MIA artists of past and present perform at Fanshawe Live for Juno week

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: PROVIDED BY SNEAKER CLUB, SARINA HAGGARTY AND LOST IN JAPAN
Music Industry Arts (MIA) grads Lost In Japan (left), Sneaker Club (middle) and Sarina Haggarty (right) are part of the Fanshawe Live: Dundas Place Event lineup.

With so many things going on for Juno week, it can be hard to keep track of everything. Something that should be on the top of your list, however, is the Fanshawe Live: Dundas Place event, happening at the London Downtown Campus.

This street festival will be the first community event held on the newly finished Dundas flex street. It will feature attractions like an outdoor skating rink, giant swings, a photo booth, games, giveaways, Fanshawe 106.9 The X and even a performance by Juno-nominated children's performers Splash'N Boots.

One of the most noteworthy happenings of all will be performances by current and past Fanshawe alumni on The Outdoor and Chef's Table stages. The showcase celebrates the talented students that have developed through the Music Industry Arts (MIA) program.

Sarina Haggarty is a first-year MIA student who was excited to get the invitation to perform at this and other Juno week events.

“It means a lot to me being asked to be a part of the Juno week and also Fanshawe Live,” Haggarty said. “I am looking forward to everyday coming up this week and honoured to be involved.”

MIA second year student, Daniel Wagg, is the frontman for the upbeat indie rock group Sneaker Club. He echoed Haggarty's sentiments and said he can't wait to perform at the new flex street.

“It feels really great for us to be recognized by the College as someone they'd like to showcase. We're really looking forward to the environment that Fanshawe Live is taking place in. There's a lot of stuff that'll be going on around the music, which makes for a really well rounded show,” he said.

With London being a smaller- scale city than past hosts, Wagg noted the benefits this will provide to artists and concert -goers.

“People are going to be able to witness some of Canada's most talented artists in spaces, and venues that are a lot more intimate than you'd normally see them, which is incredible. It also allows artists of varying levels of success to interact and perform with each other,” Wagg said.

Alumna JoJo Worthington, who's made a big name for herself in the industry since graduating several years ago, will also be performing. She looked back fondly on her time performing in the London industry and is happy to see it gaining more and more recognition in recent years.

“It's definitely a unique city. When I was living here, I remember there were a lot of opportunities for MIA students. I'm happy to hear that more opportunities have been created and the music scene is growing. Now that the Junos are being hosted here, hopefully that means more opportunities for artists,” Worthington said.

She went on to note the impact that MIA specifically had in fueling her career in the industry.

“I owe basically all of my performance agility and understanding of technology to MIA. The program helped me become a better creator and pushed me to become a producer,” Worthington said.

Lost In Japan frontman Addison Johnson also credits MIA as having a big impact on their success.

“Fanshawe is kind of where Lost In Japan found its roots so it's nice to be playing and we're excited for the event,” he said. “MIA made a huge difference with how we see the music industry…Whenever we have to make decisions or have to plan for events we always find ourselves coming back to the lessons we learned at Fanshawe.”

Johnson also recognized how valuable support from the community and peers has been to their development.

“It's really incredible how many bands you will see at other band's shows to support! The music scene here is definitely growing. There's never been a better time to be a musician in London than right now,” he said.

With all these amazing artists and several more performing, Fanshawe Live: Dundas Place is a show you don't want to miss! More information on the event can be found at www.fanshawec.ca/about-fanshawe/corporate-info/fanshawe-live-dundas-place.