Canadian Musician, April 1987
Volume IX, Number 2
SONGWRITING
DEREK MacNEILL
GUILELESS, SINCERE
Derek MacNeill
Geography of the Mind
Water's Edge
Producer: Derek MacNeill and Glen Sherman
Engineer: Derek MacNeill
Mixing Engineer: Al Rempel
Studio: Bullfrog
Geography of the Mind is a short trip around the emotional cycle of its creator, Derek MacNeill, a Vancouver songwriter who has recorded his first album at 34 years old.
"For me it was time to make a statement on how I saw the world and how it affected me," says Derek, who accounts among his influences The Beatles, naturally, and such singer-songwriters as Paul Simon, Don McLean, Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen.
Side one deals primarily with relationships in light and intimate terms but closes with "Fire In The Basement," which Derek and partner Glen Sherman composed* for the play of the same name written by banished Czech playwright, Pavel Kohout. Side two begins to experiment with mood and is far more pensive.
"It starts to take a bit of a sour bite of the '80's," Derek agrees. I wanted to take the listener on a little tour and still come out on top without being too superfluous. The record is optimistic with regard to our relationship with people and the world around us."
As a songwriter, MacNeill is guileless, sincere and suggests the early '70's era of singer-songwriters. Although he doesn't count John Denver among his primary influences, he sheepishly acknowledges that he does look a little like John Denver and that the back cover photo - of Derek in short pants, sweatshirt and hiking boots sitting on a rock with mountains in the background - invites comparisons to Denver's Rocky Mountain High."
Geography of the Mind was begun in January after several months of pre-production. "Just a Little While" and "Forever When We Are Young" are the two new songs recorded in May. Most of the recording was completed at Water's Edge Productions, Derek's basement studio where he and Sherman record demos for themselves and other artists as well as the music they've scored for local plays. The production was completed at Bullfrog, a busy Vancouver 16 track Studio.
"I wanted to keep it simple but put in a few sparkles here and there," Derek says of the discreet use of keyboards, background vocals and rhythm section. "I like the idea of sparse arrangements that enhance the lyrical image and support the thrust of the songs."
By Tom Harrison
*Derek's note: Glen did not co-wrote "Fire In The Basement" with me, nor was involved in the production of this recording. I probably could have used him.
DM
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December 7, 1987
THE REVUE
Vancouver, BC
Local singer songwriter releases debut album
by Hasjiah Cain
"Geography of the Heart" may have been a more fitting title for the album, as the nine original songs are more expressive of the feelings than the mind. MacNeill is the Monet of the recording industry, his impressionistic music transporting the listener’s imagination to all the sights and sounds of a Parisian boulevard or a beach in southern Spain.
Whether MacNeill takes you to a snowy Canadian mountain or a sunny Spanish beach on his pop/folk landscape, the music can be biting or it can be poetic and romantic. His romantic songs have an ethereal quality; sometimes haunting always melodious.
Playing six and twelve string acoustic guitar, synthesizer and keyboard as well as vocals on the album, MacNeill delivers a unique sound that cannot be identified with anyone else. Very listen able, music to relax by - and dream with.
H.C.
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THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE
While Derek MacNeill will concede his physical resemblance to John Denver; he puts Denver well down on his list of influences behind Paul Simon, Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen.
MacNeill's first album, Geography of the Mind, is a folksy song cycle in which Derek assesses his emotional stock. Side one deals with relationships on light and intimate terms, but closes with Fire in the Basement, title song for a play written by banished Czech writer Pavel Kohout and an indicator of the more substantial second side whose centrepiece is Torremolinos.
In turn, the gentle, nostalgic mood of Torremolinos is sustained by Girl in a Field, a song which co-incidentally recalls the work of former Genesis guitarist, Anthony Phillips. A guileless and earnest collection with resourceful, unpretentious production by MacNeill and Glen Sherman.
T.H.
Friday, December 12, 1986
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January 1987
NITE MOVES: Concert Review
Derek MacNeill: Geography of the Mind
by Maura Volonte
Derek MacNeill likes to perform his songs for all kinds of people. "For me," he says, "the music is an expression of being alive." This joy in living certainly came through, both on his newly released LP (Geography of the Mind, Water's Edge Productions), and in concert at Kits House Hall. Playing guitar and singing original songs in the folk/pop genre, MacNeill charmed his audience with a pleasant, well-controlled singing voice and very competent acoustic guitar.
