NOVEMBER 12, 2024: THE WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL. SCROLL DOWN TO REGISTER FOR THE WAITLIST.
Calling all Kingston Singer-songwriters!
Join celebrated singer-songwriter Devin Cuddy for an intimate workshop geared to local singer-songwriters. The City of Kingston’s Arts & Culture Services Department and Grand OnStage are thrilled to offer this rare opportunity to learn firsthand from multi-talented touring musician Devin Cuddy as he leads an hour-long interactive discussion and singer-songwriter circle for Kingston musicians on Saturday, November 23rd at Kingston Grand Theatre.
Devin will take the stage as a special guest of The Jim Cuddy Band on Friday, November 22nd at Kingston Grand Theatre.
WHAT: A workshop for (up to 10) Kingston singer-songwriters with singer-songwriter Devin Cuddy.
WHEN: Saturday, November 23rd, 2024, at 1-2 pm
WHERE: Davies Lounge, Kingston Grand Theatre, 218 Princess St.
WHO: Singer-songwriters ages 16+. Intermediate level and up.
COST: Free of charge. Presented by Grand OnStage and The City of Kingston.
DETAILS:
- Participants should bring a notebook, pen, refillable water bottle, and your own instrument if you wish.
- Spaces are limited and available on a first-come first-served basis via online registration form.
- All participants must be registered. Only those who have been successfully placed in the workshop will receive a confirmation email- please check your spam folder. The confirmation email will include a waiver that must be completed and submitted via email in advance of the workshop in order to attend (no exceptions). Minors (under 18 years of age) will require the signature of a parent or guardian on their waiver.
QUESTIONS? Please email ArtsProgramming@cityofkingston.ca.
About Devin Cuddy
Devin Cuddy is a singer-songwriter based in Toronto. From an early age he was drawn to music of the past. While sifting through his father's (Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo) CD collection, he found the music of Louis Armstrong and New Orleans blues piano players like Dr. John and Professor Longhair. After attending York University for Jazz Piano, Devin started hanging around Toronto's Cameron House, where he was inspired by the local singer songwriter scene. He began his performing career alone at the piano, playing every Wednesday night. It was during this time that he began writing and testing out his own material on an ever-growing crowd. Drawing from inspirations like Randy Newman and Steve Earle, Devin started to build up a catalogue of his own material.
When the Cameron House decided to start a label to showcase local artists, Devin was quickly recruited. His first release, Volume One, was released in late 2012 and was nominated for a Juno. The record was a blend of his love for New Orleans blues and outlaw country. In support of the release, Devin and his band headed out on a cross-country tour opening for his father's band, Blue Rodeo. "This was a tour that really shaped my band and taught us a lot of about how to be a band and succeed on stage" Devin said "I'm very lucky and grateful to have had such an opportunity at such an early point in my career".
Volume One was followed up by Kitchen Knife, produced by Greg Keelor, and then an EP called Amy's Dream, produced by Chis Stringer, whose songs Maggie's Hardware Store (a cover of a Jack Marks' song) and Radio took him in a more Roots-Rock direction. This direction continues with Devin’s latest release Dear Jane, due out November 3rd, 2023. “This record is a collection of songs written and recorded on both sides of the pandemic. It is a collection of stories about people from all walks of life, and different eras in time. I found that during the pandemic I was unable to write, unable to find inspiration. I later realized that what I was missing was human interaction. I am inspired by peoples’ stories, their lives and the interaction of sharing those things, and without that my creative output was next to nothing. So, in a way, this record is an homage to that feeling and that process of writing. It is a roadmap to the people and places I get to experience playing music and traveling for a living”, Devin explains.
You can find Devin and his band traversing the country, taking his unique sound and stellar live show from coast to coast to coast.
Learn even more about Devin here.
Kingston Music Strategy
The City of Kingston, in collaboration with Nordicity, has developed a robust artist-centered Music Strategy. This work comes out of the City of Kingston’s 2021 Creative Industries Strategy (CIS), which identified music as a local creative sector with high potential. To realize the full benefits of a thriving music industry, the CIS recommended the development of a sector-specific strategy that would enable economic development, support economic recovery due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, maintain activity, and facilitate growth.