Howdy all! 

It's been ages since I've put out a newsletter so I thought I'd get back at it. We all seem to be cautiously crawling out of the pandemic fog. I was one of the lucky ones as I've been surrounded by my family throughout and with my studio here at home, I've had lots to keep me busy.

Here's a few newsworthy items for you regarding what I've been doing.

We just finished producing our online Vancouver Island MusicFest. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, lots of beautiful, heartfelt performances. We filmed and edited quite a bit of the 25 hours of programming ourselves and had a blast doing it. It's all on the website and free to come watch so check it out. 

I've been busy in my studio producing CDs for Lisa Rose (Argentina), Loops (Kamloops), Wayne Levesque (Bella Coola) and my own duo project with my dear friend, Linda McRae (Nashville). Lisa's CD is being manufactured right now and I can't wait for you to hear it! The others are still in production. I have grown to love being in the studio and now that the world is becoming safe again, I think I might just stay here a bit more often! 

In response to the horrible discoveries at Residential Schools in Canada, I have started a group with my friend Mark Greenhalgh, called Canadian Artists for Reconciliation and Education. We simply wanted to try to do something beyond make comments on social media, so that's what we are doing. We will be hosting panels (the first one is free and available to watch on the website), we have a resource page with suggested reading and watching (being looked after by the very resourceful Maria Dunn - thanks Maria!), a discussion forum, a video page featuring Artists who are speaking out and more. 

We are new at this and look forward to contributions from all who want to join us. 

You don't have to be an Artist to join, just interested in how we can help the world heal. Please join us. 

My weekly, two-hour radio show, Random Play has just been picked up by CKVS (The Voice of Shuswap Community Radio) in Salmon Arm and can be heard there Saturdays from 4 to 6. 

You can now listen in Tofino/Ucluelet (Tuff City Radio), Nanaimo (CHLY FM), Kamloops (The Ex) and now, Salmon Arm! It is my intention to take over the worlds airwaves with good music!! 

You can also listen online to previous shows here. 

Last but not least, I actually have a couple of gigs (!) coming up with my friend, Jeff Plankenhorn. Jeff and I met in Austin, through our mutual friend and musical colleague, BettySoo and we actually ended up doing a couple of gigs together there. Fast forward a few years and oddly enough, Jeff ends up in Campbell River, just north of where I live here on Vancouver Island. So...what the heck...let's play! 

Find out about upcoming gigs here. 

Thanks for reading! One more thing, I have enclosed a free download of something I wrote in the 90's, The Blues Came to Canada. I wrote this in response to my frustration with what they didn't teach us in school about real Canadian History. It was something I researched at the time and I was pretty proud to put it out and have my friends join me on recording it. I hope you enjoy it and perhaps, learn something about Canada you didn't know. I do love it here, warts and all. See you all down the road! 

Doug Cox