• Home
  • About
    • Sandra's blog
    • Sandra's story
  • Music
    • Sandra's Store
    • Cluster Stars Song Book
    • Music and Lyric Videos
    • Artist's Notes
    • Lyrics
  • Photos
    • Launch of Sandra's short film, A Woman's Voice
    • New section
    • Photo shoot for a new song, soon to be released
    • 2019 Indigenous Music Awards
    • Esquao Awards
    • Native American Music Awards
    • Canadian Folk Music Awards
    • Indian Summer Festival
    • Cluster Stars
    • Through the Years
    • Album release party
  • Concerts
  • Media
    • News Releases
    • Press Coverage
    • Audio Interviews
    • Awards and Performances
    • Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards
  • Contact

Sandra Sutter

  • Home
  • About
    • Sandra's blog
    • Sandra's story
  • Music
    • Sandra's Store
    • Cluster Stars Song Book
    • Music and Lyric Videos
    • Artist's Notes
    • Lyrics
  • Photos
    • Launch of Sandra's short film, A Woman's Voice
    • New section
    • Photo shoot for a new song, soon to be released
    • 2019 Indigenous Music Awards
    • Esquao Awards
    • Native American Music Awards
    • Canadian Folk Music Awards
    • Indian Summer Festival
    • Cluster Stars
    • Through the Years
    • Album release party
  • Concerts
  • Media
    • News Releases
    • Press Coverage
    • Audio Interviews
    • Awards and Performances
    • Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards
  • Contact

The Making of Aurora 12

“Aurora 12 songs are meant to ignite an emotional spark that I hope will warm the heart of every listener. ” - Sandra Sutter

Artist Notes 

Christmas can be a sad and lonely time for many people, as I’ve witnessed first-hand through my involvement with the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary and its support for the homeless. Coupled with the commercialization of Christmas and the focus on Christianity, the season can feel isolating for those less fortunate or who happen to follow a non-Christian path. 

I’ve long wanted to create a body of work that includes the aspects of the Christmas Season that are common to all, so that traditional Indigenous spirituality and non-Christian religions might also be able to participate in the season in a meaningful way. 

Aurora 12 is an inclusive collection of songs that is grounded in the inherent beauty of earth, air, fire and water – the four elements that make up Mother Earth for Indigenous people and that everyone can relate to in their own special way. That’s why this album is a mix of new songs with some Indigenous overtones, along with a few traditional Christmas songs. 

This project actually began last year with the release of two songs on the Fireside album – Burn in Me and There was a Child – but we ran out of time, so we used these to test the appetite for a mix of traditional and non-traditional Christmas music that stretch the boundaries beyond sleigh bells and tinsel. 

Mission accomplished! Produced in collaboration with Juno Award winning producer Chris Burke-Gaffney, with creative support from Indigenous Music Hall of Famer Vince Fontaine and musical contributions from long-time friend and former bandmate, Rob Ing, I think we’ve put together a collection of songs that will be sure to bring light, comfort and joy to everyone during this festive season!

Aurora Borealis 

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Whitehorse over the last several years where I fell in love with the city and its beautiful natural surroundings. I’ve been there in every season of the year and had an opportunity to view the northern lights, as well as listen to the stories of Elders about how the lights represent the spirits of our ancestors. 

There are so many stories about the Northern lights. They dance in the night sky, they sing to us, they remind us who we are, and they connect us to the Creator and our dreams. When we look up at the northern lights, we are forever changed. We are infused with wonder and, in some ways, become more open. 

I wrote the lyrics to this song while on an airplane, feeling closer to the Aurora Borealis than when my feet are planted firmly on the ground. Chris added some key elements to the lyrics about the open sky and Vince added the line, the dance of the northern lights. This was truly a collaborative effort that brought together a song inspired by the Aurora Borealis. 

Little Angel 

This song had its start many years ago when Rob and I were spending a bit of time co-writing and playing in our cover band, This Side Up. He had started writing a song about his young daughter, Katrina, following the breakup of his marriage that separated him from his daughter. It was a difficult time for everyone. 

Over the next decade, life got busy for both of us and the song was set aside. We approached the song again briefly last year, but it didn’t make the cut along with other songs that didn’t evolve in time for Christmas. 

Finally, I decided to show Chris what we had and he jumped on it. In the studio last summer, I realized this song really needs a male/female in the vocals, since that’s how every child is created, setting aside medical intervention. 

This song is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It’s meant to remind people who are isolated from their family – separated by circumstance, distance of death – that we are always there with them. We simply have to close our eyes and reach out for our loved ones in our hearts and in our minds. 

