By Jim Barber
If music is medication, because it most assuredly is, then those that follow this medication are certainly healers. They could not mend damaged bones, however they will soothe damaged hearts. They’ll’t enhance your circulation, however they will improve the circulate of positivity, empathy, ardour and perseverance in your spirit. They’ll’t carry out open coronary heart surgical procedure, however they’re consultants at open soul surgical procedure.
That music has the ability to heal is now not a discredited and dismissed principle. It’s empirical, evidence-based reality.
For roots/conventional singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin, as somebody with a deep and abiding respect for her Indigenous heritage and its customs, therapeutic practices and the integral method dance and music permeate many Indigenous nations, creating music, performing music and absorbing music as an viewers is a profoundly highly effective medication certainly.
“I don’t assume it’s commonplace Indigenous educating, however I’ve spoken to some elders who shared with me the significance of music. I feel it’s common. I don’t really feel music belongs to anyone, nevertheless it additionally belongs to everyone. It’s not one thing you’ll be able to actually contact and choose up – you’ll be able to choose up the medium it’s recorded onto like a CD – however music made out of a human in entrance of one other human, you’ll be able to’t seize it, however you’ll be able to study from it, you’ll be able to take in it, you’ll be able to carry it in your coronary heart, nevertheless it’s not a ‘factor.’ And I don’t actually know different issues which can be that highly effective on this world. I feel that is smart why individuals use it in worship, in therapeutic, in ceremony, in meditation, in remedy. There’s so some ways it helps individuals,” she mentioned.
“My grandfather was the singer in our household and I feel I get my love for singing from him. He had Alzheimer’s and later in his life all he actually had left was this pleasure for music and performing. He was a really reserved dude however afterward he would simply gentle up with music and his previous songs, and Elvis. Music would carry him again to himself. So, I imagine 100 per cent that music is medication, music is therapeutic. We regularly discuss today about synthetic music, synthetic intelligence taking music away from individuals like us who make it. I don’t assume you could possibly ever take away the ability of an individual making music in entrance of one other particular person. To me, that’s every part.
“Even simply fascinated about it, I put that into not simply music in life. I consider meals as medication. I consider group as medication. There are such a lot of issues which can be interconnected for me. The thought of music as medication, the sharing of music – when individuals sing collectively, when individuals come collectively, when individuals dance collectively we’re all actually therapeutic one thing within us, or on the land, or out within the universe. There’s such a strong power created from that have that’s undeniably therapeutic.”
A toddler of each Abenaki and French-Canadian cultures, O’Bonsawin spent her childhood enmeshed in these communities in northern Ontario, consuming in a deep, reverent connection for the land and all its inhabitants – wildlife alive. It’s the elementary to the best way she goes about her life and her artistry.
Together with her background and life experiences. she understands at a degree that almost all of us can’t, that nature just isn’t a grocery retailer of sources to be exploited, however a fancy, interdependent system of life and power of which people are solely a small half. And this complexity and bounty is one thing for which she says she is going to all the time be grateful. The land is her trainer, her supplier and her inspiration.
“There’s a number of gratitude in my music and in my life. In my private life, creating a very sturdy reference to the land is one thing that I can’t ignore. It’s simply all the time been in me; it’s been in my household. It’s been handed down for generations that this stuff are actually essential in our universe, in my universe. Being grateful for that journey, being grateful for that connection and that studying and relearning – there’s loads to have gratitude for, and a number of house for extra progress. There’s all the time house for studying extra and all the time strengthening that relationship with the land and the world round us.”
O’Bonsawin’s music is mirrored within the very sounds she makes on her devices (together with her exceptionally emotive harp enjoying) and the language she composes to accompany that music. The metaphor of a backyard just isn’t merely a intelligent literary gadget or affectation. It’s a foundational touchstone for her songwriting.
Her songs are infused with shops and imagery of gardens, of planting, nurturing, of seeds, of pruning, the altering seasons, life, demise, rebirth, adaptation, survival and the important co-operative co-existence that’s core to the best way nature endures and thrives.
“[The Songwriting impulse] typically simply comes from experiencing one thing, and it’s usually out on the land. This medication of songwriting, this therapeutic of songwriting it simply occurs and you then see your self mirrored in that and also you’re like, ‘okay, that’s the lesson I wanted to study.’ I feel that solely occurred as soon as I began truly not forcing issues, and actually telling my tales from an genuine expertise. It’s actual issues that I’m dwelling that I’m speaking about and I would like my songs to mirror that,” O’Bonsawin mentioned.
