Before the interview with Alexina Louie, I spent my morning wondering how I could distill nearly six decades from the life of an extraordinarily accomplished artist into a thirty minute conversation? The time would hardly be sufficient to discuss even one of her pieces. I had so many questions to ask: What inspires her? What does music mean to her? What is it like working with filmmakers? What is she working on now? How does she come up with such wonderful music?
These questions were still swirling in my mind during my walk through a busy city square to the studio. I needed more time to think, so I decided to take the stairs to the fourth floor where the interview was going to be recorded, avoiding the infamous elevator mention so much in this blog. As I made my way up the stairs, it occurred to me that Louie is probably tired of being asked the same old questions about her music and many accomplishments. I would try and get the audience to know more about the personal side of this astonishing composer.
Louie has received two Juno Awards (a decade apart), was named Canadian Composer of the Year in 1986, she is a member of the Order of Ontario, Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
We began our conversation with her childhood in Vancouver in the late 50’s. Her parents were second generation immigrants from China and encouraged her to take up the piano when she was about 7. When asked about the piano music she had dedicated to her piano teacher Jean Lyons, she spoke of the very special bond she shared with her. Lyons encouraged her to express herself through her piano playing, to put her feelings out there, to be vulnerable. In that vulnerability she found authenticity and her voice as an artist.
I asked about her move to San Diego in the 1970’s after her formative years in British Columbia. Her eyes lit up. San Diego was crazy –no one there was interested in music by dead people, it was a hot bed for radical experimentation in classical music. It was also a tough environment for her socially as she had to defend her ideas, her manner, even the way she dressed – everything. Here was this polite Canadian young woman who had been taught to say “please” and “thank you” thrust among weed-smoking hippies. Apparently they were amused by the politely Canadian letter she wrote accepting the fellowship there, they kept it on file for a good chuckle.
Looking at her official bio, something intuitively drew me to dwell on the decade in California it seemed as though something significant happened to her there, affecting her life journey. This was the period of her awakening to Chinese and Japanese music through a fellow student. She felt something intrinsically familiar with this music, it moved her deeply, it was part of her being and has since been an important component in her musical voice.
Alexina Louie is married to the composer and conductor Alex Pauk. They often collaborate on film scores. We talked about the demands of being a professional composer and raising two teenage daughters, a difficult juggling act. This turn to things domestic led to a discussion about her hilarious film collaboration Burnt Toast with Dan Redican (Kids in the Hall).
Burnt Toast is a set of eight short comic episodes tracing various love relationships –there is a dash of unrequited love, a pinch of divorce and a touch of murder (yes ladies, a toilet seat is the cause of the latter). I asked if any of the material was autobiographical?
Hmm... I could tell you, but best to find out from Alexina Louie herself on November 15th when the podcasts are launched on the online portal of The Women’s Post (http://www.womenspost.ca/).
YOU CAN GET COPIES OF:
Burnt Toast on DVD from http://www.amazon.ca/ (A much needed breadth of fresh air, I highly recommend it).
The music of Alexina Louie from the Canadian Music Centre www.musiccentre.ca
These questions were still swirling in my mind during my walk through a busy city square to the studio. I needed more time to think, so I decided to take the stairs to the fourth floor where the interview was going to be recorded, avoiding the infamous elevator mention so much in this blog. As I made my way up the stairs, it occurred to me that Louie is probably tired of being asked the same old questions about her music and many accomplishments. I would try and get the audience to know more about the personal side of this astonishing composer.
Louie has received two Juno Awards (a decade apart), was named Canadian Composer of the Year in 1986, she is a member of the Order of Ontario, Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
We began our conversation with her childhood in Vancouver in the late 50’s. Her parents were second generation immigrants from China and encouraged her to take up the piano when she was about 7. When asked about the piano music she had dedicated to her piano teacher Jean Lyons, she spoke of the very special bond she shared with her. Lyons encouraged her to express herself through her piano playing, to put her feelings out there, to be vulnerable. In that vulnerability she found authenticity and her voice as an artist.
I asked about her move to San Diego in the 1970’s after her formative years in British Columbia. Her eyes lit up. San Diego was crazy –no one there was interested in music by dead people, it was a hot bed for radical experimentation in classical music. It was also a tough environment for her socially as she had to defend her ideas, her manner, even the way she dressed – everything. Here was this polite Canadian young woman who had been taught to say “please” and “thank you” thrust among weed-smoking hippies. Apparently they were amused by the politely Canadian letter she wrote accepting the fellowship there, they kept it on file for a good chuckle.
Looking at her official bio, something intuitively drew me to dwell on the decade in California it seemed as though something significant happened to her there, affecting her life journey. This was the period of her awakening to Chinese and Japanese music through a fellow student. She felt something intrinsically familiar with this music, it moved her deeply, it was part of her being and has since been an important component in her musical voice.
Alexina Louie is married to the composer and conductor Alex Pauk. They often collaborate on film scores. We talked about the demands of being a professional composer and raising two teenage daughters, a difficult juggling act. This turn to things domestic led to a discussion about her hilarious film collaboration Burnt Toast with Dan Redican (Kids in the Hall).
Burnt Toast is a set of eight short comic episodes tracing various love relationships –there is a dash of unrequited love, a pinch of divorce and a touch of murder (yes ladies, a toilet seat is the cause of the latter). I asked if any of the material was autobiographical?
Hmm... I could tell you, but best to find out from Alexina Louie herself on November 15th when the podcasts are launched on the online portal of The Women’s Post (http://www.womenspost.ca/).
YOU CAN GET COPIES OF:
Burnt Toast on DVD from http://www.amazon.ca/ (A much needed breadth of fresh air, I highly recommend it).
The music of Alexina Louie from the Canadian Music Centre www.musiccentre.ca
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