Canadian Songbook
Canadian Songbook is a documentary-style podcast hosted by Juno-winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini, celebrating the diverse voices that define Canada's musical landscape. From opera stars and jazz artists to music educators and community leaders, each episode explores how music has shaped the life of one guest at a time, across generations and geographies. Told through candid conversations and warm storytelling, these are the journeys of real people—musicians who honed their voice and found connection in childhood choirs, high school bands, smoky jazz clubs, and summer music camps. You’ll hear how one person's family, heritage, and community helped forge their path to international stages—and how collaboration, creativity, and mentorship continue to shape their uniquely Canadian sound. Whether you are drawn to stories of growth and transformation, curious about creative culture, or simply interested in the lives behind Canada's creative scene, Canadian Songbook offers an intimate and inspiring portrait of what it means to grow through music in Canada. 🎵 This podcast is a growing archive of voices and visions, rooted in rhythm, memory, and home.
Episodes
In this episode, saxophonist Tara Davidson joins longtime friend and collaborator Ernesto Cervini for a conversation about memories, music, and the quiet courage of coming into one’s own. From early piano lessons that ended in tears to a formative encounter with Mike Murley in high school, Davidson traces how a shy kid from Brampton, encouraged by a jazz-loving father, grew into one of Canada’s most respected jazz voices. ...
In this episode, Ernesto Cervini sits down with arts advocate and Canadian Music Centre CEO Holly Nimmons for a conversation that weaves music, memory, and social change into one remarkable story. Born into a home where jam sessions happened beside the bassinet and artistry was woven into daily life, Nimmons shares what it meant to grow up as the daughter of legendary Canadian bandleader and educator Phil Nimmons, and how ...
In this episode, Grammy-nominated baritone Elliot Madore recounts a journey shaped as much by passion as by serendipity - from childhood days walking around Toronto with a Walkman full of Brahms, to a life-changing encounter with a vocal coach who opened the door to opera. In conversation with host Ernesto Cervini, Madore reflects on formative experiences in Toronto’s youth choirs, the disciplined joy of summer bootcamps w...
In this episode, saxophonist and composer Allison Au reflects on the winding path that brought her to a life in jazz—from childhood days pulling records off her father’s shelves in suburban Toronto, to private saxophone lessons that offered solace after stepping away from school band programs altogether. She speaks with Ernesto Cervini about how a single teacher, Maggie Thompson, sparked her love for the saxophone, and how...
Saxophonist Mike Murley traces his arc from jam sessions in Windsor, Nova Scotia - where musicians crammed his family’s living room - and the grade-seven trip that first let him hear Phil Nimmons and the Boss Brass live, to busking across Europe with the irreverent Shuffle Demons and discovering the street-level power of jazz.
In this intimate conversation with host Ernesto Cervini - himself a former student - Murley opens ...
On the inaugural episode of Canadian Songbook, host Ernesto Cervini rewinds the tape with Barenaked Ladies bassist Jim Creeggan, tracing his authentic, unscripted journey from camp jam sessions and high‑school talent shows to the all‑night dubbing spree that birthed the Yellow Tape. Jim recalls the teachers who nudged him toward jazz, the family choir that kept him grounded, and the friends who cheered every off‑beat exper...
Canadian Songbook invites you into warm, honest conversations with some of Canada’s most remarkable musical voices.
Hosted by Juno-winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini, this documentary-style podcast explores how music shapes lives across geographies, generations, and genres.
Whether you're drawn to stories of growth and transformation, curious about creative culture, or simply interested in the lives of some of the ...
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