briancauley.ca inspiration through creation.brian@briancauley.ca
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in the dark: banff – part two
earlier i mentioned starting a weekly listening series with Alyssa Moxley based around London’s In the Dark. this past week we played 4 pieces, 3 short 1 long, all centred around identity. the first 3 come from The [Un]Observed, an online audio magazine. the first piece is from an art installation that plays an electronic [...]
in the dark: banff – part one
here at the banff centre i am privileged to have access to a room dedicated to listening. padded walls, plush couches, dimmed lights, and a sound system worth more than you can shake a stick at make up the perfect environment for truly experiencing audio. so, when freelance audio storyteller and journalist Paolo Pietropalo came [...]
learning how to sculpt a story.
earlier in the year i had the opportunity to spend the day with CBC Executive Producer Denise Ball. Denise has been with the CBC for over 20 years and is responsible for shows like In Concert, Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, and Stuart McLean’s History of Canada. she sat and listened to some of my [...]
how to be healthy.
if you know me you probably know that i try to live a very healthy lifestysyle. when i say this you may think i’m talking about exercise, or food, or taking vitamins. you are right. i also consider health to mean mental stability, a balanced work and social life, and more. i never really understood [...]
artistic chances.
people say the banff centre is someplace special. people from all over the world come to this secluded, elevated, mountain town to focus on art with little to no hassles of life. there is housing, their is food, there are gyms and hot tubs and clean air. experts in all fields come to teach, train, [...]
in banff.
i arrived in banff, ab almost exactly one week ago. from the airport in calgary to the bus ride up to the second most elevated community in canada, all elements seemed both foreign and familiar. the trip reminded me of my trip to antigonish, ns eight years ago for university. however, when i awoke about [...]
family traditions.
tradition, both old and new, keeps us tied to the things that bind and keeps us bound. traditions can be used as crutches, allowing us to avoid change and keep things the same. traditions can also be used to showcase and celebrate a growing evolution amongst a group. every year half my family gathers in [...]
new band: find the others.
find the others is the solo project of toronto-based guitar player, andy sheppard. to say this is a “solo project” however does disservice to the conglomeration of artists and art-forms that sheppard brings together to weave the tapestry that are his albums. during his live shows, videos from matt hilliard-forde (buck 65, emm gryner) & [...]
there are no good people.
after listening to a recent episode of this american life on the penn state, jerry sandusky sex scandal i returned to my thoughts on good/bad people vs. good/bad choices. the episode begins by painting a picture of penn state two years before the scandal – a school completely in support of head coach joe paterno [...]
toronto’s new budget
ok, there’s a lot of talk about the ford administration’s proposed 2012 budget for the city of toronto. from two days of public deputations only a few weeks into the preliminary meetings before a jan 17 vote, most of that talk seems to be opposed to the severe cuts, property tax increase, and unfair targeting [...]
tomboy.
the new drama from céline sciamma, tomboy, wraps you into a world of childhood innocence & playfulness that we all long to return to. unfortunately, for main character mikael this world is threatened by his female body. born as laure, 10 year-old mikael is happier as a boy. his younger sister loves her older brother [...]
new journals.
ok, so the title doesn’t sound super exciting unless you are a writer like me and geek out over moleskines, paperweights, and typefaces. however, what everyone likes is a good contest. the nice people at jukebox print tend to do a lot of these and i just won two custom journals.i turn to these fine [...]
new christmas song.
it’s rare these days that a new christmas song is written that still captures childhood wonder. sure, musical treasure sufjan stevens has tried his hand and done a pretty good job. she & him are a little to cute for my liking and come across like an overbearing mother (i’ll still listen the same way [...]
roundtable on OccupyTO.
here is a roundtable discussion with Councillor Gord Perks & members of Occupy Toronto i did for CIUT 89.5 FM.
my take on hetero dating.
dear internet, a precursor to this article: do not take anything too literally. there are always exceptions to every rule and generalization. i’ve lived in and around the city (toronto i mean) for most of my life. i’ve lived downtown (which is super convenient for dating and other things) for just over 2 years. i’ve [...]
startup weekend toronto.
this past weekend toronto hosted its third startup weekend. startup weekend toronto takes a select number of ideas from participants and helps move those ideas to a full concept that is judged by industry professionals, all in 54 hours. the process begins with participants voting on sixty-second pitches presented by other participants. after several are [...]
isolation.
now i wake from slumber sadder than ever lost in the knowledge this silence is worse than sleep reminded of empty spaces i am forced to live in where there is nowhere to scream out too no where to reach i would call you and tell you i love you [...]
static mixtape.
it’s been months that i’ve followed the conception, birth, and growth of toronto-based static zine. from writers and bloggers aviva cohen, jessica lewis, and melody lamb comes a fresh and authentic take on toronto arts and culture that feels superconnected. what particularly warms my heart, what i feel completely encapsulates the loving spirit of this ‘zine, [...]
melancholia.
as i left the theatre to rumblings of mixed reviews i was transfixed on notions of impermanence and death. director lars von trier‘s most recent film, melancholia, deals with both the mental stability and instability in what we can not possibly know or control. set around events leading to a possible collision of planet melancholia [...]
ramblings on welfare.
recently my american grandmother sent me the article below in an email. it talks about one person’s solution to the “welfare state”. while i am not taking a stance on either side of that debate, i do hate a poor argument. below is a poor argument and my response: This was written by a 21 [...]
new band high highs.
listening to bbc 6′s tom robinson introducing i discovered this band, high highs. if you like grizzly bear or fleet foxes i think you’ll enjoy them too.
new band beacon.
i just discovered this band beacon. i listened to their ep, no body and seriously dare you not to completely chill-out while listening. super enjoyable.
the many faces of james murphy.
recently my grandfather turned eighty. to mark this milestone various celebrations were planned including a surprise party in kansas. part of the surprise is this video tribute i made. the many faces of james murphy. from Brian Cauley on Vimeo.
stand as one, inspire many.
The best role model is someone who is not only where you want to be one day, but has also been where you are right now. recently walrus author heather cleland blogged about rick mercer’s recent rant on gay teen suicide. while she discussed the potential shortfall of mercer not coming out during his “we have [...]
social.