“I made a decision at one level that I’m going to inform my tales, so then I by no means have to fret about if I’m proper or unsuitable. If I’m speaking about issues that I’m dwelling and that I’m seeing and that I’m experiencing and touching, then I’m sharing one thing that’s actual and true. I feel these issues we’re speaking about, nature, rising, planting, being grateful for the earth and every part it offers are simply the issues which can be essential to me and that’s the lens I see the world by means of. I’m simply so fortunate that it truly comes by means of within the songs.”
And it’s a list of songs that has expanded by leaps and bounds even over simply the previous half decade. Elle Danse (EP) got here out in 2020, adopted by the instrumental album Fiddleheads & Ferns in 2022. Spring 2023 noticed the issuance of the masterful 14-song album, Willow, adopted six months later by O’Bonsawin’s first ever French-language album, Boreale. Mimi O’Bonsawin: Dwell in Live performance got here out digitally in 2024, and a brand new studio album is predicted in 2026.
Her’s is a symbiotic, co-operative relationship with nature. It’s shut, intimate, virtually conversational. And it’s mirrored in her relationship along with her life accomplice/husband and musical accompanist, the good and progressive drummer/percussionist, Ryan Schurman. The 2 have been collectively for nearly a decade, and enjoying as a duo for six of these years.
“I had been placing out information and touring earlier than I met Ryan. I had another wonderful musicians in my band on the time and it wasn’t like I mentioned goodbye and forgot them. They’re my brothers and I nonetheless communicate; they’re nonetheless my good pals. So, there was a little bit of a transition from that to what Ryan and I do now. When the pandemic occurred we’d been touring as a DIY duo type of factor and at the moment we determined to make it extra right into a present, so it was a really pure development,” she mentioned, including that there’s a distinctive dynamic as a result of the couple actually are collaborators, however it’s nonetheless O’Bonsawin’s identify on the marquee and on the duvet of the album.
“It’s all the time been a bizarre feeling for me as a result of I don’t need to be the centre of consideration or something like that. And I additionally know that I wouldn’t have the ability to do what I do, the best way I do it, with out Ryan. Everybody who involves our present or who is aware of us can see that Ryan has such a giant half to play in my songs. However I nonetheless write a number of songs all on my own in my little room in our cabin. Later I current them to Ryan after which we work on them collectively after I’ve written them, and he places his little twists and activates them. By this complete factor, there’s ranges the place it all the time begins with me on my own after which Ryan is available in, he provides his stuff after which it goes out into the higher world.
“Onstage, he is sort of a safety blanket for me, as a result of up to now I did tour a bit bit as a solo performer and I used to be a small, younger feminine artist on the highway on my own, I simply don’t assume that I’d need to do this once more. So, we constructed this little unit collectively the place it was like all over the place we go we carry that dwelling, we carry that what I name ‘gnome power.’ It’s my protected house; it’s my consolation zone. And it doesn’t matter what’s happening, whether or not it’s a competition or home live performance, or no matter, I do know that me and Ryan are tight. And I actually, actually respect that. For me I feel that’s what’s helped me discover my confidence, discover my voice, discover my power in my enjoying and my writing, as a result of I’ve that security web there.”
For Schurman’s half, the previous couple of years have seen him evolve as a musician as he and O’Bonsawin navigate their method by means of the music business. With progressive rock chops, and a deft, however hard-hitting fashion, as a percussionist his method has grow to be extra refined and various to match the moods of O’Bonsawin’s songs.
“Not each present is a giant, open, out of doors competition. So, we truly needed to recalibrate and Ryan needed to work actually arduous. And he did work actually arduous, and he completely nailed it by way of being extra percussive, particularly in performing arts centres and smaller venues and never leaning into the drums like in arduous rock. He’s discovered to adapt to the areas we’re enjoying in and adopting a extra storytelling method, and utilizing various things like shakers. I feel for him; the consolation zone was massive drums and it was superior and we each went there. However then we realized there’s truly energy in enjoying much less busy or much less loud in some moments, after which letting it go in different moments. That’s been an entire completely different lens to see the music by means of and I feel it’s actually, actually helped us. We encourage each other to discover extra and despite the fact that it was arduous for him at first, as a result of it’s such a giant change, it rapidly grew to become a little bit of a superpower to the purpose the place he truly prefers to play much less in sure locations as a result of that’s what serves the tune.”