Born and raised in Vancouver, MacNeill studied creative writing at UBC, interspersing his academic work with two separate years in Europe. These experiences have greatly influenced his musical style, giving him a grounding in the European folk traditions.
It was after his second European trip that he began working as an entertainer at the Mediaeval Inn, where he played a variety of traditional songs and sing-a-long stuff from the British Isles, as well as covers of contemporary pop tunes. This experience has clearly influenced his songwriting, with evidence of both traditional and contemporary folk and pop music in his work. He acknowledges learning a lot from people like Don McLean, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
"Also," he notes, "I keep an ear out for what's happening on the radio, because there are some really fine songs being put out on the pop scene. Some of the Canadians, Bryan Adams for instance, are doing great work."
For the past five summers, MacNeill has performed at the Glacier Park Lodge, up in the Selkirk Mountains. (While we talked on the phone, and I scribbled notes with Vancouver traffic in the background, MacNeill was relaxing in the cozy lodge by a Christmas tree, with fresh snow on the slopes outside.) Over the years he has slowly integrated his original material, to the point where he is now required by management to include his own compositions. Of this job he says, "I've been really encouraged to develop my own style, which is great."
Derek MacNeill's extensive lounge experience has given him a seasoned, polished stage presence, as well as many years of practice on his vocals and guitar work. Supported in concert by Glen Sherman on keyboards, guitar, mandolin and vocals, and by Neil Melliship on bass, MacNeill presented a very tight show in his December 13th record release concert. Opening with Misery, a song of the "my lover left me and I'll be miserable until she comes back" genre, he then launched into a liberation-for-dogs number called Run, Dog Run. This was inspired by a neighbour who kept his dog in a cage.
A few of the other songs (Fire in the Basement, Let it Ride, Streets of London) tackled social issues, although always from a very individual point of view, MacNeill considers the role of the songwriter to be "a sounding board for the trials and tribulations of the day." But by and large, Derek MacNeill sings love songs of one sort or another. Many are accompanied by fancy finger picking, and Glen Sherman's keyboards are exactly appropriate for the material.
For all his technical abilities and charming personality, MacNeill is a mainstream performer. The crowd obviously delighted, and apparently there has been favourable response to the LP.
The record, produced at MacNeill's own studio, has a fuller sound, of course, than the three-person concert. Sandra Lundell and Shauna Olney provide backup vocals, Keith Bennett plays harmonica, Doug Ross is on synthesizer, and "Pud" le Beau* plays guitouki, as well as Glen Sherman and Neil Melliship doing the core support work. The record also features drum machine, which I could have done without. It's very well done, with a very clean sound and a high level of musicianship.
If you enjoy mainstream contemporary folk and pop, you'll probably get off on Derek MacNeill.
*Derek's note: Good old "pud" lebeau finally recognized by a reviewer, there is strong evidence to suggest that "pud" may come out of exile to perform on my new CD tentatively scheduled Christmas 2002!
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Revelstoke Review, June 11, 1988
MUSICIAN MOVES FORWARD
Since 1982, singer/songwriter/performer Derek MacNeill has hung his hat at Glacier Park Lodge in spectacular Rogers Pass. Born and raised in Vancouver, he has played across Canada and Europe. In November of 1986 he released his first LP, "Geography of the Mind," which is distributed nationally by Festival Records and is on sale at Talent House Music, and most recently, as director of marketing for Glacier Park Lodge he wrote and produced the documentary video, "Rogers Pass, Wilderness Skiing the Forgotten Paradise," which can be viewed at the Parks Canada Rogers Pass Information Centre.
Derek plays his first set at 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and at 9 pm hosts an historical film for all guests to one of Canada's most scenic mountain passes, Rogers Pass. Most recently, Derek has been named a Director to the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce.
"It may surprise people that this region's shear, natural beauty is better known to Europeans than it is to Canadians. We're working to change that," said Derek.
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PRESS RELEASE
_____________________________________________________________
November 19, 2002
Water's Edge Records announces the completion of the Water's Edge Records 2002 Songwriting Award to Erin Lee for
"Anything" and "Something More."
The two compositions were written by the 16-year-old grade twelve student and recorded at Water's Edge Productions recording facilities during the summer of 2002.
