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Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2006 33 Aglukark earns four Canadian Aboriginal Music nominations Susan Aglukark has earned four nominations for the 8th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, which will be announced next month. The Oakville resident is up for Best Music Video for I Will Return, Best Songwriter for Citizens of the World and Circle of the Old, Best Song Single for Citizens of the World and Best Album of the Year for Blood Red Earth. Aglukark is one of the country's most unique artists, and a leading voice in Canadian music. She blends the Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop music to tell the stories of her people, the Inuit of Arctic Canada. Blood Red Earth is her newest independent release, and captures the stories that have been shared with her through ongoing travels to northern and remote communities. Aglukark says this album is "like reaching that next level of liberation." Blood Red Earth, which hit shelves in August and has been called Aglukark's best album yet, was produced by Chad Irschick, and was recorded and mixed at Inception Sound Studios in Toronto. The first single from the album, I Will Return, is currently in rotation on CMT and APTN. Susan's albums Arctic Rose, Christmas, This Child, Unsung Heroes and Big Feeling have sold Susan Aglukark more than 400,000 copies in Canada to date. Susan has her sights set on touring her new album and the continuation of her activist work. The 8th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards are Friday, Nov. 24 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's John Bassett Theatre. Tickets, $35 in advance and $40 at the door, are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca or 416-872-1111. The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards are a part of the 13th annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival which runs in Toronto from Nov. 22­26. For more on Susan Aglukark, visit www.susanaglukark.com Morden school receives Band Aid grant W.H. Morden Public School is one of 40 recipients of the 2006/07 Band Aid Grant from MusiCan, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Science's (CARAS) music education program. The $10,000 grants are awarded yearly to schools in need of financial support to buy new instruments to keep music playing in their classrooms. More schools than ever received the grants this year, many of which have unique music programs that were in jeopardy of disappearing due to a lack of funding. That's where the CARAS grants come in, which were announced on Oct. 2, International Music Day. MusiCan's mandate is to preserve music education in Canadian schools. Band Aid, a part of MusiCan, awards grants to schools across Canada from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Including this year's grants, CARAS will have almost donated $2 million to music programs. "Young Canadians need music in their schools now more than ever," said Melanie Berry, President of CARAS. CARAS received over 100 Band Aid Grant applications from across the country. The 40 recipients were chosen by CARAS' MusiCan Committee based on the greatest demonstrated need within the required criteria that includes: economic need, inventory and condition of the musical instruments and overall impact the grant would make to the school and surrounding community. For more on MusiCan, visit www.musican.ca JOE O'CONNAL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER HOME GALLERIES: The Oakville Artists' Home Gallery Tour last weekend attracted residents to seven tour homes, which were showcasing art created by 24 different local artists. Event organizer (top, right to left) Sandy Smeenk is seen in one of the tour homes along with artists Katarina McCombe, Diana Julia Elkin, Elizabeth Elkin and Sharon Gallinger. The show featured a variety of art, like ceramic creations (middle) made by Gallinger and McCombe. Elizabeth Elkin (above) poses with one of her many paintings.