The online launch of Karen's album 'The Flip Side: Well, what do we have here!' was a roaring success! If you missed it, Eastlink TV will air the show every Saturday in June 2023, at 8 pm AST.
The album is available for download, or a physical CD can be mailed to you, if you prefer, from this website's 'music' page. Download the album text and cover art for free.
Videos of a few of the songs have been gaining attention and awards internationally!
Ode to Gertie Ryan and My Phone have each won major prizes:
Music video ‘Ode to Gertie Ryan’ received First Prize in the Music Video category of the Women’s Freedom Song Contest 2023, and a WRPN Women’s International Film Festival 2023 Exceptional Merit Award for Comedy!
‘My Phone’ music video is an award winner included in the festival screening in the Paris Shortfest Film Festival, spring 2023!
‘My Phone’ and ‘Ode to Gertie Ryan’ were both semi-finalists in the April 2023 San Francisco Arthouse Festival,
Scroll down this page for more award announcements.........
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A note from Karen:
"This new album, 'The Flip Side: Well What do we have here!' is unlike any of my previous albums. It is a LOT more fun! Catch the whole show on Eastlink TV every Saturday in June 2023 at 8 pm."
Click on the pictures below to enjoy the stand-alone music videos that are winning awards.
Go to Karen's music page to purchase the music album.
You'll notice in 'Tadpole Blues' that Lily, of "Lily and the Pads" is a bit of a DIVA. She even elbows me out of the way! Musicians are Larry Bjornson, David Burton, Dave Staples, and Chris Mitchel, and playing for the "Pad's" guitarist is JP Cormier in hiding.
Thanks to Scott Ferguson's editing skills I got to play all the Pads' parts. Was that fun!!?
The video, Ode to Gertie Ryan, received First Prize in the Music Video category of the Women’s Freedom Song Contest 2023 and a WRPN Women’s International Film Festival 2023 Exceptional Merit Award for Comedy!
"I wrote the song for a concert for a woman blacksmith’s convention on International Women’s Day a few years ago. I wanted a song that fit the occasion, but despite being raised in a rural farming area, I had never met female blacksmiths until that conference. Instead, I drew upon the complexities of annual agricultural exhibitions. I had a lot swirling around in my head, from playing off the name Gertrude Stein to things I knew about my female relatives’ and ancestors’ lives, and from having lived through the Women's Movement of the '70s. Throw in the challenge of making up rhymes that are silly!
Then, when the guys and I started arranging it, we couldn’t resist taking it over the top with sound effects. Listen for multiple musical references and sound effects, including Randy the Auctioneer (That is Larry, who joined me for the pig duet too). The farmhouse is modeled on my own family’s heritage farmhouse and the fairgrounds resemble the Hants County Exhibition Grounds (which is, by the way, where I used to teach motorcycle safety courses). The rooster and chicken chorus is from our neighbour Joe’s flock. I asked him what time of day to come over to record them, and he answered “Well, they’re early birds.” Hence their name. I loved working with animation artist, Ada Denil."
ALSO: 'The End of Time' from Karen's recent album 'When We're Together' won Best Jazz Song in the World Songwriting Awards, in spring, 2022.
The next surprise was 'The Night the Lights Went Out' video receiving a Nature Without Borders International Film Festival Winter 2023 Exceptional Merit Award! See the video at: https://youtu.be/n04xHZDIJEo
Three songs from Karen Robinson’s album ‘The Flip Side: Well, what do we have here!’ were semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC): ‘My Phone’, ‘Love’s A Moving Target’, and ‘Tadpole Blues’. The ISC received more than 15,000 entries. Her songs are listed alphabetically at: https://songwritingcompetition.com/winners
‘Cats and Crows’ was a Top-10 Finalist in the 27th USA Songwriting Competition Jazz category, 2022.
‘A Song for Mississippi John Hurt’ was a Top-ten Finalist in the WSA spring 2021 Blues category
‘Feather and Bone’ Top-ten Finalist for the WSA Summer 2021 Best Jazz Song
‘Gamecock and His Hen’ Top-ten Finalist for the WSA Fall 2021 Best Jazz Song
‘October 31st’ was a Semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) children’s music category, 2021
"What a great time we had playing the TD Halifax Jazz Festival! And the same day, I learned of the World Songwriting Awards Best Jazz Song, spring 2022 award! What a day! " - Karen
“When We’re Together” videos are all now available to you on Youtube: Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGW_SG_sc53DVTn3So6e4Zg
Some of the videos are posted on this website under the photos/videos tab above.
A note from Karen: I think you can tell how much fun I have making music with Larry Bjornson, Dave Staples, David Burton and Chris Mitchell! Scott Ferguson and Mark Sawatzki filmed the show videos. Scott made the "on-site" videos with me and Scott & I edited them.
To join my email list to find out about new music or the next concert, use the contact form below.
Go to the MUSIC page on this website to purchase a song, a CD, or a CD download.
Friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KarenRobinsonMusic
All the best to you,
Karen
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Eastlink TV is broadcasting Karen’s online show "When We're Together", her previous album release show, on Eastlink On Demand across Canada. Here is Eastlink’s trailer for the show: https://youtu.be/zU6Ddr5xS10
Audience comments from the video release show in November 2021:
"WOW! YOU KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK!" - SA
Atlantic Seabreeze "gives this album a full 5-star rating out of 5 stars."
Read the review at: http://www.atlanticseabreeze.com/ItemOne.asp?ID=8248
"The show was well-produced, Sound was well mixed and camera angles and fading were well done too. Accessing the show was easy and seamless." - MC
"Very, well done, the overall production was perfect. There was strong chemistry between Karen and the band and it was obvious they loved playing together. Karen’s intro to each song was one of my favourite parts. I really appreciated the insight Karen gave regarding her inspiration and the subtleties in the songs’ arrangements." - SW
"Karen and the band were amazing! What a great group of musicians. I loved the variety in the numbers. I think my favourite was "Breath", very touching." - ES
"Masterfully done. I was drawn in more than I expected for watching the show in a brightly-lit kitchen on an iPad." - AM