Erin is a natural talent. Her maturity belies her years. Erin's long-term goals include attending university after high school graduation and becoming a doctor. This doesn't surprise anyone who knows Erin. She possesses a beautiful combination of youthful openness and urban angst set against a sophisticated sense of rhythm and continuity, a creative arc that has been the cutting age for so many young singer-songwriters. She is a straight A student, a perfect pitch singer, and most importantly, a great person.
"Two opposing forces are being harnessed in Erin's music," says producer, arranger Derek MacNeill. "Delicacy and power. Speaking as a producer, there is a transparency that is clearly evoked in her work. Dichotomies - simple and complex - swirl below the surface of these songs and generate a high degree of musicality."
This is a most pleasurable musical combination.
For further information on Erin Lee or the Water's Edge Productions Songwriting Award:
attention: Derek MacNeill
Water's Edge Productions
go to: www.derekmacneill.com or
e-mail: derekmacneill@shaw.ca
Press officer, D.C.Westhaver
W.E.P.
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PRESS RELEASE
_____________________________________________________________
June 3, 2002
Vancouver singer-songwriter Derek MacNeill has returned to the studio after a several year hiatus for pre-production on a new CD (whose title is strictly guarded).
The album will be an offering of yet another lush sonic landscape of original songs by this Canadian singer-songwriter who has been called "the Monet of the recording industry" by one critic. *
Recording will progress over the summer and fall of 2002, with a tentative release date in 2003. Performances are TBA, but sources have his first performance for a West Coast audience since 1993 at Rick Taylor's lollapallooza in Langley, BC, July 2002 with several west coast artists.
Stylistically, the new work will covered rich musical ground, a sultry fusion of commercially pop/Celtic/and latinesque with a significant influence of a jazz experience. Compositions are penned by the artist himself (and in collaboration with at least two other songwriters). **
Musically, the sounds of Spanish acoustic guitar and world rhythms will appoint Derek's appropriately crafted lyrics (as noted in reviews on Geography of the Mind, his first Water's Edge Records release.)
This will be a long awaited significant release from an artist whose broad recognition is about to be realized. Take note Junos and Grammys.
For Further information Contact:
Water's Edge Productions
go to: www.derekmacneill.com
e-mail: derekmacneill@shaw.ca
* Haijah Cane, The Revue, Vancouver, BC; ** More info later
press officer. D.C.Westhaver
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PRESS RELEASE
_____________________________________________________________
May 14, 2003
Element 104 in conjunction with Waters Edge Productions announces:
Waters Edge Productions 2004 Songwriting Award:
~Excellence in Composition & Lyric Writing~
www.derekmacneill.com 2003-2004 Golden Web Award
The Waters Edge Productions Annual Songwriting Award acknowledges the role of the songwriter in the creative process. Its intent is to recognize excellence in composition and lyric writing in a young, developing, keen songwriter and provide a mentoring opportunity for the award recipient. The recipient will be invited to participate in a summer songwriting and recording program with Waters Edge Productions for the purpose of developing and recording two songs in a professional, creative environment.
The award recipient will be chosen from entries received prior to July 1, 2003 according to several criteria, not least of which is dedication to craft, aptitude, need, willingness to excel and a passion for excellence.
High school students entering their grade 12 year will be given preference.
Although, the Waters Edge Productions Songwriting Award is not a performance-oriented award per se, an ability to sing or perform the song is a benefit. However, rather than a talent competition, the intent of the award is to recognize, encourage and foster the development of the songwriter and to celebrate the unique and distinctive gifts of human expression in the field of songwriting, in particular, and in the creative recording arts, in general.
The Award Recipient receives:
25 hours of in-studio state-of-the-art recording time, including:
a. Songwriting tutorial, and,
b. Songwriting seminars, such as,
1. The role of the songwriter,
2. Songs from the 20th century to now!
3. What makes a song great?
· A producer, arranger and recording engineer
· Professional musician(s)
· Membership application to SOCAN, Society of Composers, Authors and publishers, and
· One studio mastered (radio-ready) CD
Should you wish to be considered for this award, please fill out the application form, and have it signed by a sponsoring teacher or parent, and submit lyrics of two original songs each typed, double-spaced, identified by the title of the composition, your name and your e-mail address on each page and a short letter (25 words or less) in your own words why songwriting is important to you.
One submission per person. Eligible candidates will likely attend high school, be the primary writer of songs (as opposed to co-written or multi-penned songs) and possess a strong degree of self-discipline towards their goals. Preference will be given to presentations that are clearly developed and in a finished form. No tape, cassette, CD or hand written submissions will be considered.
