#YYCRocksforRecovery – A Huge Success!

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#yycrocksforrecovery, addiction, Alberta, believe, Calgary, community, compassion, courage, dancing, Diana Schwenk, Events, Fundraising, generosity, giving, Hump Day Chronicles, joy, kindness, Kings Head Pub, music, non-profit, passion, Purpose, recovery, Relationships, TLB Group

Wow – YYC Rocks for recovery raised $4,300!

Enough to provide a safe and sober Oxford home for two individuals for more than a year!

The energy and support at King’s Head Pub on Sunday, October 16^th for YYC Rocks for Recovery was palpable. 

Personally, and as a representative of Oxford House, I am so grateful to the TLB Group and its many volunteers who manned the door, sold wares, ran the auction, emceed the event, and who knows what else; King’s Head Pub, who provided all the food for volunteers; the Twenty-eight super talented bands who rocked the house down all afternoon and into the early hours of the morning; the amazing sponsors, the silent auction donors, and those who attended.

What a night!

I mean, how often can you get to see such high quality talent from so many musicians for $10 at the door these days? And each and every band played for free, played for Oxford House, played for the love of their craft – many sticking around after their set to support their fellow musicians.

Tracey, my coworker and I volunteered for a shift at the door early in the afternoon. The TLB volunteers were so welcoming and took the time to explain what we needed to do. It didn’t take me long to hand over the cover-charge-taking and tracking duties to Tracey who is the Financial Coordinator at Oxford House and way more proficient at these things than I am. That left me free to do the hand stamping, free haircut coupon distribution and the directing of musicians and volunteers to where they needed to go. The volunteer door shift was a blast.  One could feel the good vibes that came in with attendees.

Much to my pleasant surprise, my long-time friend Carmen whom I ran into by chance the day before on 17^th Avenue, showed up with her niece Stephanie to support the event. Carmen bid on several auction items, the last of which lit her face up like a Christmas tree when she won it. She can’t wait to take her friend from Montana on a guided fly fishing tour on the Bow River.

Mike Robertson, who donated the package for the auction stopped by to chat with us and was thrilled that Carmen was so happy about her upcoming fishing adventure. “I’ve been in recovery for thirteen years,” Mike told us. “And when I heard about YYC Rocks for Recovery I just had to do my little part.”

And that same spirit of generosity permeated the entire event. I was so blown away by everyone involved – it was ‘community in action’, coming together as one to rock the world of individuals in recovery.

Enjoy the photo gallery below

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And now a little taste of the stage and people thoroughly enjoying themselves on the dance floor…

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

For more information on the TLB Group

For WAY more photos and videos: YYC Rocks for Recovery Event Page

For more information about Oxford House

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A jam session and reunion

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13th Avenue Blues Band, Blues, Calgary, Diana Schwenk, friends, growing up, Hump Day Chronicles, living in the moment, love, memories, music, Relationships, reunion

Rob Webster, Annelie McKenzie, Herb White, Sue Webster and Guy Plecash of the 13th Avenue Blues Band in the 1990s

IN THE EARLY 90’s the 13th Avenue Blues Band was formed with members Herb White, Guy Plecash, Annelie McKenzie, Rob and Sue Webster.

They played weekly at The Mustard Seed Street Ministry when it was located at 521 13th Avenue SW.

They gave Amazing Grace a raw bluesy feel and took classics like Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven’s Door to a whole new level.

Suffice it to say that the 13th Avenue Blues Band was the favourite house band.

Well that was almost two decades ago.

Recently Annelie came back to Calgary to visit. Back in the 90s she was a cool 15-year-old drummer.

More recently, she’s been living in LA for 14 years. She recently completed her Masters in Fine Arts and loves her life south of the border.

On Saturday seven of us gathered to talk about the good old days and watch three of the original band members engage in a jam session.

Herb arranged this reunion of sorts when he caught wind that Annelie was visiting. He offered Cornerstone Youth Centre ,where he is the executive director, as the place that we could meet up.

Cornerstone provides a place for kids to go after school. One of the programs kids can participate in is the music program; and cornerstone has the coolest music room to facilitate that.

