Alara Spencer- Composer, Songwriter, Musician

Summer Blog

Welcome to the summer blog! This is a weekly blog that runs from the beginning of June until the end of August and features many topics revolving around music and the summer season! Check back regularly to see new posts

Loving Summer During Hard Times

Hello once again! Assuming people actually read these, I hope you all are doing well! Summer is a time of joy, excitement, and getting out there, having fun. However, some years things just are not going that way. Wars around the world, horrific laws being passed around the world, climate crisis, threats against 2sLGBTQIA+ folks, you name it. Having all these things happen and feeling all the emotions that go with them during a time of year that is so bright and provides so many opportunities for joy can feel very disorienting. When troubles become personal: health concerns, financial worries, etc. things can be even more difficult. So in this time of hardship, how can one still enjoy the summer and honour it without dismissing the other feelings?

 The very first thing that comes to mind is this quote by Johann Hari: “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection.” In my experience, you could easily replace the word for addiction with a number of words, and in terms of the topic at hand, I think the word depression can work well. I am not necessarily referring to the mental condition of that name, but more in the sense of the overarching themes of life sometimes. Scrolling through social media or flipping channels on TV can cause one to feel lonely and more often keeps one stuck at home. If we actively “force” ourselves to go outside and meet up with others, it can help us remember that the world around us is not moving as fast as we think, that others care about us, and that we can build our village in real life. Actively creating community and expanding our circle opens us up to opportunities that occur during the season (see my first blog post to learn more). 

I have seen people use the analogy of showering: The idea is that getting ready and into the shower is difficult sometimes, but being in the shower itself can be relaxing and even fun. I find the same thing to be true about summer. It can feel like absolute dread to get ready and actually go outside, especially after recently hearing about true crime stories or wildfires, but once you are out there in the sun and having a great time, you might not want to go back inside. But, you have to get over the discomfort in order to get to the fun.

How about the thoughts in the back of one’s mind? What about all the problems going on in the world that you can’t leave at the door? Community and sun are not going to take those all away, and I don’t want you to expect them to. So with that in mind, what can we do? Summer is for getting out and doing things, and those things can include activism and charity work! Summer is a great time to really get out there and advocate for a better world as the weather allows for much easier access to protest spaces, to event hosting, to meeting new people, and more. While it is important to do all of these things year round, I think summer is the easiest time to get started if you have not yet. So try volunteering or getting involved in a cause you care about. Try it for the summer, and If fall/autumn comes around you really are not feeling it, then you can let it go. Either way, getting involved in the causes you care about helps you find community, gets you out, helps you try new things, and more, which is what summer is all about.

All in all, difficult times will not stop just because it is summer, but there are ways to find a balance, and it is important to give yourself time to engage with the community around you and look for ways to help you feel confident in your role as a member of that community.

End of Pride Month: What Interviewing 2sLGBTQIA+ artists has taught me

It’s week four, and we are near the end of Pride Month! I had so much fun this year getting to learn new things, going to events, sharing stories, and more! I could not be more grateful for the 2sLGBTQIA+ community’s welcoming environment, especially during all the stuff (to put it gently) in the world. 

If you are subscribed to my Youtube channel (alaraspencermusic) then you hopefully have seen the video I posted about some of the things I learned from interviewing 2sLGBTQIA+ artists. In that video I covered 5 things that I could think of at the time of recording (which to be quite transparent was May right after I finished the last interview of the year.) Today’s blog will be a continuation of that video as I want to list 5 more things I learned, so if you have not seen the video, check it out here first: ( https://youtu.be/dT4YSPdZVQ0?si=KVBKGbIqvpYECiGt ) . While I do not plan on referencing the first 5 points much in this blog post, that video will still provide some needed context.

Now onto the 5 (more) things I learned from interviewing 2sLGBTQIA+ artists:

  1. People Don’t Always Realize What They Have or Are Experiencing Until the Right Questions Are Asked
  2. Intersectionality Plays a Huge Role In Your Identity, and How Much That Needs to Be Acknowledged
  3. The People In Your Circle Contribute Heavily to Shaping Your Confidence
  4. People Will Connect to Your Music, It Is Inevitable 
  5. There Needs to Be More Events for More Genres of Music!

