Faces
Vancouver Musician & Instructor Wins 12 Awards for Her Debut Short Documentary on Rick Kilburn
Vancouver , BC-based musician , music teacher , industry professional , and now first-time short documentary film director Kerilie McDowall has earned over a dozen awards and received an additional 10 nominations for her film In the Zone : Rick Kilburn . The short film documents the life and career of Juno Award-winning Canadian jazz bassist and producer Rick Kilburn , who has performed with artists ranging from Chilliwack and Mose Allison to Dave Brubeck and Chet Baker .
Most recently , In the Zone : Rick Kilburn earned McDowall the award for Best Director from the Seoul Short Film Festival in South Korea . McDowall and her cast and team were also thrilled to learn that the film won another Best Short Documentary Award at the Japan International Film Festival in October 2022 , for a twelfth award after having received the Best Short Documentary for the 2021 Hong Kong International Short Film Festival . McDowall released her first short documentary film prior to the pandemic on March 17 , 2020 , at Shaw Spotlight with the assistance of Todd Jones , Jocelyn Matwe , and the Shaw Spotlight television team . She has been mentored in television directing , hosting , and producing for seven years by Shaw Spotlight as a volunteer .
KERILIE MCDOWALL
As a bassist-composer , Kilburn spent over a decade in New York learning the craft of production while performing as a professional bassist with famous American jazz icons .
McDowall has been focused on jazz , documenting different recording artists and guests through writing and radio spanning two decades and seven years of television work . She has also worked as a jazz guitarist and bandleader in Vancouver . Kerilie is a guitarist and instructor , freelance writer / publicist , Polaris Music Prize juror , past Juno Award and Canadian Musicians Cooperative judge , and currently judges the DownBeat Critics Poll .
Brockville ’ s Canada Music Academy & All You Need Music Celebrates Milestone Anniversaries
The Canada Music Academy music school , as well as its accompanying MI store , All You Need Music , in Brockville , ON have each reached a milestone anniversary and their founder and director , Samia O ’ Day , says it ’ s time to give back . Canada Music Academy is celebrating its 25 th anniversary , while All You Need Music is marking its 15 th anniversary .
“ We ’ ll be offering free online music workshops throughout 2023 as our way of thanking the community ,” says O ’ Day . “ It ’ s been our privilege to have educated and encouraged over 20,000 students over the years .”
With locations around Ontario in Toronto , Ottawa , Waterloo , and Kingston , as well as one in Montreal , and a strong online presence , the Canada Music Academy works with accomplished teachers across the country to nurture young musicians . O ’ Day is proud of the variety of musical instruments taught ,
CANADA MUSIC ACADEMY ’ S 25 TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT and the scope of the school ’ s international reach .
“ Our teachers and students speak some 40 different languages , and teach students across Canada and online around the world , but music is the one language they all share ,” O ’ Day says . “ In these times of division , coming together through music uplifts students and audiences as one .”
At a recent Culture Days youth concert at Wall Street United Church in Brockville , ON , the audience enjoyed jazz and classical piano , classical guitar , and Broadway songs . Having local access to high-quality musical education and performance is O ’ Day ’ s passion .
“ Music can bring about positive change , contributing to our social wellbeing and to our intellectual development . Studies prove that we can maintain a higher IQ and better memory throughout our lives when we have played a musical instrument during our lifetime .”
All You Need Music is also marking a significant anniversary , with special events in store and online from Nov . 15 th to Dec . 15 th , and an anniversary giveaway draw of four Yamaha musical instruments .
“ We just hit our 15 th anniversary . We survived the pandemic ” O ’ Day says . “ That proves that people value making music .”
SAMIA O ’ DAY
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 19