Photos of many of my favourite artists of the past hang in the music room. Greats like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and more.

Once we spent some time catching up, Herb, Guy and Annelie headed to the music room and played together. It didn’t take them long to get in sync with each other again. They played some of their old covers and Herb played some of his new originals with the others joining in.

The rest of us watched and danced and sang along to the songs we knew. A great time was had by all.

Below some pictures I took on Saturday.

Guy and Herb

Annelie: drums

Herb: guitar and vocals. Guy: Keyboard and vocals

Karen, Guy and Herb

Herb and Bruce

Annelie and Audrey

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

I always enjoy getting together with people I haven’t seen in a while. Do you like reunions? What one reunion did you attend that had the most years since the last time you saw an old friend? Can you play a musical instrument? Which instrument?

A Master of all Traits?

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200 words, adapt, community, dancing, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, gifts, happy, mission, music, Purpose, skills, talents, Who I am

A community is like a ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm. ~ Henrik Ibsen

I’m not sure I agree with the above statement.

A Master of all Traits?

Everyone has unique gifts and talents and no one can do everything.

Sure we can adapt and take on a different role for a period of time, or perhaps even forever, but we won’t be happy and we won’t do as good a job as could be done.

The other night we went to see a Reggae band. They were playing. We were dancing.

And every now and then the drummer broke into a burst of drum banging that had nothing to do with the music playing.

The band would stop, have a mini meeting on stage, switch instruments and start over.

It was pretty impressive how they could all play every instrument but they weren’t in tune with each other and it sure didn’t do anything for the listener or us poor Smucks who just wanted to dance.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Does it make sense to you for everyone to be able to take the helm?

Why? Why not?

In 1973 God blew a Big Bazooka Bubble

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angels, Art, caring, children, Christmas, creativity, Diana Schwenk, Eric Schachter, Events, generosity, God, growing up, imagination, joy, kindness, memories, music, parents, teacher

He helped me spread out my wings and taught me to fly..

For me the 1973/74 school year is one I will always remember fondly.

I was incredibly shy back then – painfully so. Up until the 5^th grade my only wish was to blend in, to be invisible.

But Grade 5 would change all that. Grade 5 would give me an opportunity to spread my wings.

Enter Mr. Schachter – a 28 year-old, long and curly-haired, brilliant and unconventional teacher.

Eric, as he insisted we call him, brought me out of my shell and taught me to love the Arts.

While all the other teachers focussed on the 3 R’s (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic), Eric inspired us to write long and imaginative compositions.

He taught us to play musical instruments like the autoharp and guitar.

Other times we would sit and listen to records with our eyes closed and once we had a dancing contest, in which I won a 45 – Smokin’ in the Boys Room.

I also joined the after school video club where we created animated films by shooting a few frames, changing the position of paper cut-out characters or clay figures, and then shooting a few more frames and so on.

Or we would make people appear or disappear using the same method. These shorts films were magical and so satisfying to create!

My favourite memory though, has to be the Christmas play we produced.

We had been divided into groups of 4 -6 kids and each group was tasked with the responsibility of creating a short skit that portrayed what Christmas meant to us.

My group did a family scene. I was the mother and Mr. Schachter was thrilled with my costume, saying he knew he could count on me to come up with something excellent.

I had stuffed one of Mom’s bras and wore a turtleneck, skirt and low-heeled shoes – that’s what Moms in the 70s looked like, right?

All the groups had practiced our skits but none of us knew how the play would come together. All we knew was our own skit and that we would all sing a song we’d practiced in class at the end.

When the stage curtains opened on the night of the play, the audience was greeted by none other than God (a football player-sized black boy who blew a big Bazooka Gum bubble)

I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that Vance, who played God, improvised his entire part.

One-by-one our little groups went out onto the stage and performed our skits and Vance, a-hem – I mean God, would share his thoughts about the goings-on after each group was done.

In the end, the theme that had threaded itself throughout the play was love.

When you strip away everything else – love remains.

Then we sang our finale – All you need is love by the Beatles.

It wasn’t a traditional Christmas play. It wasn’t what our parents were expecting, I’m sure.

Later I’d learned that Dad had turned to Mom and asked who that guitar-playing hippy was.