People don’t always realize what they have or are experiencing until the right questions are asked: This is something I noticed often when interviewing artists. Near the beginning of each interview I would ask questions such as “what challenges have you found working in the music industry.” Many of the artists would have to ponder or would not have an answer right away, but if I started asking more specific questions, they would then have paragraphs worth of experiences to share! This translates well, I think, to conversation amongst people in regular life. Everyone has a story that can be shared, and maybe they do need to share, but rarely will they be able to share that story without the right support. It is not about pressuring people into saying everything, but it is about creating an optimal and safe space for them to think about what they want to express and to think about what their authentic history is. 

Intersectionality plays a huge role in your identity, and how much that needs to be acknowledged: When I first started interviewing people for these 2sLGBTQIA+ artist features back in 2023, my sole intent was to talk strictly about queer identities and how those identities affect the lives of musicians. This was going exactly how I expected until I interviewed my friend Nova (name correction from the original post). As we were going through the questions I noticed they were not too comfortable separating their queer identity from their cultural one, and thus we began talking about how important that connection was for them. Since then I have included the following question in my interviews- “How does your identity affect/ how is your identity affected by other sections of your life such as race, class, abilities, etc?” This new addition to my questions list has led to many people taking time to acknowledge who they are as a whole and to honour the fact that their culture, class, etc. plays just as much or more of a role in how they present themselves as a 2sLBGTQIA+ artist as just understanding themselves through a queer lense. People who find privilege in other aspects of their identity have a very different story than those who are discriminated against in regards to multiple facets of who they are. 

The people In your circle contribute heavily to shaping Your confidence: Have you ever heard of the saying “you are the combination of the five people you see the most?” I find this concept applies not only to personality as a whole, but also to things like confidence. The people I interviewed who grew up surrounded by people who were anti-gay/trans tended to take longer to come out, tended to doubt themselves more, and so on, whereas the ones I interviewed who were surrounded by other queer-indentifying supports tended to have a smoother journey. I also found the person’s level of confidence and openness during the interviews tended to correlate to how recently they have started to feel supported by most of who they interact with. Many artists talked about the importance of “finding other people you feel comfortable around” when asked what advice they would give to young 2sLGBTQIA+ artists. 

People Will Connect to Your Music, It Is Inevitable: Not a single artist said that no one understood or connected with their music, and in fact, many of them found out that their own community connected with their music by chance! Every artist I have interviewed has an audience that likes their music for a reason, and even  in my own experience as a musician with a smaller following, I’ve had people connect with my music. 

There needs to be more events for more genres of music: Especially this year, I have had discussions with artists about the need for pop-focused events in Canada. Many artists have made comments about struggling to find others in their genre, but I keep meeting people who all want to share similar genres! Even if we are working with niche genres, I think a great step towards inclusivity within the musical world is to make multi-genre/style events or just have more opportunities for different genres. 

I feel so grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with all of these amazing artists! If you want to check them all out, I’ll leave the link to my instagram here:

See you all next week!

18 2sLGBTQIA+ Musical Artists to Check Out this Pride

Welcome to week two of the summer blog and happy second week of pride month! Pride Month has gotten me thinking about ways to learn about identity and how music plays a role in people’s understanding of the world. Music is not only a tool for entertainment and emotions, but also a tool for learning about perspectives, histories, and current issues. Through artists’ connection to their audience, people become more connected to the story. With this idea in mind, I wanted to make a list of my  2sLGBTQIA+ musical artist recommendations for any of you who want to take this month to learn more about these perspectives and stories. Originally I was planning on making this a list of 50, but I was struggling to make that list balanced in terms of location categories (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, International).I also found myself unsure of who to actual count towards this list as some of the 2sLGBTQIA+ artists I know are part of bands that aren’t technically queer. Without further ado, here are my top 18 2sLGBTQIA+ artist recommendations, though there are many more I could recommend.

Canadian Artists (Primarily Edmonton based, though there are some others)

Matthew and the Keys- This is someone who I interviewed for the 2sLGBTQIA+ Artist Feature series this year! Matthew is a wonderful pop-oriented singer/songwriter and musician who has been a part of the music world since two years old, when he started singing. He is such an amazing human being and I had a lot of fun interviewing him, so if you want to check out his feature on my Instagram page, click here:

I highly recommend checking this song out by Matthew and the Keys: https://youtu.be/ceXy1OBz1Ic?si=i8fGVgX5_0yNmD51  

Emmet Michael- Emmet is a wonderful folk singer and an overall icon in the Edmonton 2sLGBTQIA+ music community. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform live at The Toadstool Collective’s Folx Fest back in 2024 and loved his performance so much, I’ve since put his music on my own playlists. 

