The Ontarion

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Earthquake in Haiti page 9

Drag racing

161.2

Jan. 21 - 27, 2010

www.theontarion.ca

The Student Body: concerns with our health

see page 10 [ Hillside Inside: what you didn’t know A look into the work that goes into a day l o ng, mu l t i - a r t i s t music festival BRIAN GILLIS Hillside Festival takes place at Guelph Lake every July. One of Canada’s leading summer music events, its popularity has lead to the Hillside Inside festival. Taking place at the Sleeman Centre in downtown Guelph each February for the past two years, the festival will return for its third instalment on Feb. 6th. Both festivals are massive undertakings, showcasing nationally and internationally recognized artists within the realm of world, folk, indie and Can-rock. Both attempt to provide attendees with a qualitative musical experience; one that balances tasteful execution with rapid fire delivery, allowing patrons to see and hear as much as possible without any details falling to the wayside. The festival boasts about its accessibility, green initiatives and top-notch sound quality. Most

importantly, though, both festivals employ a very capable team of people to execute the artistic vision so closely associated with the ethos of the community event. Having had an opportunity to chat with versatile Hillside office manager Paula Perri, some details regarding the organizational aspects of Hillside Inside were exposed. Booking artists is obviously one of the main components of putting together a music festival. When asked about this process, Perri said “it is (artistic director) Sam Baijal’s vision when it comes to programming. The bookings reflect a mix of both vision and artist availability.” According to Perri, a ‘wish list’ of artists is compiled by Baijal, and when the bookings commence, the touring schedules of the artists is the deciding factor as to whether or not they will play. Replacements are those artists who have either approached the festival via booking agents, or have been approached by Baijal. “He has a great ear as to what is on the cusp of the Canadian music

scene,” said Perri. But when creating the bill for each respective festival, it essentially comes down to “who will put on a great show, who we are expecting to have in the audience, and who is available to perform.” Another main component of music festival organization is stage logistics. Hillside is held in the Guelph Lake Conservation area, and boasts four stages located throughout the park. Hillside Inside attempts to recreate this outdoor multi-stage vibe by placing two stages end to end on what is otherwise an ice rink. “It is important to have two stages streamlined,” says Perri. By having two stages operating simultaneously, a “seamless” musical experience is created, allowing for a hefty number of artists to perform in a short amount of time. In order to insure that the dual stage streamline runs smoothly, two teams are required, one for each stage. Each stage employs the likes of a stage manager, front of house sound tech, lighting tech, monitor tech, backline tech, patch chord

jockeys, riggers, stage builders and a volunteer team of 35 to 50 people, all overseen by the technical director Jon Haliwell (who is also responsible for tech direction at the summer rendition). It is no mean feat, as indicated by Perri’s enthusiasm regarding the staging; “it’s a well oiled machine. It’s so cool to watch.” Lastly, our conversation veered in the direction of the marketing aspects of the festival, which differs from the summer event. According to Perri, there are different demographics attending the summer and winter festivals. Summer Hillside is both a tourist and local attraction, where the winter festival is geared more towards the university student population, providing those who aren’t around during the summer an opportunity to get a little Hillside action. That demographic alteration, coupled with the reality that summer Hillside has been around for 26 years and sells out well in advance, indicates that marketing needs for >

SEE “HILLSIDE”, PAGE 7

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