Where do we go from here?

It appears that I wasn’t alone in some of my sentiments from Monday when the song was released. You can see that others across the country are chiming in on the CBC Radio 2 Blog and the CBC Radio 2 Facebook page about their thoughts on the generally high quality of the songs and the awesomeness of the contest… but the sense of disappointment that Waskada didn’t really get a song!

I’ve had lots of questions about where people can write to Chantal to let her know we feel let down. I would caution folks against posting things on Chantal’s Facebook page … unless you feel like being the brunt of some serious attack by some very serious and devoted fans! I did a bit of research and found that her record company is Maple Music. You can find on that link emails for the people that do her Marketing and Publicity. I think that is the best option available.

I was reminded today by a couple different people, including a co-worker, an old friend from Waskada who posted on my Facebook page, and my mom… that despite the song being a disappointment, this was still an incredible experience that brought a number of good people together to do something absolutely extraordinary! This has been such a positive thing for so many reasons, including the following:

1. Waskada won the contest with the votes of community members, former community members, and extended networks of friends and family. Could there be anything greater to demonstrate what good people can do when they work together to achieve something? This taught us all something about the power of people and the ability for the little guy to win!

2. Waskada got exposure nationwide… interviews on CBC broadcast across the country, where we got to talk about the great things about the town and why it’s such a special place.

3. On the selfish side… this was a dream come true for me. I was interviewed by Tom Allen! As a self-professed CBC Radio junkie, this was pretty much the coolest thing imaginable. And to record a podcast… that is an experience I will never forget!

4. This contest was remarkable in the way it brought people together and made people more aware of the wealth of Canadian musical talent and beautiful Canadian geography. I’ve listened to all 13 songs and the majority of them are simply awesome! Not to mention the extra gems that came from Connie Kaldor and the other people from across Canada that sent in songs. CBC really did run a remarkable contest.

I still believe that even though we didn’t get our song from Chantal… there is someone out there who will write a song for Waskada someday. I am not finished with my quest to get a ‘song for Waskada’… I know that many of you may be ready to put this behind you, but I will keep working on trying to find a way to get a song that truly captures the heart and the spirit of this little town that could!

Thanks again to everyone for all their comments, love, and support through all of this. It has been a bit of a roller coaster... with some BIG highs and some lows... but I must say, I am really glad, for all the reasons mentioned above, that we took the ride. Hope you were too!

Bryna