audio and marketing for the group as well as ensuring that all the artists are compensated for their time. “We coordinate the group as volunteers, but the artists are always paid,” says Dan. “That's important. There’s nothing better than seeing someone who’s never performed before get up there and go for it.” “It’s also fun to see the different ensembles that form,” adds Shawn. “Dan and I perform as Run for Cover , for instance, but we play with other musicians in the group as well." "That’s part of the fun—the more you play with different people, the better you get,” says Dan. Each AGM event typically features three to four different acts to help ensure the performance
burden isn’t too great on any one group. “We never ask people to play an entire show by themselves,” says Dan. “We keep the sets short and let people grow into the experience of playing live.” Dan started playing guitar at the age of 10, and played his first show at 16. Shawn, meanwhile, discovered his love of guitar in college. “My mom handed me a guitar and the rest is history,” he laughs. “A lot of our artists play cover songs, but we also strongly encourage original compositions,” says Dan. “That’s actually one of our goals—to make a compilation recording of original songs in the future.”
The sound of TillsonburgAGM shows is definitely acoustic. “When you’re playing in a restaurant, people want to be able to talk and visit with each other,” says Shawn. “So if someone wants to do a Whitesnake song, they’re going to do it on two acoustic guitars.” The Anti-Delicates , an all-female trio comprised of Madison Durie, Amanda Underhill and Sarah Wade, is one of the few AGM ensembles to use light percussion in the form of an egg shaker and djembe drum. “It’s interesting the way people find out about our group,” says Dan. “We do have a facebook page, but a lot of our musicians come to us through word of mouth referrals.” And yes, Shawn admits a few have been recruited to join as a result of purchasing new flooring for their home. “Whenever I’m in someone’s home doing a measure for a job and notice a guitar sitting in a corner, I’ll ask about it,” says Shawn. “It’s amazing how many really talented musicians we have who are just waiting for someone to ask them to play.” If you’re interested in learning more about Tillsonburg AGM, or booking one of their artists to perform at your next gathering, send an email to tillsonburgagm@gmail.com. Find out more about Tillsonburg AGM’s upcoming shows at facebook.com/ groups/TillsonburgAGM
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