For the seventh year, Serenade in the Snow brought the music of the Kamloops Symphony Chamber Musicians to Sun Peaks.

Organized by Jim and Bijou Farrell and Ines Popig, the event was an evening of classical music, food and beverages, hosted in a Sun Peaks residence. Sixty classical music lovers attended the fully sponsored show.

“That we can command such talent in a little community like ours and such organizational skills, musicological skills and culinary skills all in one place, in our living room as it were,” says show patron Roy Fox, “It makes (this) a truly unique community.”

The organization of the concert was revised this year to have its operating costs sponsored. Concert goers were invited to make donations to the evening’s charity, the Sun Peaks Education Society (SPES), at the door; a model that both Farrell and Barb Kupferschmidt Linder, president of the SPES, found to be favoured by patrons. The evening raised $4,150 for the school.

Kupferschmidt Linder is appreciative of the significant fundraising contribution to the Education Society.

“We’re very pleased, it was a very successful event,” she says. “The attendees love this type of event, and the music was excellent.”

Organizer Jim Farrell explains that he and his wife Bijou sponsored the musicians for the event, while Petr Duda and Ines Popig, as well as Sun Peaks Lodge and Steakhouse and Bella Italia provided the food. Beverages were sponsored by Michael and Jennifer Howard and chocolates supplied by Peter and Lucy Guido of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Serenade musicians were Cvetozar Vutev, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra’s concert master, on violin and viola, Sally Arai on clarinet, and Naomi Cloutier on piano and harp. Junior musicians for the evening were Zana Farrell on violin and piano and Jasper Schoff on violin.

“The two young violinists were stunning,” says Fox. “Zana Farrell did her very best with Rondo Alla Turca by Mozart. A pretty astonishing achievement for an 11-year old, flawless.”

The success of this year’s event has organizers looking toward the future.

“I think, people really enjoyed it and it was probably our best one yet,” says Farrell. “We’re thinking about next year’s one already.”

They remain elusive until the sun begins its quiet descent behind a stand of trees. It’s nearing 5 p.m.; air bubbles appear in the still waters and move in the direction of the lodge. I’m anticipating some great photography as I sit motionless on the banks of the pond. My camera’s mounted on a tripod and ready to shoot. Suddenly, head, eyes, ears and nose peek out from the chilly depths. I’m about to photograph a true Canadian icon—the North American beaver.

The light’s perfect for photography at this time of day and I spend 20 minutes enjoying the beavers as they go about their business weaving and jamming branches into strategic places throughout the dam or on the lodge.

Tranquille Creek, located just outside of Kamloops near the Tranquille Wildlife Management area is a birder’s paradise, day hikers dream and for me, a beaver watcher’s extravaganza. If you’re looking to get in touch with nature and spend some time exercising your photography skills, Tranquille Creek’s the place. I’ve often walked the trails in the area and always enjoyed the antics of the beavers. It didn’t take long to realize that this was the spot for early morning and late evening beaver watching.

Beavers influence lakes and rivers to meet their own needs. If an agreeable pond isn’t available, they’ll make one. Trees are cut, dragged to the water and pushed into place. Gaps and holes are filled with mud and stone. Only when the water level has risen to the height desired is a lodge built. Living space is made above water level and emergency, or escape, holes are made under. Occasionally, beavers will forgo the lodge and simply dig holes in pond or stream banks.

In autumn, the beavers begin the harvest to get them through colder winters with an adequate food supply. They anchor bits of tree in underwater channels, leaving them jammed into the mud until needed.

I’ve experienced some amazing feats by the resident beavers at Tranquille Creek, but one stands out clearly in my mind. One of the larger beavers studied a towering tree and a regular trail it used to get back and forth to the water. It then proceeded to cut the tree down. To my amazement, the top of the tree fell exactly on the beaten path made by the beavers. Could this be skill or just luck? Well, I’ll leave that to be answered by the experts, but I must say it was quite the spectacle.

During my beaver watching, I need to be still and quiet as these Canadian icons spook easily. It is however, a true joy to watch them. I highly recommend that you visit this area, take a few photos and watch for beaver signs along the trail.

