Workshop show helps bring musicians together

Caravan du Nord tour manager Jade Tittle said the eight-city event served multiple purposes, like connecting musicians, bringing music to smaller Minnesota communities, supporting arts-driven theaters, and especially bringing the Minnesota music community together.

At the peak of the recession, Tittle said people were telling her that small-town concerts, especially bar shows, were struggling since people didn’t have as much disposable income.

To Tittle and organizers, the Caravan du Nord is one way to help instill more life into the music culture and attract a younger audience to venues like the Paramount.

One key goal was to bring established acts and newer acts together from each of the small towns, Tittle said. There were also workshops for musicians before the concert to help emerging musicians become more established.

“It’s all about making music a sustainable career for musicians,” Tittle said.

For those musicians, the Caravan du Nord was a chance to build a support network, according to Tittle. After a workshop, Tittle said a Me and My Arrow member took a few minutes to help one person attending with a part to a song.

Both 4onthefloor’s Gabriel Douglas and Brian McDonough of Me and My Arrow said they enjoyed the workshops and that people were engaged. McDonough said he even learned some new things as one of the people leading a workshop.

To Tittle, the workshops were also a way to connect Austin musicians.

“It’s cool to see there are other people in your town who are musical,” Tittle said.

Along with a focus on bringing musicians together, Tittle said the show was also designed to help theaters by help bring them business and attract a younger audience with acts that may not traditionally come to small towns.

With venues, fans and musicians, Tittle said organizers hope things like the Caravan du Nord make Minnesota music into a close-knit community.

Tittle said they’d like to continue the caravan and potentially even feature more up and coming bands in the future.