Michelle Addison Collecting Love letters to Live Music
By Sara Sadeghi Aval
When Michelle Addison was only five years old, her mother took her to her very first live musical. She distinctly remembers crying at the end of the show, unwilling to leave without another encore. Fast forward to today, and the last live show Addison remembers attending was one featuring local Blues Society band The Shortstops, playing at Loch Lomond Ski Area almost 12 months ago. Regardless of life’s ever-changing scenery, Addison has managed to always keep live music in her view, so it’s no surprise that she took it upon herself in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to reminisce about the event that had made her cry all those years ago. Thus, her passion project, Love Letters to Live Music, began.
“I figured as much as we must be missing live music, imagine how much it must be missing us,” she says. “I was actually reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert at the time, and I realized I had to put aside all preconceived notions of what live music meant to me, as she states in her book. I started to think of live music as a living entity and decided to show appreciation to the thing that brings me so much joy.”
Addison is heavily involved in the music scene in Thunder Bay, with a focus on fan engagement, and helping musical artists maintain connections with their fan bases through social media. Her commitment to music is not only evident in her work, but also in her family life. Addison recounts rock concerts with her teenage children, and the time she and her kids met Mumford & Sons backstage. Her dedication to genuine connection and networking enables her to not only experience music in a unique way, but to share it as well. “Connecting to music connects us all. Right now, we can be connected through the celebration of live music,” she says.
Her vision consists of fans and musicians sending in their letters expressing their gratitude and admiration of live music. She will then share each letter to the public in an online interactive forum. Addison has been collecting love letters from friends and family for a short time, and now invites all music lovers and musicians alike to submit their own love letter to live music at michelle@gobeyondtheshow.com. Stay tuned to her platforms, including her Instagram @gobeyondtheshow, for the reveal in February.