In this generation of carbon-copied sounds, where many an artist wallows around in a pool of similar-sounding artists, it’s exciting to witness a musician develop a signature sound and top the charts with it.

Skrillex, or Sonny Moore, has managed to use a number of influences—from Aphex Twin to Marilyn Manson—to create a controversial musical formula. There are possibly as many Skrillex haters as there are fans, but the same can be said for a lot of really good bands. For some reason, people seem to really love Skrillex, or really, really hate him.

Bangarang, Skrillex’s fourth EP, still borrows from Moore’s library of signature sounds—creepy chipmunk vocals, grinding bass, and huge dub step drops. Ellie Goulding, 12th Planet, Kill the Noise, and yes, The Doors are all featured on the album, though they’re all barely recognizable. Skrillex has a knack for taking vocals and melodies, and shredding them to create a more distorted song that sounds as if it’s ripped on nearly too many energy drinks. Bangarang is definitely going to be club-friendly.

“Breakin’ a Sweat,” featuring bits by The Doors, including Jim Morrison’s electronic music prophecy, is one of the better tracks on the album. The song builds, then drops where you’d expect it to, and blows “Light My Fire” out with some skinny white-kid swagger.

“Bangarang” may feel a little nostalgic to fans of the film Hook. The title was the battle cry of the lost boys. The song aims to appeal to 1980s children, ending with, “Hey-yo, I’m eating Fun Dip right now.” Those were the days, right? It’s a light song, with heavy sound that will have kids shaking to the ground.

One track sounded out-of-place, and was surprising considering that it was a collaboration with 12th Planet and Kill the Noise. “Right on Time,” with its overused synths and relentless beat, sounds fit for a high-school rave.

Whether you like it or not, Bangarang is a tight, well-produced album. The tracks jump around a little from trance to dub step, all with a heavy hand of glitch, but they all carry Skrillex’s signature sound. With a solid tour schedule, and artists lining up to be remixed by him, Moore has a bright future in the next generation of music.

The theatres are packed with great blockbusters this year, including Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The second of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes franchise, A Game of Shadows brings Robert Downey Jr. (as Holmes) and Jude Law (as Dr. Watson) back together for another great caper in Victorian London. The stakes are higher this time around, with Europe set on the brink of war and evil forces conspiring to push the continent over the edge. Holmes and Watson set out on a cross-country manhunt for Professor Moriarty (played by Jared Harris of Mad Men), only to discover that his schemes are deeper and darker than anything they imagined. While many sequels often fall flat, A Game of Shadows delivers great action sequences, clever verbal spars, and a remarkable lack of cheese (something that was all-too-present in the first Sherlock Holmes).

Another option is to bring home The Help. Based on Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel, The Help is truly a heartwarmer. Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland) and Viola Davis (Doubt, Eat Pray Love) star alongside an incredible supporting cast. Stone plays twentysomething Skeeter Phelan, a southern belle returning home after graduating from Ole’ Miss. Looking to launch her writing career, Skeeter’s hard-pressed to find something to write about but after witnessing her best friend, Hilly Holbrook (played to a tee by Bryce Dallas Howard), make insensitive, racist comments in front of the family help, Skeeter decides to write a book about her hometown of Jackson, Miss. from the point of view of the black housekeepers who worked for all of Jackson’s finest families. She enlists housekeeper Aibileen Clark to help her and as Skeeter and Aibileen work together, they each develop a greater appreciation for the life the other leads, the rich stories they have to share, and the danger they both face. I read The Help, and was concerned that the film wouldn’t capture the true spirit of the book, but I need not have worried—The Help is a great adaptation, and those who enjoyed reading it will delight in watching it come alive on the screen.

Enjoy these silver screen treats, and I look forward to what 2012 will bring to the movie world.

This moment of improvisation really helped in making a good photo. Lens support is the key that every nature photographer should know about and put into practice. Stabilizating your lens and supporting your camera can be done with a tripod, a monopod, a window mount, a bean bag or—you guessed it—an old fence post.

