SARAH JACKSON
CONTRIBUTOR

On January 24th two very talented
musicians with two very different styles of
music headlined at Prince George’s own
Coldsnap music festival. Jake Morley, a
UK musician who released his debut album
Many Fish to Fry in 2011, opened up the

STHE ANMUAD,

music is a more traditional mix of folk and
blues than Morley’s percussive guitar, yet it
resonated just as much for me.

In between songs Epp treated us to snippets
of his ideas and stories of the origins of
his work. “It was either murder or write a
song” he explained for one, implying the
incredible ability of art to transform pain
and anger into something beautiful. “When

4 When you play songs, you occupy them. It’s

event to a full crowd at Art Space above
Books and Company. He combined his
unique style of lap tapping, slap harmonics
and vocals with wry British humour to keep
the audience entertained. His fast-paced
performance mixed impressive vocals with
rapid wordplay, slipping easily from genre
to genre.

Morley’s lyrics described a wide range
of human experience, from breakups
and loneliness to the emotions attached
to inanimate objects, old belongings and
childhood bullies. After a_ particularly
emotional performance he told the audience,
“When you play songs, you occupy them.
It’s almost like you’re there.” The passion
and empathic nature of his performance
ensures that this up-and-coming artist will
be able to bring his audience “there” with
him, wherever he goes.

The Winnipeg-born Matt Epp, who has
released several albums over the course of
his world travels, followed with a set of
soulful music that inspired both laughter and
inner journeys in his captivated audience.
His beautifully crafted lyrics wandered
from past to present, guided by rhythmic
guitar and interspersed with harmonica. His

almost like you're there.

something profound happens you just know
inside,” he told us before singing the song he
wrote when he met his wife for the first time.
One thought struck me as I listened to Matt
Epp playing on that stage above Books and
Company. “Everything leads to the truth,”
he sang from somewhere deep inside, eyes
closed and brow furrowed, and I thought
to myself that, even though we all walk
different paths in life, we are all ultimately
walking towards the same things. There is
something so cathartic about music, about
hearing the sounds and the feelings of
someone else’s journey echo through your
ears and into your heart.

In the middle of a busy semester I
find that it’s just too easy to allow passion
and art to slip through my fingers, buried
under mountains of essays and readings.
It’s too easy to forget to bask in the beauty
of a moment, a song, and a smile when I’m
running from one thing to the next, critiquing
issues, and dissecting theories. Coldsnap
helped me to remember to be, because
after all the biggest part of understanding
something isn’t pulling it apart, it’s being
able to accept it just as it is.

“< ©

February 6th 2013 ¢ Over the Edge