What started out as a challenge to list the names of every band in Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding area, has grown into what you are reading right now... We call it an archive, or a directory, and sometimes "Shaun's little project".
Since it began, a small but committed team of volunteers lead by Shaun Antler long time Artistic Director for the stage at ROTARYFEST, has worked hard to transform three years of telephone conversations, hundreds of hours of internet research, and uncounted email messages into this still growing collection of multi-media portfolios. However, it wasn't long into the project before something became obvious, this archive was no longer just a simple a list of band names.
There are embeded audio players now, so you can listen to the music too. There are also interactive member rosters with albums, articles, posters and videos to round out the musical directory. Last March, with the help of the Indivision Network, all the the data in Shaun's notes was uploaded to a publically accessible database, and as summer 2021 rolls around we are preparing for our first round of content editors, who will help us add to the multi-media collection.
Our collaborators are invaluable, and we haven't even scratched the surface of what they have already contributed. Some of them have been working on this stuff for years, and are dedicated to documenting things like who recorded what, where things happened, listings of sound engineers, studios, backup singers, dates, and all the rest ... it takes a long time, and we can't express enough, the credit they deserve.
Whenever possible, we also encourage artists to manage their own content, by logging in and updating accounts for themselves. Signing up for an account is easy. Just click the profile link at the top of every page. If you are someone currently named in the directory, or if you know someone who is named in the directory, just notify Shaun or Bill, we'll give you control over your profile(s). You don't even have to be an artist to contribute. Anyone can sign up to add multi-media to the archive. We call this approach "community driven" content. We need people who share a passion for writing good artist bios, or hunting down the right photos, or anything else that belongs to the Musical history of our area. We know you are out there, contact us!
There is still a lot to do, but we have only just begun. We hope you enjoy what has been assembled so far. and have fun exploring the Sault's ever changing music scene - past and present.
Currently, the database contains profiles for 2000+ bands and 100's of musicians. Click the Hamburger in the top right corner to select the type of content you are looking for, or select the magnifying glass at the top of every page to search for Individual artists, Bands, and Resources. Even better, create your own account and submit content yourself.
Contact [email protected], or [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
