Catching musician Chersea on her work break at a Lower Mainland music store, you can hear the excitement in her voice.
"I'm thrilled! I'm a one-woman band... I portray my true self through songwriting and melody," she says. "I've been working on my career for two years, and it is finally beginning to snowball. It's wonderful!"
Chersea performs using a loop station, but says she prefers to be considered a "singer-songwriter like anyone else." Her first EP, Grey Matter, was released earlier this year.
She has reason for the optimism; she performs alongside other B.C.-based musicians — veteran rocker WiL, guitarist Zaac Pick, four-piece pop band Rococode and electronic music duo Humans — at the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) Music Café on Saturday, Dec. 6.
The café is a showcase of B.C. market-ready music talent.
It takes place at Garfinkel's during the WFF from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Each artist has a 30-minute set to show off his or her talent, and is expected to perform in front of film and music industry representatives.
Music BC has teamed up with WFF to create the café.
"I'm so honoured. I'm playing with bands that I look up to. I'm acquaintances with Humans, but I've been friends with Rococode for the past three years. It's really neat," Chersea says.
Access to the WFF Music Café is open to industry and festival pass holders, as well as those with a Cinematic 6 pass who will receive a WFF Music Café credential.
Bob D'Eith of Music BC says the café is a no-brainer.
"It is great because there are so many synergies between film and music, obviously in terms of composers, and a lot of songs are used in film and television. It's a great opportunity to work together," he says.
"It's exactly the sort of thing we need in the music industry, because it puts film people with musicians."
Similar events have taken place at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival.
What sort of impact does that have on careers? D'Eith lists the opportunities in getting B.C. music talent in front of international audiences.
"It's massive. It's nice for us to go out under the B.C. banner. We went to Australia last year, to Big Sound (an annual music conference in Brisbane). We've been to South by Southwest in Austin. Reeperbahn (Festival) was in Germany this year and that was excellent. We took (Vancouver band) We Are The City and Rococode and it was really great," D'Eith says.
"It gives us a chance to meet the industry there and connect the dots with them. There is quite a brisk business being done, especially in Germany. It's exciting."
Shauna Hardy Mishaw, WFF executive director, says they are thrilled to be hosting the café: "(It) provides a platform for some of British Columbia's most promising musical artists and to facilitate a connection where film and music can naturally meet. The timing was right for us to make it happen. Thanks to our supporters, music is in the mountains this fest."