After excursions, the couple retreat again to their beautiful little cabin within the woods; their little Hobbit gap in northeastern Ontario, and revert to their deep sense of interdependence and connection to the land. Having initially moved all the way down to Toronto to embark on her music profession, now this shared homestead offers not solely emotional sustenance and a spot to unwind, to decelerate and revel within the quiet and solitude, but additionally literal sustenance for O’Bonsawin as she maintains gardens, cans preserves and lives off the sweat of her forehead and her data of planting, rising and nurturing. There are these phrases once more!
“I grew up within the bush in northern Ontario. For my complete childhood we all the time lived outdoors of city, so I spent a number of time within the forest on my own and it was like that each one my life, aside from this blip between ages 18 and 26 the place I moved to Toronto. I used to be looking for myself, and that’s a very arduous time in most individuals’s lives. I all the time wished to have this life that was self-sufficient. I all the time dreamt of dwelling my tradition [she is a member of the Odanak First Nation] and talking my language and feeding myself by means of music. However it was all the time this dream that appeared actually distant,” she mentioned of her time in Toronto which, as with all massive life alternative, had its good factors and it’s not-so-good factors.
“I feel I surrounded myself with individuals who weren’t serving these goals. I had individuals round me telling me what to put on, what to do, the right way to play, the right way to write. I had some actually arduous issues to cope with. I used to be informed stuff the place I believed, ‘that is type of bizarre.’ And searching again it was not proper. However within the second, I simply wished to do music so dangerous that I used to be keen to compromise myself a bit bit. Once you’re younger, you have a tendency to try this extra. However now I’m 32, so, no, that’s not taking place once more. However, as an artist, you’re actually inventive when the chaos is throughout you, so I wrote some actually good songs that imply loads to me to today throughout that point interval. Anyone in my household, or anybody who is aware of me would say that I positively blossomed as soon as I met Ryan and he grew to become a part of my life. I feel that was a giant tipping level for me. As an artist, and as an individual who’s truly feeding themselves by means of music, I feel that was a giant second for me.
“I moved to Toronto proper after highschool to maintain engaged on music. And I met a number of actually wonderful individuals. Popping out of highschool, not going to music school or something like that, I simply dove proper into touring and enjoying exhibits and surrounding myself with wonderful session musicians. That, for me, was my schooling. I consider that document I did [her self-titled debut, released in 2014 when she was 21] was very a lot about studying and absorbing as a lot as I may concerning the business and the prices of being an artist. And I additionally made pals with so many wonderful feminine artists, who’re actually my sisters. I really feel particularly as ladies, it’s essential for us to have that circle the place we will discuss to at least one one other. It’s nice to have that community and that outlet, particularly in music. There’s a lot to study from them from the artist facet but additionally on the business facet.”
With an adventurous spirit that has seen her and Ryan tour as far afield as France and Australia, in addition to all through Canada, has opened O’Bonsawin’s thoughts and spirit to different lives lived, different cultures, different music. It’s additionally introduced her into contact with different creators, a few of whom have been deeply inspiring. It has led her to hunt out extra musical collaboration in her profession, with the primary such intertwining of kinds coming within the type of an progressive remix of her tune ‘Elle Danse’ by the groundbreaking and good Boogat, identified for his seamless mixing of conventional Latin American music kinds with fashionable hip hop..
“I approached him as a result of I used to be all the time a brilliant fan of his music. I noticed him play at a competition in Sherbrooke after which we lastly met after and we might discuss forwards and backwards. After I noticed him once more finally 12 months’s Summerfolk in Owen Sound [Ontario]. I requested him, ‘I don’t know if that is your factor, however do you need to possibly reimagine this tune?’ And he was completely into it. So, I initiated it and I’m not all the time the primary particular person to ask for issues that I would like, however I used to be feeling courageous and he was recreation for it, and now we’re good buddies,” she mentioned.
“After we play that tune stay, there’s fairly a bit extra drums in there and it turns into like a dancing second in our present. From the studio model, which we recorded fairly a couple of years in the past to now the place it’s grow to be this participating second within the stay present, it’s picked up a bit extra power. And what I like about music is that on this case it’s kind of folks meets electro with that upbeat power, that danceable power. I feel I believed that was a pocket or groove that he [Boogat] would have the ability to work with. I wished it to have the power that the tune has now in our exhibits, after which his fashion on prime of it.
