Oliver Schroer-Smithers

Oliver Schroer: SMITHERS
(Big Dog Music, 2007)

Check out some sound bytes

Caitlin’s Smile
Jenna’s Boogie
Lauren’s Waltz
Tip!

PLEASE NOTE: As there has been a sudden very sharp increase in demand for Oliver's CD's, allow a few extra weeks for delivery until orders stabilize once more. You can also purchase Oliver's CD's at CD Baby or certain fine stores.

Thank You
Angela, Webmaster and CD shipper

Oliver writes about ‘SMITHERS’

Last march, the community of Smithers in northern BC put on a big fundraiser for me. I was facing a major medical crisis, having been diagnosed with leukemia. Circumstances being what they were, I never got to properly thank the community for the major outpouring of support and also, for the many years I got to share my music and ideas with them. This was a very fruitful and creative time for me. I discovered myself as a teacher during my time in Smithers. I had taught a bit before that, but I had no idea that teaching young people lay so close to my heart.

I decided to write a tune for every one of the young people I had taught up there. It was a tall order, but I started whittling away on it until I ground to a halt because of the wretched effects of chemo.

After the first week of my second chemo, I got a visit from Emilyn Stam, one of my fiddle students from Smithers. (I have been teaching Emilyn since she was maybe thirteen.) Emilyn is a talented pianist as well. She dragged an electric piano up to my hospital room and we played together for several days. It was energizing for me to play – good for the soul. I tried out some of the Smithers repertoire on Emilyn, and she did such a good job that I got re-inspired to work on the music. We made a plan for her to come back to Ontario at some point to record the material. We were both excited. Now all I had to do is finish the rest of the tunes! Bit by bit, in the hospital, between sleeping and throwing up, I whittled away at this job until the tunes were done. I couldn’t quite believe it. Fifty nine tunes!

Emilyn flew to Toronto and we recorded for three intense days in early October. Coincidentally, it was Thanksgiving weekend – a perfect time to record a thank you album!

Of course Emilyn knows all of these children as well, so she added her unique perspective to each of these portraits. And that is what these tunes are: little portraits, vignettes, snapshots, and sometimes, challenges. I hope you like them.

This double CD of fiddle tunes leans to the traditional, but only marginally. There are lots of pretty melodies and quirky odd things that would not fit into an old tyme session. And with that many tunes, there is a huge range of tunes, from to sublime to the goofy.

Tune book is also available .

And for me the funnest thing about the Smithers project – I kept it a secret from the community all the way through. We have a long history of finding creative ways fo pull the wool over each others’ eyes.