The 2021 Vancouver Island MusicFest B次元官网网址� The Virtual Edition B次元官网网址� will be like no other festival executive producer Doug Cox has ever put together.
And while there have been many challenges new to him, there have been plenty of opportunities as well.
One such opportunity is the ability to promote the beauty of Comox Valley as a whole. With the entire community at his disposal, Cox and his team took the show to the great outdoors.
Many of the segments were filmed outside, highlighting B次元官网网址渂eautiful, natural British ColumbiaB次元官网网址� in a way no other music festival has done.
The Comox Valley acquired its name from local Indigenous PeoplesB次元官网网址� term for B次元官网网址楲and of Plenty.B次元官网网址� On the weekend of July 9-11, the Land of Plenty will be showcased to the world and live-streamed by Black Press.
There are segments shot on Hornby Island, at the Number Six Mine Park in Cumberland, at Comox Lake (with the iconic Comox Glacier in the background), at 40 Knots Winery, Ships Point, and even at Crown Isle Golf Resort.
B次元官网网址淲hat we tried to do was shoot in some of the areas that are iconic to the Valley,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a little bit funky and itB次元官网网址檚 really cool.B次元官网网址�
Attracting future artists, tourists
Cox said featuring the beauty of the Valley will prove to be a useful tool not only for attracting artists to future MusicFests but also as a tourism hook on the whole.
B次元官网网址淔or our funding this year, through the Ministry of Tourism, part of what we pitched was we told them we were going to feature the Comox Valley and its surroundings more than we ever have - not just the arts, but also the areas around here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o that was an interesting challenge - how can we support North Island tourism when people arenB次元官网网址檛 even allowed to come here. ThatB次元官网网址檚 another huge part of why we are doing it this way.
B次元官网网址淎nd it was really nice to be able to support some of the sponsors as wellB次元官网网址� for us to get to bring our artists to places like Crown Isle, who have supported us so greatly all these years, and give them exposure, I think that is a really great thing.B次元官网网址�
Cox said despite the wet spring, the weather cooperated, for the most part.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had two planned shoots on Mount Washington that we.. had to postponeB次元官网网址�. But other than that, weB次元官网网址檝e had a few rainy days, but we have been pretty lucky so far, with our shooting days.B次元官网网址�
A Mount Washington shoot was completed on July 20, with Helen Austin as the featured artist.
In addition to the scenery, Vancouver Island talent will shine like never before.
Due to the ongoing travel restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the aforementioned challenges for the 2021 festival was lining up enough performers to create segments featuring the local scenery.
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B次元官网网址淲e pretty well had to shoot only artists who could leave and go back home on the same day,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淪o that was the focus. Certainly, restrictions are loosening now, but even three weeks ago, that was a major concern.B次元官网网址�
Fortunately for Cox, the Comox ValleyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址楲and of PlentyB次元官网网址� moniker is not restricted to its natural beauty. There is a cornucopia of musical talent in the community as well.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 worked out really well,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淔or one, it would have been really hard to arrange and accommodate a lot of acts from outside B.C, with what we are trying to do here, just because of all the restrictions due to the pandemic. But we also made a conscious decision to focus more on home to try and just support our local sceneB次元官网网址次元官网网址�
While there are more local acts than other years, the 2021 Vancouver Island MusicFest will still have an abundance of talent from other parts of the province, and the country.
It will have an international flair to it as well, with segments shot in Austin, Texas, a B次元官网网址榖ehind the scenesB次元官网网址� look at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama, and even a one-hour segment shot in and around Scotland.
(Watch for a feature on those segments in an upcoming article.)
For more information on Vancouver Island MusicFest - The Virtual Edition, visit i
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