layered and colourful. Happy on the surface and full of contrasts when one listens closer. The musicians literally tease, chase and provoke one another, dragging each other into wild musical landscapes from which their music can only escape one way: to the dancers.
Emilyn’s Ensemble Compositions (youtube): With Toronto musicians Jaron Freeman-Fox, Charles James, Matt Maclean, and John Williams, Emilyn has been writing new and exciting ensemble pieces. Her music combines the sophistication of classical music, the freedom and openness of jazz, and the human-ness and accessibility of folk music into a style that is all her own.
Jaron Freeman-Fox and Emilyn Stam (website): With Jaron Freeman-Fox, Emilyn explores how far away from tradition a violin and piano duo can really go with the unexpected sounds that occur (even to them): a balance on the wire between improvisation and a common repertoire from their 10 year history of playing together.