“That’s Diana’s teacher,” Mom said.

To which Dad just raised his eyebrows in bewildered amusement.

Many times since then I’ve searched for Eric Schachter.

You see, he left before the year ended. I’m guessing he was a little too unconventional for some folks at that time.

I can still remember the Monday morning that we showed up to find the Vice Principal was our substitute teacher.

He didn’t tell us why…

only that Mr. Schachter was gone and that he had left a little something for each of us in our desks.

I reached into my desk and found a Neil Diamond Album. It came with a card.

Dearest Diana,

I was thrilled to find that I’d kept this card!

I’d send you a horse for Christmas but I can’t find a big enough envelope. I’m sure that you have had a good year, you are a person who is strong and able to make the best of life. I often see your warm and smiling face in my imagination. Even if we never meet again I shall always feel for you and be wishing God to smile down on you. You are probably as tall as me by now, and a lot prettier!

All my best wishes for the new year and the changing seasons.

All my love, Eric

I still google his name every now and then but remain unsuccessful in my search.

Eric Schachter, if you’re out there somewhere and happen to read this post…

I just want to say THANK YOU for helping me spread out my wings and teaching me to fly.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

There are people who like angels come into your life for a brief time yet manage to colour your world beautiful and change your life forever.

I’d love to hear about your angels in the comment section.

Dancing – Hell Ya!

Tags

Blues, Country, Dance, Diana Schwenk, Mikeys Juke and Eatery, music, Two Step

Dancing – A lot of people are intimidated by it and think they need to drink copious amounts of alcohol before stepping out onto the dance floor.  And that, my friends, is a dang shame!

I love how other cultures consider dancing something you learn as a matter-of-fact part of growing up just as one learns to walk and talk.

They seem to ‘feel’ the music and watching them so free and graceful in movement is a beautiful thing.

Music and dancing are so ingrained in their culture and daily lives.

I’m a huge fan of dancing.

The way I see it, it’s a great way to have fun and exercise all at once.

It’s not unusual for me to walk into a dancing establishment and head straight for the dance floor.

Truth be told  – I’m not a technical dancer (more the free-style hot-dogging variety)

and I’m still desperately trying to learn how to ‘follow.’

It’s not a Feminist I-am-woman-hear-me-roar because ‘I want to be in charge’ thing.

I just struggle with following.

I went to Mikey’s Juke and Eatery on Saturday night to help a friend celebrate her birthday. Mikey’s is a great place to chill out with down-to-earth people – a neighbourhood bar with many regular customers.

They have a tasty menu selection and believe me; they’re not in business for the money – I do advocate tipping well though – the staff are super friendly and work hard.

Mikey’s does it for the love of music and the joyful expression of dancing.

Mikey’s usually books Blues bands, but in honour of the Calgary Stampede they booked a Country band. Now I’m not a huge fan of Country, but I gotta say, it’s growing on me!

It had been a long time since I went out dancing – too long in fact! Luckily three delightful and patient gents took turns dancing with me throughout the night.

Although they knew how to Two Step well, they didn’t judge me

[A-HEM]

for not being as well-versed as they were

– they took the time to show me how it’s done.

I asked one of them if he thought I was finally getting it.

He just laughed and asked me if I was having fun.

“Yes, I’m having a great time!!”

“Me too,” he said, still laughing.

Aside from the rubbery legs I had the next day, the thing that seemed to hurt the most was my cheeks.

Must have been the big smile that was pasted on my face the whole night and all the laughing I did!

I’m not sure why I love dancing so much. Maybe it’s the one child-like expression of joy left to me as a grown up.

Maybe it’s the way that music and dancing connects people, even if you’ve never met before. Sure, I wish I was better at following, but when I’m concentrating on that it becomes more like work and less like fun.

So I’m thinking…maybe technique isn’t as important as feeling the music…

…letting it awaken your spirit and seep into your body inspiring you to move

in an instinctual response to the beat.

Hell ya – Country is growing on me!

In the mood for Two Steppin’? Watch the video below

Does music make you silently pray that no one will ask you to dance?

or does it make you jump out of your seat and dance?