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Townsman, 1991-09, Page 7There's an almost mystical aura about Lorccna McKennitt, a spiritual quality that transcends from the artist to the haunting cry of the talisman that is her music. The bewitching soprano, that projects the imagery of the stories and tales, accompanied by the beautiful, sometimes plaintiff, always compelling sound of the Celtic harp, enshrouds the listener in a cloak of enchantment. Yet, as much a part of this sensitive artist, encapsulated under a glorious, strawberry -blonde mane of hair, is the more rigid mind of a business person, who has taken her career under hcr own regime and seen it flourish. Having recently com- pleted her fourth album, The Visit, the first under contract to Warner Broth- ers, she is still at the helm, and steer- ing her own course. The recording is under Ms McKennitt's own label, Quinlan Road Productions, but Warn- ers is responsible for licensing the fin- ished product. What has proven to be a winning combination of unique talent and entrepeneurship is, in essence, Lorccna McKennitt, an individual per- haps best described as eclectic. She possesses a creative energy coupled with a need for control of her princi- ples and opinions. Her music, she describes as, "a multi -genre" kind of music. It has elements of folk, with clas- sical textures and traditional contempo- rary sound woven throughout the arrangements. "It's [her music] elements of a lot and very much reflective of my audience," the modern-day troubadour says. "And I'm personally interested in a wide range of musical styles. I listen to everything from Gregorian chants to Dire Straits." The unique flavouring of her music is enhanced as well, by a band that encompasses a diverse realm of musical backgrounds. Her guitarist is deeply rooted in jazz and rock, her bass player rehearsed in jazz and contempo- rary, while her cellist is pop and folk - oriented. McKennitt's musical history is classical and folk. "My music is a direct extension of my own life, my own curiosity, my own beliefs." As for her conviction to princi- ples, she feels strongly that the arts are being cheapened. "Dancing, theatre, music, mime, were important vehicles, which we have managed to `ghettoize' into a sport or simply for entertainment. I feel strongly that though my music should entertain, that it should as well, be a vehicle to provoke, inspire or soothe," she says pointedly. Most definitely, Lorccna McKennitt is not a person who can he pigeon- holed. The multi -faceted persona she has developed over her 34 years took hcr from a child with the atypical anath- ema to piano lessons, to one with a strong conviction to her music. In an earlier interview with a Walkerton pub- lication, Ms McKennitt was quoted as saying that she began taking piano lessons at the age of five as a young girl growing up in the quiet prairie town of Morden, Manitoba, and like a typical five year old, hated it. "My mother had to sit with me for five years to make sure I practised," she said. She eventually overcame, however, that early indifference and went on to earn hcr Grade X, from the Royal Con- servatory. She regards her piano teacher as the inspiration behind the change in view. "She conducted a children's choir Piano teacher was her inspiration as well, and if she taught you piano, it was a requirement that you belong to the choir, too," Ms McKennitt said, defining the drive and commitment of her teacher. The artist, herself, also had five years of vocal training. The youthful choir was an impres- sive vocal group, Ms McKennitt says, particularly for a place the size of Mor- den (population 3,500) and her mentor was a woman who was "very unique in terms of the depth and scope of her cre- ative energy". Never was there an idea too large or beyond the realms of possi- bility when it came to channeling her creativity into productivity. "When she brought someone in to choreograph our children's choir, she brought in some members of the Royal Winnipeg pallet," Ms McKennitt, states underlining it with tones of awed respect. "She was my strongest influence, not just crcatRcls but in entrepreneurship. It is from her that I got the courage and know ledge to he ahlc to say, 'I want to do it this way.'" So deep was the attachment and so strong the desire to continue to learn under the instructor's tutelage that when the woman moved to Winnipeg. a young Lorccna travelled 80 miles by bus every Saturday morning, departing al 7:45 and not returning until 12 hour, later, in order that she night continue receiving classical music training lions the one who had given her so much in terns of personal and creative learning and growth. llcr introduction to the world of folk music began in Grade 12, while a stu- dent at the private girls school, Bal- moral Hall, in Winnipeg. "there w as a coffee house nearby where we wOuId kis and sit and listen 10 folk ntusi: R\ then 1 had a guitar and I was inspired. h), what I was hearing to write a hit." Then, according to Ms McKennitt, the oppor- tunity to perforin at the club came up and that was the beginning of what has eventually led to a career and to the roots of her Irish -Scottish heritage and Celtic music. "It was difficult at that time to sus- tain oneself, so I still wasn't taking it all that seriously. Furthemmre, I had now really planned on music as a career," she said, adding that her primary inten- tion was to enter the professional world as a veterinarian. She was by this Inci enrolled in her first year at the Universi- ty of Manitoba to study Agriculture. "My curiosity was piqued as to how far I could make it in the music industry. knew I would have to make a choice soon, CVen of it was a temporary one, so decided to choose music, with the idea that if it didn't work out I could always go hack to school... For a time she did combine her love of animals with her love of performing and creating music and describes it as the most idyllic time of her career. Her father, she said, was a livestock dealer, who had an office at the Winnipeg Stockyards. He hired her to come in and do bookwork for him. After, she would go down to the auction ring and work there feeding and watering the livestock Then when night arrived, her second life began. "I was doing a sort of enL i f,u TOWNSMAN/SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER1991 5