Strong women in leading roles inspires funk band's school workshop program

On a tour that My Son the Hurricane’s Danno O’Shea calls “the greatest tour of our lives” during which the band will share stage time with giants like The Flaming Lips and July Talk, the group has taken time out to schedule a number of school workshops and all-ages shows. Two of those shows will happen right here in O’Shea’s hometown.

On Monday, April 23, My Son the Hurricane (MSTH) will play for students at Boreal French Immersion Public School followed by a performance at White Pines C&VS Tuesday afternoon.

There are a number of reasons for booking such stops, the Sir James Dunn graduate told SooToday. Topping the list is the fact that MSTH features two strong women in leading roles – singer Sylvie Annette Kindree and baritone sax player Victoria Cox.

“There’s a lot of young women who are coming up to us and saying how important it is for them to see a really strong woman leading the band, and seeing a really strong woman playing one of our lead instruments. There’s just not enough of that,” O’Shea explained. “To see 10 guys fall in line in those moments and become the support system I think is pretty important for young women. I don’t know when I saw that when I was younger.”

Combatting boredom on the road and filling typically slow weekday spots is another factor. Booking a gig on an off night is difficult for any band, but for a 14-piece rap funk group this can be especially challenging.

“The idea was to think outside the box… and we’ve always wanted to show off less frequently played instruments especially to people playing them, and a lot of times those are kids in music programs,” he said. “So, we’ve been bringing this program all over Ontario and into Manitoba next month.”

MSTH’s workshop program involves a scaled back version of the band offering a multi-song performance followed by a discussion about the instruments and the musicians playing them. This allows the band to show off a number instruments in a different context than high school band music.

The goal is to also inspire educators and music teachers, O’Shea said. At each school show, a teacher is invited to join them on stage to play with the band. It’s not always successful, “but that’s part of the fun.”

The reaction to the program from both students and faculty has been amazing thus far, he said. But band members also get something out of the experience.

“If you (as a musician) don’t feel fulfilled at the end of these shows, I don’t think anything ever will,” he said. “We’re lucky that we get to do them because we’re fulfilled on the fact that we are helping our band and business during the week, but we’re also helping some faculty, we’re helping the students out and we’re giving some positive male and female role models which is super important to us. Then we get back on the bus and play these big shows which is really scratching all itches.”

O’Shea hasn’t seen many other bands offer education programs like this, but he suggests they give it a go.

“Maybe it’s because no one wants to get up at 8 a.m. for a gig,” he joked.

Although these workshop performances are not open to the general public, local non-school-aged fans will have the opportunity to catch MSTH when they play Loplops on July 29.