SPECIAL PROJECTS
As an independent creator I've developed a few side projects and musical offerings that I sometimes tour and present at Festivals and events. These projects allow me to express my creativity wearing different hats (figuratively and literally). Read on below to discover some of the different shows and projects that I've presented in the past and also some that are ongoing.
Andrea Kirwin and Claire Evelynn
My duo show with my wife Claire Evelynn is a format that we offer for small to mid sized Folk Festivals as well as for Weddings and Corporate events. It features Celtic Harp, guitar, vocals, stomp, harmonica and cigar box guitar. Claire accompanies my performing my originals and some beautiful renditions of folk covers such as Norwegian Wood by the Beatles and Mango Tree by Angus and Julia Stone. Since beginning our duo performances in 2021, we have performed at Woodford Folk Festival, Festival of Small Halls, Maleny Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival (NZ) and have a Spring tour organised for 2024 with recording on the cards for later this year as well.
Peace Run Records Music Holiday Workshops
Andrea Kirwin has started running seasonal music workshops during school holidays for 8 - 15 year old aspiring musicians and singer/songwriters! From 10 - 12 September 2024 Andrea will facilitate a three day Music workshop event that can be attended for all three days or just one or two days (10th or 11th) if your 8 - 15 year old is interested in only some of the topics we will cover and not the whole 3 day experience. A single day is $55 to attend the 5 hr program from 10am - 3pm. Or $150 for the 3 days covering all topics from creating original music and lyrics to performing. (Please note children do not have to perform if they don't feel like it! They can just watch others and cheer them on).
Australian/Fijian singer-songwriter and director of Peace Run Records, Andrea Kirwin (blue card certified), will be facilitating the workshops and providing instruments for the children to perform on, however if your child can bring their own instrument that would also be handy but no prior musical knowledge is required to attend, just an eagerness to listen and participate in the workshops!
Children will need to bring their lunch and a water bottle to each day and a fridge is available for storage. The venue for the workshops is Peace Run Records at 14 Queen st Nambour and the children will take part in various singing, songwriting and music arranging activities over the course of 3 days to take them from the first note to the stage. For more information or to book tickets check out the 'Shows' page on this website.
Tracy Chapman Tribute Show
My favourite Singer-songwriter and the person that I most admire in the Music Industry is Tracy Chapman. I admire her and her music so much and have played covers of her songs over my own career. A few years back I decided to put together a 2 hr live show celebrating the music and lyrics of Tracy Chapman. My band and I studied and learnt songs from her 8 studio albums and every two years or so we do a run of shows to connect with other Tracy Chapman fans. It's not an autobiographical concert, as the artist is a very private person, I joke on stage saying we are just rehearsing for when Tracy comes to Australia one day to play Bluesfest and we can apply to be her backing band! The band consists of myself, Brodie Graham on Electric Guitar, Brett Orr on Drums and Dan Khoury on Keys and Bass. Previously we have toured this show in 2019 and 2022 down the East Coast of Australia. Together my band and I try to recreate the songs with the original sounds from Tracy's records and also include a couple of covers Tracy has performed live from TV performances over the past 30 years. Audience participation is encouraged!
Peace Run Records Rainbow Choir
Myself and soul/Jazz/RnB artist Angela Newcomb have started a non-audition Queer Choir on the Sunshine Coast! We meet during the school term on Tuesday evenings 6pm - 7.15pm at Kureelpa Hall and will be doing the occasional pop up gig in the future. Singing songs that bring us unbridled joy and with a focus on creating an inclusive, non judgemental safe space for LGBTQIA+ community members and our straight allies to gather and sing together for the love of music and community. Sign up for a term, $20 a rehearsal and must be paid by the first rehearsal of the term. Tea, music and lyrics and light refreshments provided and the occasional special guest artist appearance will add a special excitement to our new social singing club.
Andrea Kirwin & Nyssa Ray - Children's show
Back in 2022, Nyssa Ray and I recorded a collaborative Children's album titled 'Songs for our Little Friends', which won Best Children's song at the 2022 Queensland Music Awards. Recorded at Nyssa's studio on the Sunshine Coast, the album features reimagined nursery rhymes, new original songs as well as Chulu Chululu a Pacific Island nursery rhyme as well as a cover of 'What a Wonderful World'. Nyssa and Andrea have performed at Woodford Folk Festival and Brisbane Festival.
GLAMBOUR - Lipsync battle
I created and curated an event called GLAMBOUR for Horizon Festival in 2023 which featured 12 acts performing one lip-sync song and hosted and performed at the event as Georgie Michael my Drag King Persona. The event sold out and was hilarious with the performing acts being members of the community who signed up and did a fantastic job!