Eau Claire Artist:
Kenna Burima

Write a Song with Kenna Burima in 60 Minutes or Less!
cSPACE Eau Claire Residency
October 1-15, 2022

Artist Statement

There is a song in all of us.

In fact, a thousand songs reside in each of us and with a little time, encouragement, and assistance anyone can bring a song into being. It is this belief that is the basis of songwriter Kenna Burima’s (she/her) residency at our new cSPACE Eau Claire Neighbourhood Hub. No matter who you are; a seasoned veteran stuck on the bridge, a keen beginner needing help with chord choices, or someone who has never touched an instrument, Kenna wants to work with you. And all she needs is 60 minutes! Her 20+ years of writing, performing, and teaching songs of all kinds and genres has honed a gentle approach that will have you leaving the building with a song. But be forewarned, once the door is opened, you may not be able to shut it. Kenna believes for many of us, an endless supply of songs is banging at the door of our being, just waiting to be set free into the world. Once the lock is broken on fearing the quality of a song; good/bad, hit/flop and rather focusing on the internal connection and external expression, the most important question is answered; is this song true?

About Kenna

Since doing her time in the institutional hallowed halls of classical music education, Kenna’s love for all musical forms has driven her involvement in a diversity of projects. From the indie-folk of Woodpigeon and the sweaty garage sludge of Brenda Vaqueros; grandiose projects abound, nurturing Kenna’s compositional skill and style. Her cherished collaboration with Calgary theatre company, One Yellow Rabbit has offered the unique opportunity to compose for the largest and loudest of instruments, the Calgary Tower’s carillon. To this day, you can still hear the bells of The Calgary Songs Project, an ambitiously transcribed thirty-song playlist of Calgary songwriters spanning thirty years. This work dovetails into her daytime concerns of offering city street singalongs to unsuspecting citizens, and teaching music and songwriting to high school students and anyone interested in uncovering the mysteries of The Song.

What is your residency about? Why is this the perfect place and time for it?

The idea is to collaboratively write a song with anyone who sits down with me regardless of experience or musical training. It’s the perfect place for it because though it is a heritage building, it is experiencing a rebirth. Much like myself!

What excites you about the opportunity here at cSPACE Eau Claire?

The opportunity to be in a downtown setting and accessible and open to the general public is an exciting concept for me.

What do you hope to achieve by the end? What will success look like for you when your residency is complete?

Turns out I was right! Regardless of who you are, there is a song in you!

What’s something outside of work/this residency that brings you joy?

Playing with my 5-year-old daughter, being in nature, cooking, reading and moving in as many different ways as I can. Always moving!

How do values of creativity, community, collaboration, and change resonate with you right now?

Is this a trick question? Those four words are like a mantra for me these days!

What are your aspirations for Calgary as a Creative City? 

To value the work of artists so they can make a living and support their families. The narrative of the “starving artist” is old and boring. How about the story of the thriving artist living in a thriving city? Now that’s a story I want to read!

Socialize 

Artist website: www.kennaburima.com
Find Kenna on all your socials @kennaburima