Send e-mail submission to:
Attention: Derek MacNeill,
producer,
Waters Edge Productions
Songwriting Award, 2004
derekmacneill@shaw.ca
PLEASE NOTE: NO SUBMISSIONS PAST JULY 1, 2003 WILL BE CONSIDERED
The recipient of the Waters Edge Productions 2004 Songwriting Award will be notified and the program will commence summer of 2003. The projected completion date and public launch of the CD is Christmas 2003. Given that the recording process is an inter-active engagement in pursuit of excellence by many people, the producer has final and absolute say on all aspects of the project from the choice of the award recipient to the mastering and possible promotion of the CD.
Waters Edge Productions continues to serve the creative and performing arts community by encouraging corporate support of mentoring programs to enhance the development of our fine young artists who will shape tomorrow’s cultural landscape.
TALENT MUST BE DEVELOPED, AND MUST BE GIVEN TIME AND SPACE TO DO SO.
It is recognized that various creative and performing arts programs exist at many levels including post-secondary, high school, community and independent private organizations. Waters Edge Productions strongly encourages those interested to explore all options to determine which course is most suitable. These programs and courses may offer songwriters a supportive community of like-minded artists whose experience can foster ones development of the craft. Not all programs are created equal, and not all programs guarantee a good fit. Due diligence is a requisite.
Only the award winner will be notified. (Please note: no submissions will be returned under any circumstances). Award provides for the recording, musical personnel and production of the CD inclusive. Award recipient is responsible for all other ancillary expenses such as study materials, transportation, food and lodging, etc.
Good Luck!
Derek MacNeill.
Producer
CONGRATULATIONS ERIN LEE 2002-03 Recipient!
2003 award recipient ERIN LEE’s two outstanding songsAnything and Something More are featured on www.derekmacneill.com <http://www.derekmacneill.com/> and a forthcoming public performance is being scheduled for July 2003 at an event at MetroTown in Burnaby. See you there!
Derek MacNeill is founder and creative director of Waters Edge Productions. He is a singer-songwriter, recording artist, producer, arranger, musician, sound designer and audio engineering innovator who has performed throughout Canada, the UK and Europe. In addition to attaining the two-year LUATC II certification of financial life underwriter (1995), he is an active member of SOCAN, sits on the board of directors of the PCC health organization, past president of Opera Breve and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.
The monetary value of the award is worth up to, but not exceeding $5,000. The Waters Edge Productions Songwriting Award cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred to another person in the event of it not being used by the prescribed time
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INFLUENCES - a creative Manifesto
by Derek MacNeilL
from www.derekmacneill.com
Every musician, artist, performer, writer inevitably will be asked who and what are the influences shaping one's career. It's not as easy as it sounds. The standard reply is... oh, three, four or five names of people, acts, genres or styles, and get on with it much like an arranged marriage. For better or for worse, labelled.
For the sake of convenience, it helps to pigeonhole an unknown subject, but is a process that serves little to illuminate beyond a cursory line in a review. Volumes have been written on what or who has influenced this or that person for the purpose of defining an artist's creative arc, with varying degrees of success.
Then, of course, there is... the mystery.
Seemingly independent and unto itself - never quite defined solely by mentors or external influences - appreciated simply as god-given talent - the mystery is the central intrigue (in all its many guises) that causes us to suspend belief and bask in it's mood altering sense of delight and wonder. It is what distinguishes all significant works of art. It is the intrigue that cleaves apparent impermeable obstacles and gives one a glimpse into the challenges of the human condition. This is a marvelous discovery and it is as independent of the artist who creates the work as it is of the beholder.
And it is this:
that life is meaningful; that creative expression is a fundamental component to who and what we are; that the creative application has profound resonance and impact; that it can be stated categorically - by the nature of the creative experience – that it expresses and communicates essential values of our condition. And this expression re-enforces one’s sense of uniqueness, relevance and vitality with dignity in the face of peril.
It is truly righteous!
Further, as we breathe, live, love and respond in kind to something greater than ourselves, the mystery may reveal itself to one’s work not unlike the surprising stranger one may meet on the bus of life - the one who makes the trip just a little better, and who makes the struggles and tragedies, the laughter and tears easier to cope with - and better understood.