I highly recommend checking this song out by Emmet Michael: https://youtu.be/sLt27c8zXBM?si=J77TMjU5KQ0UZ66D 

Caylie G- This is someone I’ve seen around supporting the 2sLGBTQIA+ community and the overarching music scene in Edmonton a lot. Caylie G is a “pop-roots artist” (from their website) who recently released an EP in January. I am quite new to their music, but everything I’ve listened to I’ve enjoyed a lot. 

I highly recommend checking this song out by Caylie G: https://youtu.be/CR4q6_ApE_A?si=GU5hG1Q2EYdR5DW6 

k.d lang- If you’re Canadian you almost definitely know her, but I still really wanted to but her on the list because she’s fantastic. K.D. Lang is a country/ballads artist and general Albertan icon, somehow navigating such a conservative province. I love learning her music and just listening to her during long commutes to work. 

I highly recommend this song by K.D. Lang: ​​https://youtu.be/nRZ_MyG0fXw?si=mwV8xXJD2nqKP3MP

Theo Tams- This is an artist I am still quite new to. I really enjoy his style of pop and his voice really matches the “vibes” of his music. His career has been pretty long, even stating in his bio on his website that he started “people were still buying CDs, Facebook and other modern social platforms hadn’t become popular yet, and the hot new way to listen to music was to buy it through iTunes.”

I highly recommend checking this song out by Theo Tams: https://youtu.be/nRhHa_ujpEw?si=eYnGeV9lZyiUIDxQ 

Cris Derksen- An amazing cellist from Treaty 8, Alberta, she combines elements of her Indigenous culture and her cello playing with other genres to create these exceptional compositions. I am also relatively new to this artist, but she is definitely going on my playlist!

I highly recommend this song by Cris Derksen: https://youtu.be/N1pi9w_Gbes?si=h2KhReKOxsbRdJIS 

Evan Westfal- This artist is so much fun to listen to, and is someone I’ve been wanting to take vocal lessons from for a while (although I haven’t had the ability to yet.) His voice is very “musical theatre,” which is also reflective in the playful nature of his pieces. While he doesn’t really have a lot of places where you can hear his work, you can find most of it on his website.

I highly recommend “If I’ve Ever Loved”, by Evan Westfal: https://evanwestfal.com/music/gay-pirates-2/ 

Silent St. J- This is an artist who I met briefly at folx fest and who I interviewed for the 2sLGBTQIA+ Artist Feature series this year! Silent St. J is such an emotional listen, really delving into the alt-folk world and the like. Their music is really easy to get lost in and connect with, which I find is somewhat rare. 

I highly recommend this song by Silent St. J: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu-9oklfQW8&list=OLAK5uy_km4iC-jzfDFlcWb8Fs1_LPH7ivOOLpgcU 

Shawnee Kish- This artist is all around a great soul artist in the Canadian world. Her voice is so powerful and her songwriting is just so wonderful to listen to. Although I am relatively new to her work, Shawnee Kish’s music feels familiar to me in all the right ways.

I highly recommend this song by Shawnee Kish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRyE7_TCFPg 

Ashley MacIsaac- Okay, I know this artist is not exactly free from controversy, (and I don’t want to condone any of his alleged actions from the early 2000s), but he is someone I really enjoy, and I specifically want to focus on his music rather than anything else. His ability to combine traditional fiddle music, punk, and general experimentation in his work is really inspiring. I really love listening to his music on my commute and think he is an important piece of the Canadian music catalogue. 

I highly recommend this song by Ashley MacIsaac: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux2eKzfyTAY 

Tegan and Sara- If you don’t know them I really don’t know what to tell you. They are icons of Canadian music and just overall just amazing at their style. I really like their sort of upbeat sense of rhythm and overall vibe a lot. 

I highly recommend this song by Tegan and Sara: https://youtu.be/5skjJPUtZIg?si=hSgJSMnxxweZuNMP 

A few International Artists I really like (aka the ones you probably already know): 

Adam Lambert-If you know me you know that this is one of my favourite pop artists. He’s versatile in genre and expression and has been heavily involved in the queer community for a long time now. I really struggled to find a song recommendation because I do really love his whole discography. But….

I highly recommend this song by Adam Lambert: https://youtu.be/05NhbLNYACU?si=uxeilETDM0RqaulV 

Janelle Monáe- Weirdly enough I was introduced to this artist through an acapella group’s cover of one of her songs. I really enjoy Janelle’s pop songs, though I definitely recommend being cautious of who’s around when watching any music videos haha. 