“We first despatched him a stay model of us enjoying the tune to a metronome after which we type of constructed the entire monitor round that efficiency. We supplied the form of the tune, the skeleton of it and mentioned to him, ‘do your factor,’ and he despatched one thing again to us. It took some time, as a result of I used to be on tour and was actually busy, however then once I lastly heard it I keep in mind considering, ‘oh my God, he nailed it.’ I cherished it. After which I went again and redid the vocals and changed a couple of little issues. However for essentially the most half, he did all of it, and it was so thrilling to get it again and see, ‘wow, that is the way you re-imagine a tune.’ “
The end result speaks for itself as ‘Elle Danse’ now provides a component of elegant modernity, worldwide aptitude and honest-to-goodness infectiousness to what was already a stunning piece of music. The constructive end result has O’Bonsawin considering that maybe extra collaborations, extra re-imaginings and even partnering on music from scratch with different distinctive artists is perhaps within the offing.
“We spent final winter, after we got here again from Australia, recording the brand new album. I’ve all these songs fleshed out and I’m excited to get them out into the world. After which we positively have a few concepts of issues that may very well be re-imagined or revisited sooner or later. And I’m open to it. That is competition season proper now, so we’re going to make pals. We’re going to satisfy another music making buddies and see if possibly a tune resonates with somebody and so they need to reimagine it and even collab on one thing unique,” O’Bonsawin mentioned, including that the brand new document is predicted to be launched on the finish of 2026, with singles beginning to trickle out beginning this fall.
“And for this new document, for the primary time, we invited individuals to type of be on it as particular options. We’ve some very particular individuals, particular friends on this document. However I’m positively open to attempting one thing new. Generally individuals come as much as me and say, ‘are you aware this artist? It’s best to collaborate with them.’ I don’t have a particular plan in thoughts, however I’m open to it.”
The listing of accolades and awards O’Bonsawin has earned over the previous decade or so is spectacular and effectively deserved and, frankly, too prolonged to say (take a look at her web site!!) They’re recognition from friends, from followers, from critics, from the business, from cultural establishments and from communities. They’re proof of the reality of how music can affect hearts and minds, transfer spirits and souls, and make a special for the higher on this world.
“For me, it’s about being accepted right into a group of those that I actually look as much as. For instance, the Trille Or Awards is for francophone artists dwelling outdoors of Quebec [Mimi was named Solo Artist of the Year for 2025], the primary time I obtained nominated for that award I used to be like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m a part of this group now. I’m a part of the scene. I’m a part of this wonderful group if artists making cool music.’ And the identical factor with the Indigenous Music Awards. My first nomination for them was in 2017 and I felt the identical. I’m a part of this group too and possibly I belong right here now. It’s not one thing to simply placed on a shelf, for me it’s a welcome. It’s individuals saying, ‘you’re considered one of us,’” she mentioned.
“It’s encouraging. It makes me need to proceed to do the work. However for me the true feeling comes from profitable over individuals, of constructing an viewers. I used to be in Kingston not too long ago enjoying on the Skeleton Park Arts Pageant. We had performed in Kingston a bunch of occasions again within the day. And I’m fairly positive one of many first occasions I performed to 2 or three individuals. I made fifty bucks and drove again to Toronto. Now, we’re enjoying this nice competition after which there was a road present after the competition in downtown Kingston and there was 150 or so who confirmed up for that, and this was after the competition was over. They had been all singing, dancing and cheering.
“And for me, it was a little bit of an emotional expertise as a result of I believed, all that point spent enjoying exhibits with two or three individuals, after which truly being invited again to play, and we now have all these individuals popping out eager to share this expertise with us. To me, meaning greater than something. So, awards are wonderful, and I feel it’s actually essential to acknowledge individuals for the work they do. However I’m a musician who likes to play, so having individuals come out to your present is the most effective. That’s the continuing award for me.”
On the horizon, O’Bonsawin goals of enjoying even additional afield that she already has, excited to embrace the chance to satisfy new individuals and expertise new cultures and methods of dwelling and creating music.
“I’d like to play music in, like Norway or one thing. I’d additionally actually like to go play music at some cool festivals in like, Senegal or any African nation the place individuals actually like to bop and really feel good. We’ve accomplished a few small exhibits down in Mexico, so enjoying in South America, or Mexico once more or Central America can be simply superior,” she mentioned.
For extra data, go to Mimi O’Bonsawin on her social media accounts, or https://www.mimi.ca.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and creator based mostly in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. Moreover his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising specialist and is an avid volunteer in his group. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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