Generations before us have been on the precipice of dangerous times. But the stakes have been raised, and the consequences graver. Personally, I don't think the terrible suffering as a result of the pressures to survive into today's economic climate, amid disease; war, starvation, pestilence and the blind greed of other's will ultimately dictate the perimeters of the human condition or the fate of the human experience. But, if the agenda in our daily lives, in our thoughts and prayers is not the stuff from one's central core, then all bets are off. For it is from this place that great things happen; and from the heart of experience and the ringing true of what is right and true. It's where intuition plays like a child on a beach beneath a deep blue sky in the arms of the sun.
This, of course, is the beauty and the benefit of the creative experience. It is this whom we identify as the passenger on the bus and the one who brings such surprising humanity to what is sometimes a terribly trying journey, the voice of the inner self.
Pity that this experience is such a stranger for so much of our lives.
So here, then, for your amusement, curiosity, background resource or entertainment, in no particular order or restricted to one subject, from my inner voice to yours, is a list of some of the influences in the fabric of my world view:
copyright Derek MacNeill 2002
The Beatles -a sociological/musical event whose influence continues
Buddy Holly -rock-n-roll patron saint of teenage love
El Greco -Nicolas Theotocopoulus, master painter
Duncan Robertson -British WW II serviceman/janitor
Doug Bankson -playwright/professor/friend
Van Morrison -Van the man
Joni Mitchell -artist, such a private experience in a public domain
Avro Arrow -Oh! Canada
John Keats -Les belles dames sans merci
Dick Grooms -musician/teacher
Notre Dame de Chartres -gothic cathedral
Dizzy Gillespie -musician/teacher
Robert Silverman -pianist, teacher
Bob Dylan -songwriter, musician
Matala -cliffs, south of village
John Chalk -grade 8-11 geography teacher
John Steinbeck -author
a Stranger -in the Sunshine Pub, Nottinghill Gate, London
Duetsche Grammophon -record label
Julian Bream -guitarist
Fred MacNeill -philosopher/accountant/parent
Hermann Hesse -novelist
Joe Kapp -the greatest quarterback in the world in1963-64
Willie Fleming -the greatest back/receiver in the world 1963-64
Sonny Homer -pretty good, too
Joaquin Rodrigo -composer
Carol King -songwriter/musician/singer
celtic music -beyond words
Victor Borge -humourist/pianist
sacred choral music -angels soar when sopranos sing the descant
Cat Stevens -singer-songwriter
Bob Katz -master audio engineer
Albert Einstein -thinker
Loreena McKennit -singer-songwriter/sonic designer
Aretha Franklin -madame soul
Roy Orbison -pop goes opera
J.R.R. Tolkein -author
Charles Nelson -english teacher
Ray Charles -singer, musician
Jesus of Nazareth -teacher, ethicist, healer
Lerner and Lowe -composer/lyricist duo
Nat King Cole -finest American male pop voice of the 20th century
Mary Chapin Carpenter -singer-songwriter
Mrs. Ethridge -grade 10-12 french teacher
Rogers Pass folk -most beautiful mountain pass
Holly Cole -singer; we can see clearly now after "Don't Smoke in Bed"
Leonardo di Vinci -artist, scientist, observer, inventor
Prof. Robertson -professor of antiquities
Marianne L. Browne - ballerina, Cannes, France
Vega -star
William Shakespeare -playwright, poet
Bing Crosby -singer
Pope Innocence III -theologian/administrator
Johnny Horton -singer
Pyotr Tchaikovsky -composer
barn swallows -migratory birds
Leonard Cohen -poet, songwriter, novelist
Michelangelo -artist, painter, sculptor
Members of Team Canada 1972 -We stand on guard for thee!
Charlie Cowie -scottish fiddler
John Juliani -artist, director
Mr. Mika -guitar teacher
Mahatma Ghandi -proponent of non-violent civil disobedience
Didi Smit -KLM employee
William Blake -artist, poet
Portpatrick -the people of the village
Claude le Rose -archtypal 3rd line grinder for the Montreal Canadiens
Jim Roberts -teacher
Vicki Marshal -artist/painter
Bernard of Clairvaux -founder of the Cistercian order
Jeff Soul -business man
JFK -35th President of the United States
Robert Harlow -novelist/professor
Jacob Bronowski -physicist/author
Richard Hergesheimer -pastor/teacher
Gordon Lightfoot -singer-songwriter
Chucho Valdes -latin/jazz pianist
Andrew and Anne Gray -humanitarians
Ludwig van Beethoven -composer
Rogers and Hammerstein -composer/lyricist duo
Don McLean -singer-songwriter
Marc Pessin -scholar: romanesque and gothic architecture
Hotel de Vaugirard -near Montparnasse, Paris
St. Francis of Assisi -spiritual guide
Burt Bacharach/Hal David -pop songwriting team
Narciso Yepes -guitarist
and, of course: my Mom -whose appreciation for music continues...