Back in the 35mm film days, I experimented with all kinds of tripods and often purchased cheap plastic models until I realized the importance of investing in quality. A good quality tripod will improve your images, but it may take you some time to get into the habit of lugging one around, especially, if you’re the type of outdoor photographer that enjoys long hikes into the backcountry and owns a ton of gear. A monopod is a good alternative to the tripod if you want to try something a little lighter and you might be able to find one that doubles as a trekking pole, but a good rock solid tripod can’t be beat for serious image making.

If wildlife can be found along the roads in your area or you enjoy travelling to the mountain parks, a vehicle window mount or bean bag also does a great job of stabilizing your shots. My homemade bean bag is one of my favourite supports. I rest it on my car door with the window rolled down and it works like a charm. You can custom make your own with a little material, a Velcro enclosure and a couple pounds of beans.

Lens support will give you the most out of your expensive camera. It’ll allow creativity with long exposures, increase the sharpness of images and give you the time to slow down and focus on good composition and proper exposure techniques. Perhaps you’ll want to lock up your camera’s mirror and use a remote control during macro photography for even more detail. If this sounds like something you’d like to try you’ll definitely need a tripod.

Camera support is truly essential to good nature photography and the options are varied. Consider the kind of gear you own, the style of photography you enjoy and research the options available to you.
Good luck and good shooting!

Nero, comprising Joe Ray and Daniel Stephens, has been charging the dance scene since their first single “Innocence” in 2010. While the duo has been mixing for about seven years now, the past two years have been especially productive for them. Mixing tracks by everyone from La Roux to N.E.R.D to Beyonce, the UK boys have shown they know exactly what modern clubbers want.

Nero started out in mainstream trance and dance sound, and has graduated to the trendy world of drum ‘n’ bass and dub step. While some of their tracks lean to one genre or another, it’s really their combination that sets them apart. One excellent example is the track “Promises,” which plays between drum ‘n’ bass, then switches into heavy undulating bass.

Nero’s success may also lie in the diva talent of Alana Watson. She’s not an official member of the band, but delivers vocals for the majority of Nero’s songs and performs live with them.

The band recently did a tour of the United States and Canada to celebrate the album Welcome Reality, which was released in August of 2011. While some shows had rave reviews, the performance at Club 9one9 was a bit lacklustre for the price of the ticket—$45. Understandably it’s hard for someone spinning on the decks, mixing tracks, and drinking beer to put up much of a performance. A DJ’s music has to speak for itself. But when you pay well above the average ticket price for a well above average dance music producer you expect a little extra. Perhaps a larger venue with a better layout and sound system would have provided this.

Regardless of this one experience, Nero’s laying down some of the best dub step tracks right now, and this is something they deserve full adulation for. The “Feel So Close” Calvin Harris remix, and especially “Promises” featuring Alana tracks are must-listens for any dub step fans.

Dub step is a trendy genre right now, which is arguably both a good and bad thing. As it becomes more commercialized, ticket prices will increase and shows will get bigger. On the upside, the popularity of the genre will support the number of fiercely amazing producers managing to constantly find new and exciting ways to twist and wobble sounds. Nero will be great if they consider only touring with the full band, including Alana, and if they keep pouring out tracks like the ones out now they’ll be around for a long time.

The Sun Peaks Winter Wine Festival’s event “From Russia with love… and wine… and vodka” at the Globe Cafe featured the delightful Cipes Ice sparkling wine from Summerhill Pyramid Winery of Kelowna, B.C., and extraordinary Kelowna-distilled Spirit Bear Vodka and spirits of Urban Distilleries.

The Cipes Ice was paired with oysters on the half shell from Cortes Island, B.C., and P.E.I, as well as oysters Rockefeller (from the secret 1846 recipe from Antoine’s restaurant in NYC), and Barkley Sound’s oysters Kilpatrick. The salty smooth oysters were a complimentary match to the slightly sweet effervescence of the Cipes Ice.

The Spirit Bear Vodka was served with Black Swedish and Salmon Roe Caviar for a sophisticated combination.

Jordan Urban (above) shows off Urban Distilleries’ premium gin, Spirit Bear Gin.The company produces vodka, gin, espresso infused vodka, amber and white rums and single malt whiskey that’s bottled with a piece of cask in each bottle. The brainchild of the Urbans, this process ages the whiskey rapidly in the bottles, allowing conoisseurs to enjoy it sooner rather than later. Jordan’s brother Mike is master-distiller and owner of the family operated Urban Distilleries.

