COMMUNIQUE ... editors: Beverley Cairns & Patricia Reimer
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PROFILE __________________ Summer 2009
Howie Southwood Musician, Drummer interview by
Patricia Reimer Music is a big part of the collective
psyche. Just imagine what the
world would be like without any music.
Life has a soundtrack and it includes everything from the music we
listen to deliberately and consciously at concerts and on the stereo to
having the radio on while we drive.
It also includes the music we hear subconsciously like the soundtrack
of a movie or the background musak in the grocery store or while on hold on
the phone. It’s easy even for
musicians to take music for granted however local resident and professional
drummer Howie Southwood has spent much of his adult life connecting with
music on a daily basis.
Howie Southwood was
born in Cape Town, South Africa and made his way to Canada in 1963, via
England. He is the middle son of
three boys. His father who was a
school teacher and carpenter and his stay-at-home mom were not particularly
musical and did not even encourage him to pursue a career in music. Howie became interested in music is
his high school years and remembers seeing a snare drum in the window of
Woolworths in Renfrew. “I was
immediately fascinated by its shiny, red-rimmed appearance.” At the same time, he had a friend
named Paul who had a rec room filled with musical instruments – guitars and
all sorts of drums. When
he was around 15, his parents bought him that snare drum from Woolworths and
a cymbal to go along with it. To
that, Howie added one piece at a time until he had his own drum kit. He began playing at home and although
he didn’t study music at school, he began to be influenced by the slow,
romantic ballads of Glen Campbell, and the guitar playing of Jimmy
Hendricks. He also liked Chicago
with its horn band sound and Blood Sweat and Tears. Later he recalls being intrigued with swing jazz and
developed into a “rock player with jazz sensibilities.” In
1972, and without any formal training, Howie auditioned for York University’s
jazz program. Here he studied
with Robin Engelmann of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and began to master
the drummer’s challenge of the independence of 4 limbs. “People think that anyone can just
sit down and play drums, but there is a reason why percussionists spend years
learning how. ” Playing a full complement of drums and cymbals in a trap set
is like playing many instruments each with its own separate rhythm - all at
the same time. Howie was
catapulted into international success when he joined the East Coast Canadian
Celtic rock group Rawlins Cross.
This six-member group became very popular all across Canada because it
straddled a unique position:
“…one foot in the elegant Celtic traditions of Scots and Irish music,
the other boldly planted in the pop and rock world…” They write all their own music pushing
the limits of pop music. Their
sound is produced from a diverse assortment of instruments including vocals,
guitars, mandolin, banjo, piano, accordions, harmonica, Chapman Stick,
highland bagpipes, tin whistles, trumpet and of course drums. Rawlins Cross has toured
extensively – through South America, Mexico, Europe including Germany, France
and Denmark, the United States and Canada. They have produced seven albums, won 6 East Coast Music
Awards and been nominated for two Junos. A personal highlight for Howie was the band’s performance
at the East Coast Music Awards to an audience of more that two million
viewers. “It was nice to finally
be asked to perform on the actual show.”
In 1989, Howie married artist Marilyn Koop and later that year their
daughter Katie was born. Five
years after that, the family moved to Elora. They wanted to be closer to their Ontario relatives and
Elora seemed like the perfect place.
“It’s a great artistic community with a rich musical identity.” He continued to tour with the band,
doing a little carpentry on the side to fill in the gaps. By the turn of the millennium, the
members of Rawlins Cross decided to wind down the band. “It wasn’t the end, just a hiatus so
the musicians could pursue other projects.” Meanwhile,
Howie began jamming at the Dalby with Randal Coryell, Kevin Breit and Jeff
Bird. It was out of these “Coal
bin improvising sessions” that the Potion Kings (the official band of
the Village Idiots) was born.
Howie is one of the founding members of the Village Idiots – an
artist-run production company.
Together with visual artists Marilyn Koop and Trish Breit, and
musicians Gwen Swick, Randall Coryell and Kevin Breit, he produces arts
events and shows. “With such a
wealth of local talent, we not only have great access to amazing soloists,
but have the Potion Kings to
back them up.” In the
spring of 2008, the six original members of Rawlins Cross reunited to produce
a retrospective CD entitled Rawlins
Cross: Anthology. It is a compilation of remastered
songs from their previous albums as well as four new tunes. The group is making plans to tour in
the 2010; check out their website at http://www.rawlinscross.com/ for
further updates. Locally,
Howie may be heard (almost) every Saturday night from 6:00 – 9:00 at 13 Mill
Street. There he plays in a jazz
trio which includes guitarist Dave Thompson and bass player Mark Heine. “We
play some jazz standards but also some more obscure tunes – to keep thing interesting
and challenging.” Howie enjoys living in Elora. “Both Marilyn and I love that we can
just walk downtown and compared to the coast, the weather is great!” He appreciates the local audiences as
well. “They are really
supportive and enthusiastic. The
Village Idiots is a nice group of people to work with and it’s easy to find
volunteers to help out.” Whether
you listen to his numerous Rawlins Cross recordings or hear him playing his
drums live in an intimate jazz setting, you can always be sure that you will
hear a musician with a passion and energy that will keep you coming back for
more.
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The newsletter of the Elora Arts
Council is published four times a year. It is distributed by mail to EAC members.
It is also available at information offices, libraries and numerous galleries
and stores throughout the area. The Communique has been in
constant publication since the founding of the Elora Arts Council in 1985. Featured in each issue is the
Profile of a local artist, musician, performer, or craftsperson in the Centre
Wellington area. _____________________ |