The McDades
Encyclopedia
The McDades are a Canadian band made up of siblings Shannon Johnson (Violin
and Vocals), Solon McDade
(Bass
and Vocals), Jeremiah McDade
(Multi-instrumentalist
and Vocals) and their musical friends.
The McDades' musical style is a unique blend of influences that combine the rich cultural experiences they had growing up in Edmonton
, Alberta
. The three siblings grew up performing a type of Canadiana
or (roots
) music with their parents, Terry McDade and Danielle McDade in The McDade Family Band from 1974 until 1994. As The McDade Family Band the siblings had the chance to perform at such venues as the Canadian National Exhibition
, Vancouver Expo 86
, The Commonwealth Games
and multiple performances for members of British Royal Family
. During this time Shannon, Solon, and Jeremiah were exposed to the variety of musical genres that are available in Canada and quickly began to experiment with these sounds.
In 2000 the siblings began to work together on their new group, The McDades. The trio, along with their band, strive to maintain an open and adventurous attitude to their music. They have performed and recorded with a variety of musicians from around the world including a tabla
player from India
, a santoor
player from Iran
and a number of players from the Canadian province of Quebec
. Along with their own projects, The McDades have also been asked to record with a number of prominent Canadian artists such as Bill Bourne
, Maria Dunn
and David Wilkie.
With Terry McDade
With Maria Dunn
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and Vocals), Solon McDade
Solon McDade
Solon McDade is a Canadian musician and composer.He began playing the cello at age 4 and by the time he was 9 he was playing the violin, double bass and doing shows with his family in The McDade Family Band on the washtub bass...
(Bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
and Vocals), Jeremiah McDade
Jeremiah McDade
Jeremiah McDade is a Canadian musician.McDade is a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer, playing Irish whistle, saxophone, fiddle and flute...
(Multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and Vocals) and their musical friends.
The McDades' musical style is a unique blend of influences that combine the rich cultural experiences they had growing up in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. The three siblings grew up performing a type of Canadiana
Canadiana
Canadiana is a term referring to things related to the country of Canada. It is most often used to refer to a class of books somewhat wider than Canadian Literature because it also includes books about Canada as well as Canadian non-fiction works....
or (roots
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
) music with their parents, Terry McDade and Danielle McDade in The McDade Family Band from 1974 until 1994. As The McDade Family Band the siblings had the chance to perform at such venues as the Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
, Vancouver Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
, The Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
and multiple performances for members of British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. During this time Shannon, Solon, and Jeremiah were exposed to the variety of musical genres that are available in Canada and quickly began to experiment with these sounds.
In 2000 the siblings began to work together on their new group, The McDades. The trio, along with their band, strive to maintain an open and adventurous attitude to their music. They have performed and recorded with a variety of musicians from around the world including a tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, a santoor
Santoor
The santoor is an ancient stringed musical instrument, native to Kashmir and Iran. It is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy two strings. The special-shaped mallets are lightweight and are held between the index and middle fingers...
player from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and a number of players from the Canadian province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Along with their own projects, The McDades have also been asked to record with a number of prominent Canadian artists such as Bill Bourne
Bill Bourne
Bill Bourne is a Canadian musician and songwriter, who frequently collaborates with a variety of artists, including Alan MacLeod, Shannon Johnson, Lester Quitzau, Madagascar Slim, Aysha Wills, Eivør Pálsdóttir, Wyckham Porteous and Jasmine 'Jas' Ohlhauser.Raised in a musical family in rural...
, Maria Dunn
Maria Dunn (musician)
Maria Dunn is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has been described as "an arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter who writes great historical and social commentary." Her music blends Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences.-Early life:...
and David Wilkie.
Discography
- Bloom - Free Radio Records 2006 (2007 Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
Winner - Best Roots/Traditional Album (group), 2007 Independent Music AwardThe Independent Music AwardsThe Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
Winner - Best World Album Traditional , two time Canadian Folk Music Award Winners Best World Group & Best Instrumental Group) - For Reel - Free Radio Records 2002
- The Gift, A Tribute To Ian Tyson - Stony Plain RecordsStony Plain RecordsStony Plain Records is a major Canadian independent record label, which specializes in roots music genres such as country, folk and blues. The label was the recipient of a 2003 Western Canadian Music Award for "Independent Record Label/Distributor of the Year"....
2006 - Alberta, Wild Roses Northern Lights - Smithsonian FolkwaysSmithsonian FolkwaysSmithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways...
Recordings 2006
With Terry McDade
- Noel - Free Radio Records 2004
- Midwinter - Free Radio Records 2003
- Harpe Danse - Free Radio Records 1998
With Maria Dunn
Maria Dunn
Maria Dunn is a female freestyle wrestler from Guam. She participated in Women's freestyle 63 kg at 2008 Summer Olympics losing with Elina Vaseva . Maria Dunn won twice Oceania Championships in Women's freestyle wrestling 63 kg.-External links:*...
- Maria Dunn - From where I stand
- Maria Dunn - For a Song (Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
Nominated) - Maria Dunn - We Were Good People
- Maria Dunn - The Peddler