Linda McLean
Encyclopedia
Linda McLean is a Canadian musician
, singer and songwriter
. McLean has released an album on Bongo Beat Records and her second on her own Mandolin Records.
, Ontario
, Canada
. Her formative years were spent in Belleville where at age 9 she picked up her first guitar, and age 12 formed an acoustic quartet. Her first public performance was in a local church basement. She sites her main musical influences from this time as Joan Baez
, Bob Dylan
, and the musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein. She attended Centennial Secondary School where she was influenced by Canadian singer songwriters Joni Mitchell
, Neil Young
and Bruce Cockburn
.
. Her co-creation and performance in the original docu-drama, “Around About 1983-84” brought her local media attention and interest from the newly formed Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. McLean moved to Toronto in 1976 and soon married and had 2 children. After her first marriage dissolved in 1984, McLean attained a Bachelor of Arts from York University
and worked professionally in the theatre and film community for more than a decade. She taught acting at Leah Poslun's Theatre and Theatre for Young People and developed Artist in the Schools programs with the Ontario Arts Council
. During this period, McLean studied music theory, voice, piano, dance and the Alexander Technique. In 1999 McLean completed a Masters of Arts degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
, specializing in Arts Education and Holistic Learning. While completing her degree she recorded four songs and entered the Toronto music scene, performing solo and with various musicians. In 2000, McLean moved to Huntsville, Ontario and moved into the full time occupation of songwriting.
and Galaxie, a publishing deal with Feldman & Assc, and a Songwriter of the Year award at the first annual Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards for the song “Mandolin”. In September 2003, Rounder/Europe picked up the license for “Betty’s Room” and released it across Europe under the “Me and My Records” label banner where it became top pick of the UK Distributors, achieved universal 4 star reviews, tour spots and radio interviews, especially in Holland, where the now famous Dutch music journalist Leo Blokhuis dubbed the CD “a rare pearl” and “masterpiece” describing McLean as “a singer songwriter in the best tradition of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell’s 70’s work”. Critical acclaim did not translate into mass commercial success.
, Paul Hyde, Jeb Loy Nicols among many others; artists hand selected by Alfonso to suit his personal attraction to strong lyrics and innovative musical arrangements. No Language attracted a wider audience in Canada with continued critical acclaim, and in 2005 Linda McLean was chosen by CBC
radio as one of the three top Canadian singer songwriters, along with Kathleen Edwards and Sarah Harmer. No Language was championed by the BBC’s “Whispering” Bob Harris who featured songs on both of his evening BBC Radio 2 programs. Following a succession of affirmative reviews in Norway, Spain, Holland and the UK McLean independently supported the release with tours, interviews and industry showcases. She was interviewed on BBC Liverpool by the noted musicologist Spencer Leigh
.
In June 2007, McLean performed live to BBC Radio 2
from Toronto’s CBC station.
McLean’s first 2 CDs have been met with critical acclaim but have not sold in substantial numbers to attain break through status.
McLean created Muskoka Song Night, hosting an evening of great Canadian singer songwriters at the Hideaway Pub in downtown Huntsville. Guests included Katherine Wheatley, Robert Priest, Carlos del Junco, Karyn Ellis, James Gordon, Jon Brooks, Marianne Girard, Suzie Vinnick, Craig Cardiff, Jenny Whiteley, Laura Repo, Blair Packham, Tannis Slimmon and Lewis Melville, among others. Linda McLean was the last person to sing in the landmark venue. 2 nights after October's Song Night, the Empire Hotel was destroyed by fire and the subsequent water damage of an enthusiastic local fire department. The song she sang, accompanied by her husband Andy and Slimmon and Melville, was "Beauty".
Under Mandolin Records and Huntsville Festival of the Arts, McLean created The Songwriter’s Session, one hour preceding Muskoka Song Night to offer groups of local Muskoka songwriters an opportunity to spend an intensive hour with a seasoned professional.
Under Mandolin Records, McLean continues to offer workshops and produce live music events for various organizations.
