with musician & author Rollie Pemberton
Award-winning musician Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon) discusses his new book, Ways of Listening, a love letter to music, a sharp analysis of our current cultural reality, and a joyful celebration of the artists who keep creating against all odds.
Music occupies a curious place in modern life, somehow omnipresent and disposable at the same time. Computers have democratized song creation. There is more music being produced now than at any point in human history, and streaming platforms are the ultimate distribution model for this vast bounty. But streaming platforms guide users’ choices and encourage them to listen passively to the company’s curation, while dissuading the listener from searching for music and developing their own taste. Streamers offer meagre royalties to artists, devaluing their music. And social media companies have taught a whole generation of young listeners to perceive music as merely background noise for content.
Pemberton delves deep into his own music-listening and discovery process to offer a gentle reminder of another path to music appreciation for the contemporary music lover.
A Different Drummer Books will be on site with books for sale and signing after the talk.
Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon) is a Hamilton-based writer, rapper, producer, DJ, and cultural commentator. He has released six albums, including Parallel World, which won Canada’s 2021 Polaris Music Prize. He has toured extensively, playing at international festivals such as Glastonbury and Lollapalooza, and was Poet Laureate of his hometown, Edmonton, from 2009 to 2011. His debut memoir, Bedroom Rapper, was a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year.
Explore Rollie Pemberton in our collection
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