The Globe’s elegant decor, personable service from Jude, Paul and the Globe staff, fine food provided by Globe’s Executive Chef Dale Fletcher and Sous Chef Colin Baer, and the stellar products from the Okanagan’s Summerhill Pyramid Winery and Urban Distillery are more than enough reasons to mark this one on the calendar for next year.

For more on the Festival, the venue or the products mentioned above, follow these links: Winter Wine Festival, Globe Cafe, Urban Distilleries, Sun Peaks Resort.

The event is raising travel funds for Whitman, who leaves for the Dew Tour event this Friday. Cover for the evening is $5, and 5forty will be giving away a jacket and pants, a value of $500, as a special prize to one of the attendees.

Whitman will be in Vermont from Jan. 13 to 23.

“I’m hoping that with success there an invitation to the x games will follow,” she says.

Austra’s debut album Feel it Break, which came out in May this year, is a dark take on synthy-pop music with haunting and austere vocals combined with punchy drums, deep bass, and glittering synthesizers. The highlight of the album is singer/songwriter Katie Stelmanis, an opera-trained vocalist with distinction and range. Her voice is definitely the fingerprint of this band.

Austra, which used be the punk band Galaxy, also features the talents of drummer Maya Postepski and bassist Dorian Wolf. The band enlisted the mixing expertise of Canadian sound engineer Damian Taylor (Bjork, UNKLE, the Prodigy) to produce Feel it Break, an album with serious popularity potential.

The most recognizable song on the album, “The Beat and the Pulse” has stirred the interest of CBC Radio 3, among many music fans. The catchy bass and synth underline Stelmanis haunting vocals. “Lose It” is one of the more upbeat-sounding tracks featuring Stelmanis opera range, and needs to be on a snowboard or ski video somewhere—it would sound great.

Watch out for Austra in 2012. If the stars align right they’re sure to making festival appearances across Canada. For now, plug into Feel it Break and enjoy.

With the mercury dropping outside, there’s no better time to snuggle up in front of the fire and spend more time listening to new music!

Kamloops quintet Blackdog Blue has been pleasing Kamloops crowds for six years now, and with the release of a new album, titled 3, they’re set to keep on going.

The band, comprising Dennis Hayes, Renea Denis, Corey Yamaoka, Darrell Hanna, and Uli Scheck, celebrated the album’s release this fall at The Blue Grotto. While 3 has stuck close to Blackdog Blue’s roots, it features a more contemporary sound, and production polish.

“When we first started out we had a blues, classic rock format,” says Hayes, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for Blackdog Blue. “As a songwriter I wanted to become more contemporary—you’ll see more of an evolution in songwriting.”

3 touches on sounds reminiscent of The Allman Brothers, and even Elton John. It’s a versatile album with a number of excellent songs, especially appealing to a classic rock or blues-rock audience.

Recorded for the most part at Perry’s Recording Studio in Kamloops, Blackdog Blue went to Small World Studios to finish production, and gain insight from leading Kamloops musicians/producers Henry Small and Kris Ruston.

A lot of work went into the building of 3, with Hayes spending a couple hundred hours writing, arranging, and developing the songs before heading to the studio. While he can’t pick a particular favourite on the album, Hayes explains there are a few that have special meaning for him.

“I think my songs are like my kids, I like them all for different reasons,” he says. “I have my political rants in songs like, “‘Burn it Down,’ ‘Talk About Love,’ lyrically, has a strong message for empowerment of women, and ‘Give Me Strength’ was written for my wife’s birthday.”

Blackdog Blue has been a Kamloops favourite for many years. They bring a lot of talent and energy to their performances and their fan base in Kamloops is growing steadily. Their Music in the Park closing performance drew approximately 1,500 people, and Hayes says the band can barely keep up with show requests.

“We’re almost at the point where we’re turning down as many gigs as we’re getting,” he says.

The album does an excellent job of combining contemporary sound, and excellent lyrics with lead vocalist Denis’s bluesy singing. It’s a great listen!