Winter Wonderland 

I love the way this song evolved! A few years ago, I met a young man from Cold Lake First Nation in an Indigenous community-industry relations course that I was taking at the University of Alberta. He was 19 or 20 and his father and I were friends already, having met through the Circle for Aboriginal Relations. 

Deion’s father, James, told me his son was a very talented beat boxer. I actually had no idea what he was talking about then, since I’ve never been involved with hip hop music. Last winter, Deion and his dad were campaigning together for Deion’s bid for a seat on the Cold Lake First Nation council. 

Deion (who was successful in his bid later that year) and I ended up sitting with James and a few other friends and family in a hotel restaurant where Deion demonstrated his talent as a beat boxer. We were the only ones there. I sang a slow ballad and Deion beat boxed along to it, adjusting to the tempo and mood on the fly. It was incredible! 

Fast forward to this summer when I was trying to explain to Chris and Vince my vision was for including Deion in O Holy Night. Chris suggested we switch to Winter Wonderland and the rest is history. We are all very pleased with Deion’s contribution to this piece, and he has expanded his musical circle through Brendan Lyons, our Edmonton studio and engineer. 

Hypnotized 

Winter can be so magical. In the frozen quiet, it’s easy to settle into yourself and feel at one with nature. Hoar frost, frozen water on tree limbs… The trees in a forest are connected both above and below ground. 

I think of evergreens protecting us, watching over us as we traverse the land and, to many, they symbolize Christmas. 

The mist you sometimes see hanging over moving water on cold winter mornings is magical, particularly when hoar frost clings to the trees. Seeing that kind of beauty in nature, walking on a crisp quiet winter day, is heavenly and sometimes even hypnotizing. 

Those are the images and feelings that inspired this song. 

Little Drummer Boy 

Although many people can’t afford to buy expensive gifts, we all have precious gifts and talents to offer, and they are so much more meaningful when shared with love and generosity of spirit. 

I love the message of the Little Drummer Boy, one of my favourite traditional Christmas songs. I imagine recreating that nativity scene in Canada, where animals – such as the fox and bear – are more prevalent than camels. 

The song was easily adapted to some of the imagery of Canada and it’s easy to envision the same little drummer boy, dressed in a parka and toque, singing and drumming during as his family and friends celebrate the arrival of a new, blessed child into a northern community. 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 

Simply, this song is expresses my deepest wish for a happy festive season for you, your family and friends, with my sincere hope that somewhere down the road we will be able to celebrate safely together again. 

Sparkling Lights 

This is another song that was written on a plane, with Chris supplying the music afterwards. Fun and a bit swingy/jazzy, it’s a piece meant to create a vision in your mind’s eye of a time when we could gather to celebrate Christmas. 

This song also touches on the importance of storytelling and a trust in innocence, which is part of the Christmas story! 

It’s a dreamy little ditty. 

O Holy Night 

Another classic and one of my all-time favorites. 

Whether or not you are a Christian, the Christmas story brings hope to many. We can all be inspired to believe that hope is real and that we are supported in this life by nature, love and faith in God and the Creator. 

We can humbly celebrate coming together, despite our differences. We are all connected, and we intrinsically and joyously recognize that. 

After every night falls, the sun always rises to light the way. So it is with despair and joy. Resting in the darkness and anticipating the coming day is a wonderful respite from the busyness of today’s strange world. 

Standing People 

This song started as a walk along the trapline in my mind. Standing people – the trees – are a big part of life in North America. Without the standing people, we would not survive. 

Like the song Hypnotized, Standing People recognizes the connection of trees in forests, both above and below the ground. 

I feel especially connected when I am walking in the forest. The trees are the first to tell us when we are contributing to the health or harm of our environment. Standing People are eternal. Lightning strikes Mother Earth and heals her, adding energy to areas where healing is needed. 

This is a dream song, with the trees singing with us as they watch the antics of the human race on this planet. Earth, air, fire and water – all key to the health of the trees, as well as ourselves. 

There Was A Child 

Released in December 2019, this song reflects one of the founding themes of this album. Love creates life and sustains it. Sometimes we don’t recognize the gift of love, even when it’s right in front of us. It’s not about presents, it’s all about presence. 

Burn In Me 

Christmas is a time to reflect on relationships, to forgive and unite in our families and communities. Love and acceptance can warm our hearts to the point where we release the coldness that causes separation. Togetherness, like a rock quarry made of individual stones, is a natural result of letting go of things that do not serve us in our relationships. 

First Christmas 

How does a baby or toddler experience the Christmas season and all of its trappings? 