To all those named and to countless more who remain nameless but who have sat with the stranger who made the journey just a little bit better,
thank you.
-Derek MacNeill
Vancouver, BC, Canada November 12, 2002
from www.derekmacneill.com copyright Derek MacNeill 2002
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July 4, 2003
For Immediate Release
Who’s got the hottest event this summer?
Element 104 joins forces with Student Street Squad and Metropolis at Metrotown to host this summer's hottest youth event. On July 17, Street Squad Summer Slam invites people and organizations from all over the map, featuring a host of activities from live performances to The Great Race.
The Great Race will team Student Street Squad participants up with local celebrities and cast members from shows such as Cold Squad and Stargate, in a fun who-does-it-best competition. They will perform a variety of duties from human bowling to the bungee run, after which will be open to the public.
Girls from Roller Girl will be performing a disco roller skate demonstration and the Corazon Dancers will kick off the Dress for Success Fashion Show, which is choreographed by The King of Latin Funk with music played by Vancouver’s hottest DJs.
As well, this year's winners of the MTV and Water's Edge Productions province-wide contests will be announced capped off by a performance from last year's songwriting award winner, Erin Lee and other youth performers from MN8 sound. These young artists will open the show for the featured performance by 19 year old Emily Jordan, who’s latest hit, “T-T-Tell”, has just been added to the rotation of The Beat.
The Sound Lounge will provide attendees with the opportunity to sing their best modern tune for a two-dollar minimum donation to The Variety Club and The Dunk Tank provides an opportunity for guests to test their hand eye coordination for the same cause.
Combining Metropolis at Metrotown’s Student Street Squad's initiative to boost community leadership in high school students, and Element 104's Look Smart Stay Sharp interactive magazine geared at post-graduate options and opportunities, this event promises to bring today's youth to the forefront in both a fun and informative way.
-30-
Media Contact:
Linda Leslie
Element 104
604-862-5493
Linda@element104.ca
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July 10. 2003
Water’s Edge Productions: Update
Press Biography ~ July 2003
ARTIST
Derek MacNeill
Singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
www.derekmacneill.com <http://www.derekmacneill.com/>
derekmacneill@shaw.ca
GENRE
Original songs and compositions, sound design, musical arrangements, live acoustic-oriented sonic production with the musicality of an artist whose core experience resonates creativity.
Present influences: world, jazz, 1950s pop, Deutsche Grammophon.
BIOGRAPHY
Derek's career spans three decades on both the Canadian and European musical landscapes. He was writing in Paris (and hanging out in the cafes) when Stephane Grappelli and Oscar Peterson recorded their historic sessions in Saint-Germain-des-Pres in the mid 1970s, attended workshop/seminars with legendary Dizzy Gillespie in Montreal and performed with Scottish Fiddler Charlie Cowie in Scotland. His post secondary education includes a bachelors degree in Fine Arts, creative writing (BFA) from the University of British Columbia and extensive live performance experience.
Additionally, a year studying music under the auspices of noted Canadian pianist Robert Silverman, an extended series of workshops spanning one year with ultra avant-garde jazzman Walter Zuber Armstrong and a year under the tutelage of the severe esoteric poet/writer Robert Bringhurst (after the untimely death of poet Pat Lowther) form Derek’s diverse foundation in the performing, creative and recording arts.
Fundamentally a singer-songwriter-vocalist-guitarist, his original compositions are articulated by well appointed musical artistry and finely crafted, vividly poetic lyrical images that brought about one critic to call MacNeill the Monet of the recording industry. ('Geography of the Mind', 1986)
After a hiatus from writing and performing that had the artist re-value the parameters of his work for much of the 1990s, Derek's newest work possesses the cadence of a mature artist whose songs, compositions, recordings, arrangements and approach to acoustic-oriented sonic production evoke the best of 20th century songsmanship with cutting edge urbane influences of the 21st century new order.
This music is alive! The work is centred, explosive and passionate. He has more than walked the walk, so to speak. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the real thing here.
Performances TBA as recording projects near launch date.
