Winston interviews Don Kerr
Don Kerr is widely billed as ‘Canada’s pre-eminent urban landscape percussionist’. Though this honorific is well deserved, it somewhat obscures the full range of Kerr’s artistic activities. He sings and plays drums, cello, and tenor guitar. Kerr has played with Ron Sexsmith since 1987 and was a member of The Rheostatics. He has a recording studio in his home called The Rooster, where he works as a highly respected producer. Kerr created and illustrated The Sniffing Princess And The Sweet-Tooth Prince, a children's book and accompanying CD. He has invented and built many musical instruments; notably, the Salad Bowl Banjo, The Hydrophone and the Canadian Talking Drum. Kerr lives in Toronto with his wife, the playwright and novelist Claudia Dey, and their son, Dove.
Kerr recently sat down with Winston, our esteemed mascot, in anticipation of hosting Totsapalooza, a TINARS For Tots event celebrating the DIY spirit in music, books and crafts, on Saturday, January 24 at the Gladstone Hotel Ballroom.
W: What was the first instrument you ever made?
D: In 1976, I made a whole drum set by hitting an easy chair with my mom’s largest pair of knitting needles.
W: Describe your “Canadian Talking Drum”.
D: It’s a hand drum, played with one hand, while the other arm squeezes several metres of shoelace material connecting two old drum skins that are mounted with coiled wire on two recycled broken speaker baskets placed end to end, with a found-lumber spacer. I once played it onstage at Carnegie Hall, and once in front of Prince Charles. He danced.
W: Where do you stand on that perennial conundrum: rock, paper, or scissors?
D: Rock. Always rock. Never stop rocking. Rock to the top, slide down, rock back up again.
-Scissors? -Paper? No thanks!
W: How would you define the “DIY” (Do It Yourself) aesthetic?
D: You don’t have to do everything by yourself. It is really good to have friends, so you can help each other. But DIY means: invent, create, produce, enjoy, and spread the joy… all without heeding the “rules”, “experts” and “professionals”.
W: What five songs would you put on a mix-tape celebrating the DIY ethos in Canada?
D: How about I name 5 great Canadian artists who are very DIY?
– Veda Hille is a true original in all of her songs. Her song Lucklucky contains a nod to the old Hockey Night in Canada theme!
– Hidden Cameras are always coming up with exciting percussive, choral and string arrangements…with dancers!
– Paul Linklater plays most of the instruments on his 48 song debut cd “Smooth Sailing and How!”
– Kurt Swinghammer paints, plays many instruments, write great songs, soundtracks, and he smells great!
– Sho Mo and the Monkey Bunch are fully DIY, recording at home, playing, singing… they even made their own baby! His name is Henry.
W: Who is your favourite character in Winnie The Pooh’s 100 Acre Wood?
D: I like Piglet.
I like Benjamin Hoff’s books, The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet.
W: Publishing your own book is a massive undertaking. Did you have any models for doing so when you set about making The Sniffing Princess & The Sweet Toothed Prince?
D: My friend, Erella Vent, had published a tiny book about her brain tumor. She helped me a lot.
W: Did you start the process of creating Sniffing Princess with the story, the drawings or the songs? Or did all three come at once?
D: I started it when travelling in Europe for the first time. I had pressed so many wildflowers in my notebook that I worried I might cause some level of deforestation. I finished the story in Newfoundland, then I made a flip book which inspired the first song. After that, I put it all together with the help of some friends.
W: What books are currently on your bedside table?
D: All books about urban farming… Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems, GreenTOpia, Going Local, Plan B 3.0, The One Straw Revolution, Sufficient… I am completely obsessed with growing food in the city.
W: Do you believe animals really get together and stage indie rock shows when humans are sleeping, like they do in Punk Farm by Jarrett J Krosoczka?
D: Absolutely. My pet rats played very complex progressive rock back in the seventies, why not cows and sheep?
W: You have assembled a stellar lineup of musical acts for TOTSAPALOOZA. A lot of folks are really looking forward to your event. Myself included.
D: Thanks, Winston! Nice hanging out with you.
Don Kerr will host TOTSAPALOOZA, an afternoon celebrating the DIY spirit in music, books and crafts featuring the Blue Bin Band (Doug Friesen, Tyler Kerr and Paul Linklater). Special guests include author and musician Dave Bidini and Sho, Mo & The Monkey Bunch!– A TINARS For Tots event presented by Pages Books & Magazines, Bunch, Gladstone Hotel and The Little Paper.
