Instrumentalist, film-audio professional and music producer Patrick Dal Cin is thrilled to be sharing his expertise as a host of the Musicians space in the Sault's new social network.
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Hosted by standouts in the local music scene, the Musicians space already has some good uptake from the community, with lots of members and engagement, as befits a city with such a rich cultural scene.
Dal Cin’s road back to the Sault was long and circuitous. He grew up in the area and, as someone whose parents were both musicians, started music lessons at a young age.
“I started taking lessons at the Algoma Conservatory on classical violin, but quickly grew fond of more popular music styles, and took drum and bass guitar lessons through Thomas Walls School of Music,” he says.
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Dal Cin went to Sir James Dunn for high school. “The school had a club called Dunnplugged where musicians and bands would perform a student-run concert once a month."
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He added, “I gained a lot of performance experience and joined a local Sault Ste. Marie band called The Tenagens. While the Tenagens were actively performing, we would play at Dunnplugged and then play in the local bar scene opening for touring acts and running events around the city.”
Dal Cin fell in love with the lifestyle and decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in Popular Music Studies at Western University in London, Ont. He also obtained a minor in Cinema studies and fused the degrees to become an audio specialist in the film industry.
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Later, Dal Cin further upgraded his skills by attending Fanshawe College and gained a post-graduate certificate in Audio Post-Production.
Between 2015-2020 Dal Cin was a nomad, playing with musical groups in southwestern Ontario, then working as a boom operator for films in Northern Ontario. With the onset of the pandemic, he was feeling the need to come home again.
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Luckily, Rolling Pictures saw the potential in Sault Ste. Marie and opened a northern post-production studio here. Dal Cin applied and got a full-time spot. Now, he is back home, more rooted in Sault Ste. Marie than ever, and eager to share what he has learned with local musicians, through SPACES.
“I hope to share my knowledge and experience in the music and film industries and share some tips and insights that might help others who dream of following a career in these fields,” he said.
“There's a lot of stuff I wish I knew when I was first starting out, and it's a way of giving back to the community that helped me find success!”
While in southwestern Ontario, Dal Cin played with and opened for groups such as Tragedy Ann, Hollerado, Born Ruffians, and worked with Poesy as well, so he has a lot of experience.
He mused, “The music industry can be, at its worst, pretty predatory. It's been uprooted by Napster, iTunes etc. Everyone is trying to make money, and the more business-savvy people can talk circles around you if you don’t know your stuff.”
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He continued, “I don’t want to see creative people make mistakes that can be avoided. I want to let them know their talent is valuable, and not to sell it to the first person who approaches them. I want to empower them with the knowledge to succeed. I also want to fuel their passions and engage them!”
Dal Cin is following through on his promise to educate and engage, with his posts on SPACES. In this post, he highlights a mentorship program available to local musicians through Cultural Industries Ontario North.
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In this post, Dal Cin goes through and reviews different kinds of equipment and software for recording your own music.
“There is a lot you can do without having to spend a lot of money,” he said. “I want to share my knowledge on things that I know now, insights as to challenges, and things you don’t need to spend money on, so local musicians don’t have to waste money.”
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He added, “Northerners need to stick together, especially since these industries have historically favoured being around bigger metropolitan areas. We live in an era where almost anyone can be successful remotely for little cost if you have the skills, passion and determination to make it happen.”
Dal Cin is looking forward to being part of that creative wellspring uprising in the Sault, through his expertise and through his role as host in the Musicians space.
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“I believe the next step for Canadian arts is in communities like Sault Ste. Marie, where artists can thrive with better costs of living, so I want to be a part of that development.”
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If you're looking for the latest on upcoming shows in Sault Ste. Marie, visit the Live Music space.