In addition to founding Water's Edge Productions Annual Songwriting Award in 2002 - now with independent corporate sponsorship (see www.element104.ca) - serving as president of Opera Breve Vancouver (2000) and penning the "The Nature of Light on Skin," (Water's Edge, 2001) his talents as producer continue to be much in demand.
Several CD productions are scheduled for release in the coming year, including producing the exceptionally gifted Canadian guitar virtuoso Rick Taylor - Fall 2003. A duo with True North/Universal Records recording artist Joel Kroeker is featured. This CD has the earmarks of elevating the already high status of the Canadian approach to acoustic guitar music in the genre of "world music - Canada."
Derek presently performs for selected engagements, exclusively. Future public dates will be posted on the website.
You are welcome to visit the website and contact Derek should you want more information on Derek MacNeill or productions on which he is working.
INSTRUMENTS
Derek is a multi-instrumentalist, but primary instruments are: 6-string acoustic, 12-string acoustic and 6 string classical/spanish acoustic guitars.
Derek performs as a solo singer-guitarist-songwriter and on occasions performs with an ensemble consisting of bass, keyboards and percussion.
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NEWS AND REVIEWS
July 2003 Project: Rick Taylor - Canadian Guitarist Extraordinaire
Producer: Derek MacNeill
For Water's Edge Productions
A MID OCTOBER 2003 RELEASE DATE IS SCHEDULED - A GOOD TIME IS GUARANTEED FOR ALL!
Concert Schedule TBA - see website for details.
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March 2004
What’s new at Water’s Edge Productions
derekmacneill.com?
The focus of Water’s Edge Productions (and www.derekmacneill.com) is to celebrate the creative, performing and recording arts, particularly as expressed in songs, compositions and sound design
Upcoming events and/or releases feature the CD release of Amie Gislason - Water's Edge Production 2004 annual songwriting award winner - and the sensational new Rick Taylor CD (http://members.shaw.ca/wordtide/rick.htm) that features original instrumental compositions for acoustic guitar - as a guitar must be heard!
Preparations for the project began January 2003. The sonic strategy I developed for the session work is one that renders an acoustic guitar in all its magnificent tonal variations: clean; transparent; mellifluent and thunderously diverse.
This entails a specific approach to microphone placement surrounding the guitar. In essence, recording the sonic landscape surrounding the instrument. As many as six microphones around the “performance zone” profile the guitar's expressive colouration and tonal character. Care has been taken to eliminate phasing, a by-product of stereo miking. Specific attention is given to the sound of the fingers on the strings of the guitar. The result is a dulcimer-like sound of fingers hammering the strings on the neck board in a rhythmic fashion. Yes, the guitar may be a percussive instrument when approached from a new perspective. A symphony of sounds dance in a series of time released sonic holographs as a result of stereo miking.
Rick has dubbed the microphone/recording technique I employ as Live Digital Mastering,which appropriately describes the high degree of pre-mastering attention to sound design. Special thanks goes to Bob Katz (bobkatz@digido.com) in Florida for his outstanding contributions to this field and one whom I regard as the digital mastering master.
All selections are performed live and on one pass thereby capturing a performance arc unique to the Rick’s mastery of the instrument, and unique to most contemporary commercial “pop” recordings.
True North Records/Universal recording artist Joel Kroeker(http://www.joelkroeker.com)accompanies Rick on one composition. All other selections are solo guitar.
Rick uses my Martin D-35 and in Rick’s accomplished hands the instrument has never sounded better. The Martin D-35 was completely re-furbished prior to the project and this marks it's first commercial studio recording outing (excluding performance) in a decade! An interesting side bar for guitar aficionados is that of the guitar strings. Ge’za Burghardt, my luthier on Granville Island, donated two sets of the German made 24 carat gold Maximastrings to the project (www.maxima-lines.com). Exorbitantly expensive, these strings will not likely become the string of choice among working musicians. However, they are exquisite and well suited for exclusive recording projects of this order.
Tracking wound up August 2003. Mixing has been rendered throughout the fall/winter 2003-2004. Mastering has been done at the Water's Edge Productions facilities in Vancouver, BC, Canada
The “collector’s edition” first pressing is scheduled for April 2004.
For more information about these projects contact:
Water’s Edge Productions@ www.derekmacneill.com
Best Regards,
Derek MacNeill
project producer & creative director
Water's Edge Productions
derekmacneill@shaw.ca
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