A new website for Mandolin Records, built and launched in February, 2011, releases multiple projects, including new music and an artist development manual. A new band,currently called LMB (Linda McLean Band) formed in January 2010 and includes drummer Gary Craig, bassist John Switzer, guitarist Andy McLean and singer songwriter Linda McLean. The new band album is being released as single tracks and made available to upload monthly. McLean's original acoustic tracks are being released as Snow Mountain River. The artists manual is a combination of McLean's work as an independent artist, a graduate student, and an arts teacher and professor.
Music and Film Festival and Conference. NXNE is an annual four-day live event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada the second weekend of June. NXNE’s directors, Michael Hollett (Editor of Now Magazine) Andy McLean and Yvonne Matsell, along with the directors of SXSW created an ethos of support to music and musicians first, predicting and supporting the rise and influence of independent music in Canada. In the early years of NXNE (1993 to 96) Linda McLean was directly involved as the office and conference coordinator, helping establish the event as the primary music industry event in Canada. McLean has been a showcasing artist at SXSW 2003 in Austin TX at the Hideout, and at NXNE 2006 in Toronto ON at the Drake.
in Toronto (where she taught from 2004 to 2007). McLean was consulted as an independent artist and educator to create and develop the programs and curriculum for Artist Development, Songwriting, Industry Overview and Music Theory.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. McLean has released an album on Bongo Beat Records and her second on her own Mandolin Records.
Early life
McLean is the youngest child of Norwegian immigrants. She was born in BellevilleBelleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Her formative years were spent in Belleville where at age 9 she picked up her first guitar, and age 12 formed an acoustic quartet. Her first public performance was in a local church basement. She sites her main musical influences from this time as Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and the musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein. She attended Centennial Secondary School where she was influenced by Canadian singer songwriters Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
.
Career
McLean's primary focus became acting for theatre, and led to her being asked to join the Pinnacle PlayhousePinnacle Playhouse
The Pinnacle Playhouse is a theatre in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.-History:In 1951, a group of friends gathered to read a play for pleasure...
. Her co-creation and performance in the original docu-drama, “Around About 1983-84” brought her local media attention and interest from the newly formed Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. McLean moved to Toronto in 1976 and soon married and had 2 children. After her first marriage dissolved in 1984, McLean attained a Bachelor of Arts from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
and worked professionally in the theatre and film community for more than a decade. She taught acting at Leah Poslun's Theatre and Theatre for Young People and developed Artist in the Schools programs with the Ontario Arts Council
Ontario Arts Council
The Ontario Arts Council is a publicly-funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to promote and assist the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of all Ontarians...
. During this period, McLean studied music theory, voice, piano, dance and the Alexander Technique. In 1999 McLean completed a Masters of Arts degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is a teachers' college in Toronto, Ontario.-History:OISE/UT traces its origins to the founding of the Provincial Normal School in 1847...
, specializing in Arts Education and Holistic Learning. While completing her degree she recorded four songs and entered the Toronto music scene, performing solo and with various musicians. In 2000, McLean moved to Huntsville, Ontario and moved into the full time occupation of songwriting.
(2003) Betty’s Room
McLean’s first international performance was at the 2001 Rockrgrl Festival in Seattle. Her first full length album, Betty’s Room, co-written with partner Andy McLean, and produced by music veteran and friend John Whynot, featured drummer Gary Craig and Blue Rodeo sideman Bob Egan. Its independent release in 2002 established McLean as a noteworthy Canadian songwriter, achieving critical acclaim and airplay across Canada on CBCCBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
and Galaxie, a publishing deal with Feldman & Assc, and a Songwriter of the Year award at the first annual Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards for the song “Mandolin”. In September 2003, Rounder/Europe picked up the license for “Betty’s Room” and released it across Europe under the “Me and My Records” label banner where it became top pick of the UK Distributors, achieved universal 4 star reviews, tour spots and radio interviews, especially in Holland, where the now famous Dutch music journalist Leo Blokhuis dubbed the CD “a rare pearl” and “masterpiece” describing McLean as “a singer songwriter in the best tradition of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell’s 70’s work”. Critical acclaim did not translate into mass commercial success.
