James Strecker: Okay, we’ll talk soon about the actor and singer and writer aspects of your creative life, but why do you declare yourself also as Messenger on your website? What does that mean?
Andrea Menard: It means that I am stepping into my role as teacher. I have finally admitted to myself that there are things I have been made to understand that are needed in the world. Things like how to use the “natural laws” of life to be a more loving human being. When I write, which usually means it will be performed at some point, I tend to become more of this messenger. And in the creation of my newest album, Lift, I discovered an important need in me to sing songs with a “positive” message. When I realized that I was surrounding myself with songs that made me feel bad, I went on a mission to find and sing songs that uplifted me and accidently discovered how lyrics had been unconsciously influencing my thoughts for my entire life. I took control of the content I allowed into my mind, and the content I was putting out, and uncovered a new movement along the way…The Music Messenger movement.
JS: You are so versatile, so let us do one part of your career at a time. First of all, how does being a Metis affect the songs you write and how you sing them?
AM: When you are comfortable in your skin, you just sing what needs to be sung. I am a proud Métis woman, and I am more connected to the universal part of me these days. At the beginning of my career, I questioned my identity a lot, and it was a big part of my work. But now, I just see the beauty in our big Métis hearts and our ability to bridge two amazing cultures within us. My new music reflects this perspective I think.
JS: Tell us about Velvet Devil, your one woman production that played the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and was broadcast on CBC. Why did you create it and what does it mean to you?
AM: The Velvet Devil was my emancipator. She has been with me now for over 15 years so the immediacy of my journey with her is not as fresh as it once was, but she truly was the reason I am fully established as a nationally known Métis actor, singer, and writer. Because I wrote and starred in all versions of the creation, including a national touring show, a music cd of the accompanying music, and made-for-television move, I had to learn three new industries in a sense: theatre and playwriting, music, and film. If it weren’t for the courage in following my heart and my story, I would have never broken through into the multi-disciplinary artist I am today. Back then, I didn’t know this Métis girl had anything to say, but with the help of The Velvet Devil, I know exactly who I am and what I have to offer.
JS: I found your TV series Moccasin Flats to be a revelation about native life and attitudes in Canada. How insightful and accurate was it and what did you like about the series?
AM: Moccasin Flats was the first series of its kind in depicting a dramatic version of Native life written, produced, and starring Native people. It was developed by Big Soul Productions. The producers went right to the source of Regina’s North Central (which is known as Moccasin Flats) to find their authentic stories. They talked to the youth living there so the element of heightened realism is accurate.
JS: Tell us about your other television work and what challenges it brought or brings to you both as an actor and a person.
AM: My role as Debbie Fraser in Blackstone has been a fun challenge in my recent career. It is the first time I’ve played a shallow “bitch” and it has been so much fun. Blackstone has hard-hitting edgy content that is sometimes called the “Native Sopranos” and I play the big bad “evil” Chief’s wife. My husband, played by Eric Schweig, is such a crooked and deceitful character that I have had to bring out the toughest parts of me to be a good match for him. Debbie is determined to be blind in this series, and personally, as a constant seeker of truth, she sometimes doesn’t make sense to me. It has made me reach further into places I don’t usually go. I like that, even if I don’t always like what she does.
JS: I once heard you say that you don’t believe in rushing the birth of a CD before both you and the songs are ready. Please explain your meaning and how this reflects your deeper beliefs.
AM: I guess you could say that by looking at my cd history! I seem to make a cd every 3-4 years, so I don’t really pump them out! The truth is, each of my albums have emerged out of a “concept,” involving 11-13 songs rather than just as a music release. The Velvet Devil, which is a nostalgic jazzy album, was the music from my one-woman show. Simple Steps was a folk tribute to the music I grew up with as a Métis woman. Sparkle is a winter songs/Christmas album, that developed over seven holiday seasons, and my latest album, Lift, was born out of a need to hear and create uplifting music with a positive message. Each project is dear to my heart and reveals a personal journey within me as a person and an artist. Songs always come one at a time, but an album only comes when a dozen or so songs seem to fit together as a whole.
JS: Which of your songs are especially meaningful to you and why are they so?
AM: More recently, one of my songs that is swimming in my head a lot is “I Love My Life” from the new album, Lift. Because I have become more conscious of the words and messages I am absorbing from my surroundings, I am determined to remind myself of the beauty and joy in this world. That’s why writing a song like “I Love My Life” was so fun. It makes me giggle every time I listen to it. And I’ve heard it gives that same uplifting feeling to others when they hear it as well. That gives me more joy than you can imagine.
JS: I haven’t heard your new CD Lift as yet, so please give us some background? Why is it important to you? Tell us about the songs?
AM: Lift is one of the most joyful projects I’ve been a part of. I went through a tough period where I was sad and increasingly sensitive to my surroundings, especially music. I could only hear music with a message of hope and joy, so I went searching high and low for music that made me feel hopeful. The search was fruitful, but my playlists were not nearly extensive enough, so I decided to write an album like that myself. I went to my long-time collaborator, Robert Walsh, and said, “we are making an album that makes me happy!”
Every song came from a good place. If you just look at the titles of our songs: Answer the Call, Faith & Patience, A Beautiful Balance, Hands Full, I Love My Life, or Four Directions Prayer, you will see how positively focused they are. In creating this album, I feel that some part of me as an artist has matured. I have grown into my historical role as “Bard”; I have earned the wisdom that allows me to go and bring the songs of life to the people. Any artist can create art, but not all artists can bring harmony. Here is a snippet about the album:
“Andrea Menard’s fourth album, Lift, gives you a boost of sunshine in times of need. For Menard, Lift is a personal and musical turning point. Conceived during the murky time before a creative explosion, Lift, with its unwavering optimism and joy, helped bring clarity back to her vision. The album is a collection of joyful songs about beauty, awakening, and unity. Co-written with her long-time collaborator, Robert Walsh, the uplifting rhythms, melodies, and lyrics of Lift are Menard’s attempt to bring a positive message to the world.”