Even though it is arguable one of her most popular songs, I still highly recommend this song by Janelle Monáe: https://youtu.be/pwnefUaKCbc?si=0Ud_j17BOONnXguh 

Iniko- An absolute vocal deity in my books. Their music is a combination of pop and other elements, and the passion in their songs is amazing. If you want some good non-binary themed music, this is one artist you have to check out. 

I highly recommend this song by Iniko: https://youtu.be/b_L7HGWOGqg?si=pYCq4t0DyN8n8LK4 

MALINDA- This artist is such a big inspiration for my own career and I think she should be even more popular than she is currently. Her ability to combine pop with traditional music is super cool, and easy to get into regardless of what genre you’re coming from. 

I highly recommend this song by MALINDA:  https://youtu.be/20b9bZ8d2m8?si=1f9P8w6KNBs2_pQ6 

Lady Gaga- Although she rarely talks about her identity in her music, I had to add her as a long-time fan of hers, especially because her song “Born This Way” is so prevalent at pride events. As she has matured, so has her music, and being along for the ride is so much fun.

I highly recommend this song by Lady Gaga: https://youtu.be/Xn599R0ZBwg?si=2yaMAvT_bLi59PTL 

Billie Eillish (Also Of course!)- She is one of those artists that everyone knows, but not everyone really realizes just how influential she is in terms of  2sLGBTQIA+ visibility. She has this weird ability as a pop star to be involved in both 2sLGBTQIA+ and straight spaces in terms of her music, but she is also fully out of the closet and isn’t exactly shy to be so anymore. 

I highly recommend this song by Billie Eillish. Warning, very sad: https://youtu.be/_JGGLJMpVks?si=vBuNZIZOT1-LE_AF 

Xiu-Xiu- I discovered Xiu-Xiu through the song “Rumpus Room.” This artist is super experimental (and this is coming from someone who likes experimental,) but as time has gone on, the music has become a bit more “tame” for lack of a better word. I really like the rawness Xiu-Xiu has to offer.

I highly recommend checking this song out by Xiu-Xiu, though I should mention it is also sad:  https://youtu.be/6HE17Z4j7fM?si=f52CsovnWCDBt9UL 

I hope these 18 artist recommendations give you a good starting playlist for your 2sLGBTQIA+ artist journey! Thank you for checking out this week’s blog, and I am excited for you to come back to check out the blog next week: What gives music the “Summer Vibe.”

June 6th, 2025: Start of Summer: What it Means to Me and What it Can Mean for You!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the first summer blog of 2025! This blog will contain various topics surrounding the themes of music and the season of summer, sometimes using a more analytical stance and sometimes just using anecdotal talking points. 

I want to kick things off with a personal reflection regarding the beginning of summer. How is summer different from the other seasons here in Canada? How can we align our lives to work with and honour the season? These are questions I have been using as a launching point in my life for the past three years, and as a former summer disliker, I think I can say I am starting to find my groove in this season. I used to talk about my dread for extreme heat, mischievous bugs (mainly wasps,) sweat, lack of structure (I was in school at the time), wildfires, and more. I would often turn down opportunities to go to events or explore during the summer, with exception of some physical activity here and there. Now, I lean into all the things that make summer what it is and actually enjoy it, aside from the smoke from wildfires. The questions I created have helped me immensely in this journey, and I want to share my answers to them with you! 

Firstly, how is summer different from the other seasons here in Canada? The easy answer is “it’s hot, there are plants, people go outside, it’s festival season.” That answer is correct, but I do want to elaborate, starting with the heat. Yes, it is hot, sometimes up to 40 degrees celsius, but the heat inspires us to take up activities that cool us down or embrace the heat by going outside. Because of the heat, people start to go swimming, camping, hiking, water skiing, and more. The heat is used as a launching point to seize opportunities Canadians don’t have access to the majority of the year. Festivals take place throughout the season for the same reason, and as the plants grow, the birds come out, and the overall nature flourishes, people begin to desire the outdoors more. Yes, summer is heat, plants, outside, and festivals, but I think more importantly, it’s also about opportunities, adventure, and connecting with one another.

