For the first time reader, this column always begins with an explanation of the purpose and process behind every edition of Behind The Curtain. The purpose is simple: discover something exclusive about the artists at the core of the Canadian Blues Collective. When looking for answers, insight, and information that have yet to be put ‘on the record’, the process is both simple and complex. Artists who are both recognizable, and have easily accessible bios, are best suited for this column. It is also imperative for the featured artist to have enough of a biographical foundation to substantiate the desire to search for something more. Each artist is also heavily researched, looking for outstanding curiosities and undocumented answers, before having a direct and exclusive interview. This process provides the look ‘behind the curtain’ that readers seek. It is always encouraged for readers to discover more about the artists featured in this column via other sources; the biographical content featured here is certainly not complete, but rather, intends to justify the curiosities, conversation, and content for this particular investigation.
This month’s instalment quells the curiosities about Geoff Arsenault; a musician who has been immersed in the Canadian Blues music scene for decades. Although best known as a drummer and percussionist, Arsenault has also established himself as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist – and released solo material (first solo album “This Ain’t No Fiction” was released in 2006). With a second solo album (“Voodoo Baby Rattle”, 2010) commercially released, it is fair to say that Arseneault has taken his skills centre stage, and after an impressive career backing other projects, he is also firmly rooted in backing his own. It is this observation that justifies learning more. Understanding the merits of Arsenault’s career, before stepping forward with his solo efforts (he collaborated with artists such as Colin Linden, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Morgan Davis, and Rita MacNeil, to name a few), it’s obvious that he’s been one of the most sought-after drummers/percussionists, in both studio and live environments, prior to taking on his solo career. There’s something in Arsenault’s career that can’t be seen in his biography, and identifying what it is can only be found by (you guessed it) taking a look ‘behind the curtain’ with Geoff Arsenault himself.
With one, very specific, curiosity in mind, the conversation began aimed directly at Arsenault’s solo career, and stepping into the forefront as a multi-instrumentalist. When asked how he became a multi-instrumentalist, he offers:
“Perseverance, and not knowing any better is how I arrived at it. I’ve put in my time, obviously, but pursuing it is the main thing. Pursuit is an important thing, whether it’s drumming, or playing guitar, or putting my songs out there.”
When asked about his approach to sound and skill development, Arsenault’s approach follows the same path:
“Pursuing it by doing it. Experience has been the best way to develop my skillset. The more I do, musically, and the more often I do it, the more I develop as a player – and the more you develop, the more you can develop.”
Knowing pursuit and perseverance are the intangible components to Arsenault’s diverse and ever-developing musical skillset, it makes sense to find out if those threads are sewn deeper. When asked why he plays music, Arsenault’s answer came quickly:
“I play music because I love it. I do prefer to play music as my profession, but I’ve had that love since I was twelve years old, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do what I love professionally. Music is good for the soul, and most people I know in music.”
When asked what advice he would give to aspiring musicians who are looking to follow a path similar to his, Arsenault offers:
“Play with people as much as you can. If you already have an understanding of how to play your instrument, the best teacher is learning and playing “on the fly”. Improvising will certainly make you more musical, and playing with other players is the best way to advance beyond just knowing how to play your instrument.
In closing the conversation, Arsenault was asked what he wants people to know about him as an artist, beyond what they hear, musically:
“Whatever I’m doing, I am doing it with an honest approach. What I’m putting forward, I’m doing it the best way I know how.”
Upon learning more about Geoff Arsenault, it is objectively fair to draw a conclusion that there is indeed a theme of pursuit and perseverance woven through his musical efforts, as a whole. His advice to aspiring artists, his decision to pursue a professional career since the age of twelve, and his continued development as a multi-instrumentalist, are all arguably connected to his unrelenting desire to actively keep doing it.
As this edition of “Behind the Curtain” draws to a close, I trust that readers of all varieties have gained something more about the artist of mention, and it inspires further investigation. Every artist featured in this column has a biographical foundation that cannot be covered here, so it is always encouraged to find out about the music and career that substantiates these conversations. In Geoff Arsenault’s case, insight is provided to readers by investigating an artist who has expended an already formidable career. There is a direct connection to his success in the form of pursuit and perseverance. This article is a regular monthly contribution, published exclusively in the Sound Café magazine with the intention of providing a deeper insight into the Canadian Blues artists who are at the core of the Blues music Collective.
Touring blues musician, Erin McCallum's formal post-secondary education was in media studies (news, radio), graduating from Humber College in Ontario, she went on to be mentored by Canadian News Hall of Fame inductee, Robert Holiday, and she is a regularly published writer in music and investigative journalism, having focused on music for the last six years. Erin has an exclusive monthly column in The Sound Cafe featuring musicians and industry professionals from across Canada who work predominantly in the Blues & Roots genres.
Erin McCallum. Big Voice. Big Sound.
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