The Carleton College Department of Music is very pleased to welcome the Caravan du Nord to Northfield on Saturday, Oct. 3. Organized by the Minnesota Music Coalition (MMC), Caravan du Nord is a traveling showcase of independent musicians, partnering Minnesota artists with venues and audiences all around the state.
The 5th annual tour, sponsored in part by 89.3 The Current and the Minnesota State Arts Board, kicks off in Northfield on Oct. 3, marking the Caravan du Nord’s first time in Northfield. The event features workshops with artists and music industry professionals in the Weitz Center for Creativity (Third Street East) from 2:30-4:30 p.m. (2:30-3:30 p.m., “How to get your music on the radio” with 89.3 The Current DJ Mark Wheat and KYMN Radio DJ Jessica Paxton; 3:30-4:30 p.m., “Building a Twin Cities audience” with members of the band, Solid Gold) and a networking social hour with the musicians and DJs, as well as other industry professionals, from 5-6:30 p.m. at J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein in downtown Northfield (upstairs, 503 Division Street).
The evening culminates with a not-to-be-missed performance in the Carleton College Concert Hall from 7:30-10 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.), hosted by 89.3 The Current DJ Mark Wheat and featuring Northfield folk artist Helen Forsythe and, from Minneapolis, eclectic pop-rock band VAN STEE (vansteeband.com)and electronic/R&B buzz band Solid Gold (solidgoldband.com).
“I am so pleased to have the Caravan du Nord come to Northfield,” says KYMN DJ Jessica Paxton, who is also a member of the Minnesota Music Coalition’s board of directors. “This town has such a strong appreciation of music of all genres, and is the launching ground for so many talented musicians. I’m particularly pleased to see our own Helen Forsythe, who just graduated from high school in 2014, be a part of this amazing line-up, along with two of my very favorite Twin Cities pop/rock outfits. Big thanks, too, to Carleton for helping to make this great event come to town.””
The workshops and social hour will offer valuable information and connections for both budding and established area musicians, she says, and the concert is sure to appeal to Northfield audiences.
Caravan du Nord workshops and social hour are free and open to the public; the concert is all ages and also open to the public but tickets are required. The cost is $10 per person and can be purchased online at go.carleton.edu/caravan/.
For more information, email music@carleton.edu. For more information about the Caravan du Nord and the Minnesota Music Coalition, visit mnmusiccoalition.org. The Carleton College Concert Hall is located on First Street, between Nevada and Winona Streets, in Northfield.