I just want to make music that makes me feel good. I want to speak impeccable words, as taught to me by my elders, so that when I sing them joy radiates from my heart and affects the people around me in a good way.
JS: What life wisdom could the rest of Canada learn from Metis culture and attitudes?
AM: Like all people of mixed races, I believe we have a unique gift of teaching peace and harmony. Because we have two or more often conflicting cultures within our own blood, we must find peace and harmony within ourselves in order to function well in our lives. Change in the inner world always influences the outer world. I believe we can make real change in our society by finding forgiveness for the various sins of these different cultures and choosing harmony.
JS: What stereotypes of native peoples, positive or negative, trouble you most and how would you correct them?
AM: I am most aggravated by the misrepresentation of Native people in the media. Whenever something incredibly important is raised by Aboriginal people, the media and the government officials in charge of maneuvering a story to the media have a way of stirring old prejudices and completely playing on the “old” and incorrect but familiar stories of our people “screwing up,” “wasting government funding”, “behaving violently” or “getting drunk.” I have seen first hand how a massive story that needs to be heard by the mainstream population is destroyed and systematically covered up by sheer deception. Most people who have been interviewed by any media, are aware of how our very own words can be manipulated to make us sound different than originally intended. And it feels awful, but it is another thing entirely to see whole population’s world views and intentions manipulated so consistently. It would shock most Canadians to know the extent of it.
JS: I get the impression that, a few years ago, you seemed to have something of a spiritual shift or awakening or leap, so please help me out and explain what happened and how it affected both your life and your work?
AM: My most recent spiritual awakening was this idea that artists, when they have earned their wisdom, have a sacred role to play in society. It’s not a new idea, because artists have always held a special role, but I’m talking about the ancient role as the “initiated teacher.” In my culture, the role of the singer and the storyteller was terribly important. We practised that role from birth and were trained and initiated by experienced teachers in how to be a skilled instrument of entertainment and illumination that best served the tribe. Today, artists are just winging it and doing our best at releasing the chaos and drama in this time of over-stimulated emotions. But I’m discovering that when we work our way through that fog and learn how to rise above the drama, that’s when sacred work takes over. That’s when we begin to “serve the tribe.” This understanding has taken years to fully blossom and I’m still working it out.
JS: What are some other pivotal points in your life when you came to new truth and deeper understanding?
AM: As a seeker of truth, having pivotal moments would be a monthly thing for me. I have been blessed with a need to shift and grow into the best human being I can be, so that comes with many, many opportunities to grow. I don’t exaggerate when I say monthly pivotal points. There has been a long line of revelations that open the doorway to truth and build on the next understanding.
JS: How does an artist remain untainted by the obsession for fame and hits and marketability that prevail in popular culture? How strong is the temptation to sell out one’s person and one’s art and how does one remain honest in this situation?
AM: Since this obsession is prevalent in every aspect of our media, it is pretty hard to avoid. I’m sure for others the temptation to sell out doesn’t even feel like temptation; it probably just feels like the “path” as an artist. I don’t know why, but I think I have a slow-burning drive for fame. I am not exempt from this feeling of wanting fortune and accolades for my work, I just don’t have it in me to follow the traditional path. As an artist, my sense of what needs to be told next almost feels gifted to me. I like to say that my “ancestors” or guides on the other side are a lot louder than other folks’ so I can’t get away with selling out! Sometimes I wish I could!
JS: Name three things you would like to do as an artist in music, television, theatre, or what you choose and what are you doing about these wishes?
AM: First, I would like to see my television mini-series about the “awakening human” produced. I’ve been working on a project with my co-writer, Paula Costain, that plays with the deep subject of the “re-emergence of ancient knowledge from indigenous teachings and the divine feminine” but is told in a mystical murder mystery style. It’s the biggest project I’ve attempted, so getting that one off the page would be magical!
Two, I’d also like to see my brand new symphony show, titled “I Am Andrea Menard,” performed with orchestras all over the planet. It’s a 90 minute semi-autobiographical musical journey of my life as a Métis jazz singer and I truly want to get it on the symphony circuit. Here’s a synopsis of the show:
“In the very divergent worlds of jazz music and native music, how does a simple Métis woman win over a sophisticated audience and break through that elusive buckskin ceiling? By singing her heart out with swinging showstoppers, funny stories, and heart-breaking ballads that not only entertain audiences of all cultures, but also invite audiences to appreciate a world-class original Aboriginal.
With new compositions by Andrea Menard and Robert Walsh, and orchestrations by Charles Cozens, “I Am Andrea Menard” is a heart-warming, jazz-seasoned, Métis-flavoured feast of a show.”
Three, I would also like to be singing and speaking on stages that bring spiritual teachers, motivational authors, and audiences interested in a self-evolutionary path together. I feel a book coming! And I’m feeling called to sing -and talk-about what I have come to know about music. There seems to be an increase in these touring “Motivational/Healing/Spiritual Weekend Gatherings”, such as the “I Can Do It Conference” from Hay House Publishing, and I feel the desire to be a part of them. Who knew??
JS: What do you like about writing?
AM: That’s a good question because I’m finding more and more that if I surrender to the process, something bigger and wiser seems to flow through me. And once I do the work of showing up to the page, I tend to be surprised at what comes through. I will admit that I’m not a daily writer, and might even be a reluctant writer, unless I book a solid chunk of time dedicated to the project when something HAS to be born. I will let you know more about this question when I finish my book! Haha!