Mike Romaniak, Saxophonist at LARGE

"I had a very busy and exciting 2012, 

but one of the best shows I’ve played...
in Romania 
with the Lemon Bucket Orkestra. 

We played twice 
at this small venue 
in Cluj-Napoca, 

and both times were incredible...

 The crowd was fantastic, 
the city is gorgeous, 

...what more can you ask for?"

What's your next show?

• 
  

  On St. Patrick’s Day weekend, 

    Lee’s Palace on March 16th.

  I’ll be celebrating the third anniversary of 

  the Lemon Bucket Orkestra 

  Toronto’s only 

  Balkan-klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super-band. 

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  What other groups do you play with on the regular?

  
  

  I run an Afro-Latin Polka band called Crazy Voda. 

  The group is a great advocate of music fusion, 

  a concept that has had, 

  for many years now, 

  a strong presence in the folk music world. 

  
  

  
  

   I also regularly play with a group called Rambunctious. 

  This is a big horn ensemble 

  that improvises party music on the spot

  You make up a title, we make up a song

  
  

  I jammed with that guy in Kensington once. Fun!

  
  

  I get most excited about shows where 

  the musicians are part of the audience, 

  together with the crowd, 

  integrated with the party. 

  Some of the most exciting music making 

  happens when the line between the audience 

  and performers is blurred.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  What instruments do you play?

  
  

  My musical training started 

  with many years of 

  private piano lessons. 

  In middle school, high school, and undergrad, 

  I studied saxophone. 

  It wasn’t until my last year of undergrad 

  that I started playing the instrument 

  I was probably destined to play

  the sopilka 

  a traditional Ukrainian folk recorder-like instrument.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Are you living in Toronto full time,
  or are you out of town for school?

  
  

  I’m currently working towards a Masters 

  of Music degree at Central Michigan University. 

  With a mere six-hour commute,

  I still make it back and forth quite often, 

  so I’m lucky to be able to sustain 

  my networks in both Canada and the USA.

  
  

  
  

  What do you like best about Toronto?
  
  
  

  
  

  
  I’m always interested in knowing 

  what my peers, 

  colleagues, 

  and other composers 

  in my network are up to. 
  This often turns out to be 
  a good source of inspiration for me.

  
  

  
  The number one reason why people like Toronto 

  is because it is so eclectic and diverse. 

  It’s a great city for the arts, 

  because it holds opportunities 

  around every corner. 

  With the right angle, 

  enough push, 

  and an open mind, 

  you can make anything happen.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  What can you tell me about your contemporary music projects?

  
  

  
  

  Torontiade IV, 

  in collaboration with the Central Michigan 

  New Music Ensemble, 

  is bringing networking 

  and collaboration 

  between composers 

  and performers 

  to a whole new level. 

  Composers from Toronto, 

  Washington, 

  and Michigan 

  are coming to CMU 

  to rehearse, 

  perform, 

  and record with the ensemble.

  

  
  

  What excites you about composing?
  
  

  I’m always excited about 

  writing for specific performers 

  and working with them 

  during the writing process. 

  I recently finished a solo flute piece 

  for a fantastic flutist, Ayca Cetin. 

  We’ll be releasing a recording 

  in the next two months. 

  
  

  

  
  

  What overlap do you see between the classical and jazz scenes in Toronto?
  
  

  
  

  I’d have to say that the biggest overlap 

  is that they both have 

  the expected 

  ‘main’ scene at the foreground 

  (the typical shows at Koerner Hall, 

  Roy Thompson Hall, 

  The Rex, 

  etc.), 

  and they both have a more

   ‘underground’ 

  sub-scene 

  that is flourishing now 

  in the shadows 

  of Toronto.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  What are the respective strengths and shortcomings of these two scenes?

  
  

  
  

  These two scenes are quite stable 

  and rich in resources 

  (creative minds, venues, etc.). 

  I’d like to see the ‘underground’ 

  sub-scenes integrated 

  and brought to the foreground. 

  I truly believe that

   these smaller projects 

  are the key to moving 

  a scene forward.

  

  
  

  
  

  What are your favourite toronto artists?

  I’ll mention the band 

  that I’m listening to 

  as I answer these questions. 

  There’s a great Drum n’ Bass/

  Calculectronica/

  Jazz/Pop band 

  around town 

  called Falcon Punch. 

  Fantastic stuff, 

  fit for any audience, 

  check out their recent release

  
  

  Whats your next goal?

  I’ve got a lot of projects on the go

  potential Canadian and European tours 

  with the Lemon Bucket Orkestra this summer, 

  finishing my master’s degree next year, 

  recording, 

  blogging, 

  gigging, 

  and future collaborations.

  Lots of exciting stuff to look forward to!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

   Whats the strangest style of music you're into?

  
  

  I’m very into 

  traditional Ukrainian 

  unaccompanied folk singing, 

  which is not the strangest style of music, 

  but it is strange to find that 

  in a big city like Toronto. 

  A great urban-folk collective 

  called the Kosa Kolektiv 

  hosts singing workshops 

  and other fun workshops/projects. 

  
  

  
  

  For people looking 

  to hear something 

  unusual in Toronto, 

  I recommend checking out 

  a hip group 

  called Valued Customer