December came and went in what feels like a heartbeat.  To be honest, I’m not a fan of the hyped up commercial aspect of Christmas. Where I find the spirit of the season is in it bringing friends and family together.

I offer a heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out to support the first ever U22 Fundraiser in December.  The Haven Social Club donated their space and supporters filled the room.  The entertainment was stellar!  Folk music icon and U22 mentor Karla Anderson kicked off the evening with a fantastic set and was followed by U22 artists, Robert Mulder, Tatum Williams, The Juice, Marty Pawlina, Ty Cerda and mentors band, Wool on Wolves.  It was truly a night to remember.

The most magical time of year for me is New Years.  It causes me to pause and take a look at where we have been and ruminate on where we want to go next. There have been so many fantastic things happening for U22.  So much has been accomplished and yet there is so much more to achieve by way of providing mentorship and inspiration to so many more young musical Albertans!

Speaking of New Year’s Eve, U22 was just thrilled to be invited to perform on New Year’s Eve at the CBC Center Stage!  Many thanks to Lyra Brown, Sarah & Charlotte Command and Joe Nolan for providing top notch, crowd pleasing entertainment to the masses who came inside Edmonton Center to escape the frigid temperatures!

2010 will focus on the direction of U22.  My primary focus will remain true to our mission statement :  “To provide mentorship, inspiration and credible performance opportunities to Alberta songwriters aged 22 and under.”   Mentorship is heart of  the program and inspiration is the soul.  Watch for great things to come!