Gunnar Roads, stage name for Vancouver blues guitarist Alex Rolfs, knows what to expect this time around when he takes the stage July 2 at Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival.
The performance will be Rolf’s third at the festival and his first since 2008.
“I’m still really excited, because the last two times, I had a great time. The audience is always responding,” he said.
The 15-year-old guitarist has made a name for himself performing alongside blues musicians such as Norman Sylvester and at regional festivals such as the Rogue Valley Blues Festival in Ashland, Ore.
But he put his budding music career on the back burner while completing his freshman year of high school. He put together the latest iteration of his band about two months ago, shortly before his father and manager, Hank Rolfs, e-mailed the Waterfront Blues Festival, inquiring about a slot on the bill.
“It was perfect timing,” Alex said.
Alex said that fans should expect a more rock-driven and contemporary sound at the festival. “We have a really good mixture of genres,” he said.
VSAA student’s musical composition comes to life
Vancouver School of Arts and Academics student Drew Swatosh recently had the chance not only to hear one of his compositions performed but also to take part in bringing the piece to life.
“In Flanders Fields,” a composition for piano and choir by Swatosh, a 17-year-old Vancouver resident, was performed at VSAA earlier this month.
Swatosh sang as part of the choir, though focusing on singing was challenging given the excitement of hearing his piece performed live.
“You’re trying to take in so much and contribute at the same time,” he said.
Swatosh, who studies piano with Salmon Creek teacher Elizabeth Ackerman, had entered “In Flanders Fields” in the Washington State Music Teachers Association’s 2010 Young Composers Project. He took first place in the 11th-grade category for his composition, which set the like-titled World War I poem by Canadian Lt. Col. John McCrae to music.
Swatosh hopes to pursue music composition as a career, and this was the first time he’d ever had a piece performed by people besides himself. He’s currently working on a one-act musical.
Realtor promotes Vancouver online
Realtor Dale Chumbley spends much of his time on the job playing tour guide for people considering relocating to Vancouver.
“They want to know what there is to do in this area,” said Chumbley, a 40-year-old Vancouver native and 1988 Mountain View High School graduate. Given that he found himself answering the same questions over and over, he decided to put together a website.
In February, he launched “365 Things to Do in Vancouver” on his website, http://clarkcountyrealestateguide.com, as well as on Facebook. The Facebook page has about 10,500 fans.
Every day, Chumbley posts a blog entry and video. “I’m actually even forcing myself to venture out and try new places and explore as well,” he said.
He receives pitches from businesses to write about them, but he says he does not take any freebies so he can maintain integrity.
Chumbley said he’s having a lot of fun with the project, his way of debunking the joke that “the only thing to do in Vancouver is go to Portland.”
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