First Christmas came from the thought of how a tiny infant could contribute to humanity. Every child, every person has a similar story. Children are such a blessing. What a beautiful gift, to everyone who gets to be with a child and experience the world through their eyes. 

I believe the dreams and hopes we hold for our children also help us to renew dreams and hope in ourselves.

The Making of Cluster Stars

“It is intended as a bridge between worldviews, an opportunity for people to explore their own thoughts and feelings, and a safe space for expression and healing.” - Sandra Sutter

Artist Notes 

Cluster Stars  was named by the two Elders who pushed me for years to produce this body of work, (Chief) Dr. Reg Crow Shoe and Rose Crow Shoe (also Crowshoe). These beautiful Elders from Piikani First Nation in southern Alberta work tirelessly to increase understanding between Peoples and to practice the traditional ways of the People. They are bundle holders, pipe carriers and lodge keepers and also teach in western institutions. Reg is a published author, in addition to carrying thousands of stories and songs in the oral tradition of the Blackfoot People. Their family tipi has a design with stories that encapsulate the theme of this recording. The sun or moon shining through the tipi casts the design of the cluster stars on the floor of the teepee and creates ethical space in which to share and communicate respectfully and safely. Reg and Rose say that “music is a connection to the stars, that’s when all creation becomes alive”.   

This project is meant to provide a platform for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to be able to (begin, in some cases) understand some of the current and historical issues affecting and contributing to First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Canada today. It is intended as a bridge between worldviews, an opportunity for people to explore their own thoughts and feelings, and a safe space for expression and healing.   

I met Vince Fontaine at an INDspire Awards show in Calgary a couple of years ago. We have a mutual friend, Andrea McLandress, who speaks very highly of him and of his music. After hearing the music of Indian City and Eagle and Hawk, and understanding the gentle genius of the man a little better, he was a natural fit for the Cluster Stars project. When I presented him with protocol, he responded as one would hope, and it has gone well for us ever since. Vince has been working with Chris Burke-Gaffney for decades and selected Chris to join us in the production and to engineer the album.   

I can’t say enough about the valuable contributions of Vince Fontaine and Chris Burke-Gaffney to the success of this project. Their gifts of music, creativity and focus brought this cluster of songs into an amazing constellation of sensitivity, tranquillity and emotional connection. Their ideas and auditory visioning more than accomplished the objective of capturing the intended spirit and emotional meaning behind each piece. Having said that, I also believe that beauty (and art) is in the eye and ear of the beholder, and so is interpretation.   

Lyrically and musically, these songs are Elder approved. That’s assuring for me, as we began this journey with a traditional ceremony and protocol. It was important and meaningful that the solemnity that inspired this project was respected and understood.   

Additionally, like the way the songs were treated, lovingly, and in a way that made them more than they were before the three of us came together, I was provided with a safe nest in which to bring my voice and ideas to be better than I was outside of the project team. It was a remarkable experience, and one that has changed me for the better, and changed my expectation of what the project is about and who it is for.   

It is for all people. It is not mine, and it does not belong to the three of us. It belongs to the earth, the sky, the wind and the water, and to the Star People. It will help all of us, together, to experience the love of the Creator. 

Behind the Songs

Mountain Song  

Flowing from the Indigenous spiritual belief that we are one with nature, Mountain Song is about our ancestors calling us to remember them, to learn from them and to stay connected with nature. The message is quite simple: if we take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of us. The song attempts to convey the wisdom of our ancestors, who have long since passed into the Spirit world, but continue to watch over us. Their message is all the more relevant today, as Mother Earth is under siege and hurting. Mountain Song reminds us that we are the protectors of Mother Earth and we have the wisdom and ability not only to heal our planet, but also ourselves by tapping into that ancient wisdom and staying connected to nature.   

How Many Times

Inspired by an Indigenous Women’s Leadership course that I attended some time ago, this song is meant to remind us of the importance of women and the support they need and deserve when they suffer loss. The song touches on the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, and is meant to open our hearts and minds toward understanding the decades of trauma that many Indigenous women have suffered. This song reminds us that many of our struggles as marginalized people are intergenerational, but there’s hope that we can break this cycle.  

Love Touch  

Like any piece of art, the meaning is often in the eye of the beholder. In this case, in the ear of the listener, depending on whether the lyrics are interpreted literally or metaphorically. Is Love Touch a song about a love so strong that it’s painful, or is it explicitly about escaping from an abusive, controlling relationship? Whatever the interpretation, the ending is meant to be empowering and haunting at the same time. 

copyright Ⓒ Sandra Sutter 2018

 

This project is supported by:

   

  • Log out