(2005) No Language
In 2004 McLean returned to the studio with partner Andy and producer John Whynot to record 12 new songs in a the collection titled No Language. The CD was picked up for licensing and international distribution by the Canadian indie label, Bongo Beat Records, headed by industry veteran Ralph Alfonso. McLean was added to a roster with an eclectic assortment of artists including Johnny DowdJohnny Dowd
Johnny Dowd is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic elements in the lyrics as well as in the music...
, Paul Hyde, Jeb Loy Nicols among many others; artists hand selected by Alfonso to suit his personal attraction to strong lyrics and innovative musical arrangements. No Language attracted a wider audience in Canada with continued critical acclaim, and in 2005 Linda McLean was chosen by CBC
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
radio as one of the three top Canadian singer songwriters, along with Kathleen Edwards and Sarah Harmer. No Language was championed by the BBC’s “Whispering” Bob Harris who featured songs on both of his evening BBC Radio 2 programs. Following a succession of affirmative reviews in Norway, Spain, Holland and the UK McLean independently supported the release with tours, interviews and industry showcases. She was interviewed on BBC Liverpool by the noted musicologist Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh is a British actor, who has played roles in movies such as The Garden and The Last of England, and television series such as One Summer. He is considered one of the "Brit Pack".-External links:...
.
In June 2007, McLean performed live to BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
from Toronto’s CBC station.
McLean’s first 2 CDs have been met with critical acclaim but have not sold in substantial numbers to attain break through status.
Mandolin Records
Mandolin Records is owned and operated by McLean. McLean continues to write songs and pre-produce them in her home studio, Mandolin Records in Muskoka.McLean created Muskoka Song Night, hosting an evening of great Canadian singer songwriters at the Hideaway Pub in downtown Huntsville. Guests included Katherine Wheatley, Robert Priest, Carlos del Junco, Karyn Ellis, James Gordon, Jon Brooks, Marianne Girard, Suzie Vinnick, Craig Cardiff, Jenny Whiteley, Laura Repo, Blair Packham, Tannis Slimmon and Lewis Melville, among others. Linda McLean was the last person to sing in the landmark venue. 2 nights after October's Song Night, the Empire Hotel was destroyed by fire and the subsequent water damage of an enthusiastic local fire department. The song she sang, accompanied by her husband Andy and Slimmon and Melville, was "Beauty".
Under Mandolin Records and Huntsville Festival of the Arts, McLean created The Songwriter’s Session, one hour preceding Muskoka Song Night to offer groups of local Muskoka songwriters an opportunity to spend an intensive hour with a seasoned professional.
Under Mandolin Records, McLean continues to offer workshops and produce live music events for various organizations.
A new website for Mandolin Records, built and launched in February, 2011, releases multiple projects, including new music and an artist development manual. A new band,currently called LMB (Linda McLean Band) formed in January 2010 and includes drummer Gary Craig, bassist John Switzer, guitarist Andy McLean and singer songwriter Linda McLean. The new band album is being released as single tracks and made available to upload monthly. McLean's original acoustic tracks are being released as Snow Mountain River. The artists manual is a combination of McLean's work as an independent artist, a graduate student, and an arts teacher and professor.
Advocacy
McLean is married to Andy McLean, managing director of North by NortheastNorth by Northeast
North by Northeast is an annual five-day live music and film festival and music conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, held each June....
Music and Film Festival and Conference. NXNE is an annual four-day live event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada the second weekend of June. NXNE’s directors, Michael Hollett (Editor of Now Magazine) Andy McLean and Yvonne Matsell, along with the directors of SXSW created an ethos of support to music and musicians first, predicting and supporting the rise and influence of independent music in Canada. In the early years of NXNE (1993 to 96) Linda McLean was directly involved as the office and conference coordinator, helping establish the event as the primary music industry event in Canada. McLean has been a showcasing artist at SXSW 2003 in Austin TX at the Hideout, and at NXNE 2006 in Toronto ON at the Drake.
Educator
McLean was one of the original Faculty members of the Independent Music Production at Seneca CollegeSeneca College
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a Canadian public college in the greater Toronto area. Seneca College is currently Canada's largest college with approximately 108,000 students.-History:...
in Toronto (where she taught from 2004 to 2007). McLean was consulted as an independent artist and educator to create and develop the programs and curriculum for Artist Development, Songwriting, Industry Overview and Music Theory.