So with that, how can we live our lives in a way that works with the heat, the long days, the opportunities, etc? I tackle this question using 5 main points, which I tend to lean towards in regards to seasonal living as a whole: 

  1. Embracing seasonal eating
  2. Matching emotional and physical energy with what’s happening outside
  3. Determining your accessible social circle
  4. Consider the novelty of opportunities
  5. Letting nature decide your fate (dun dun dun)

Let’s start with the first one: Summer generally provides an abundance of fruits, veg, and other awesome foods, so this is a great time to take advantage of that variety. I highly suggest using fruits and vegetables as a main form of snack, especially with dips or in a smoothie, and to include them in meals where you can. Not only is it healthy (of course,) but intentionally using in-season produce is also a great way to become grounded in what summer has to offer. When meal planning, I often use the temperature outside as a guide, which generally results in non-cooked, barbecued, or quickly stove-fried meals. I do this a) to avoid heating up the house even too much, and  b) because usually that is what my body desires during the long days of heat. (except BBQ, that is included because it’s hard to find opportunities to use it during the colder months!) Pairing these meals with socializing, whether you’re inviting family over or you’re headed off to a party, adds to the experience of abundance, and the methods of cooking listed above makes it faster and easier to make meals for events, such as a potluck.

Matching emotional and physical energy with what’s happening outside: This one is not as complicated as one might think, but it is something that can vary from person to person. For me, summer is the time to put plans into action and try out anything I can. What that looks like in my life is including physical activity (especially outdoors) more regularly, making an effort to attend multiple events and festivals that interest me, and as a musician, releasing more of my art alongside increasing my presence in the music scene. Now do I think we should “hustle” during the summer? No, but I would say that summer is the time to go, in contrast to winter, which is generally more of a restful season. Not only are there many opportunities to go out and explore, but the longer days plus extra vitamin D can give your body and mind the energy to do more. Find what you want to focus the energy on and go for it!

Your energy also affects your ability to interact with others. When you have more energy, you can also navigate a larger social circle. The warmer weather means more people are inspired to go out as well, so it can be easier to plan hangouts and events. I use summer as an opportunity to reach out to many people including family, friends, acquaintances, and if the situation is right, even new people. (gasp!) The accessibility of the outdoors as a meet-up space makes it significantly easier to organize a larger group, so I like to host at least one BBQ/party every summer. I also like to plan camping trips with family and invite at least one or two people to come with me to festivals like K-Days. If you’re more introverted, you do not need to drastically widen your social circle or put yourself in situations you dread, but I do suggest challenging yourself to intentionally include your loved ones more often in your plans! 

Including more people in your summer plans ties in well with the fourth point: considering the novelty of opportunities. Allowing yourself to really take the time to be in the moment and enjoy events or summer activities is a great way to feel fulfilled by what summer has to offer, and including others in that process helps create unforgettable memories. Summer is a great time to try new hobbies like disc golf, cycling,  gardening, etc. and an even greater time to explore places or events you may have never known existed! I highly suggest starting this journey by asking people around you what they like doing during the summer and asking if you can join them sometime. You can also try creating a list for yourself of things happening in your city and making an attempt to check off the items on said list. I have found that by intentionally creating moments that feel novel or at very least are fun I began to see summer more positively and started looking forward to summer every year.

The last point, accepting that nature decides your fate, is probably the most important, but is also one of the simplest. Allowing yourself to look to nature for inspiration in your life rather than trying to fight it will make you not only more in-tune with your environment, but also with yourself as a part of that environment. Is it super hot outside? That’s a great time to go swimming. Is there a massive storm happening outside? That is a great time to enjoy the sounds (as long as you aren’t in danger) and spend time with others indoors. Are you outside as it starts to get dark? Campfires and s’mores are going to be an awesome choice. These are all things we might or might not think about throughout the summer already, so even just noticing how nature affects your experience of summer can help you feel closer to the season and create a much more meaningful experience for you. 

So how are you going to honour and align yourself with what this summer has to offer? I want to end today’s (long) blog with a journaling exercise, which you are free to take or leave if you want: Start by labelling a page in your notebook something along the lines of “How to Make This Summer the Best One Yet.” Really hype up the idea of intentionally making the summer a good experience. Then, somewhere below the title on that page write the following:

  1. Five meals I want to try 
  2. Four People I want to reach out to 
  3. Three activities I want to try
  4. Two events/festivals I want to attend
  5. How will I take the time to honour my natural environment?

For each of these, write your answers. Keep in mind, this is supposed to be for you, so don’t worry about things you are unable to do. If finances are a hurdle, search up free events in your area. If you are struggling to make friends, see if there are board game nights or meetup events, or maybe reach out to a family member on social media. Tailor your answer to things that you think will actually work for you and that are interesting to you.

That’s all from me today! Feel free to let me know in the comments what your plans are for the summer! If you haven’t yet, I would super appreciate you all heading over to my music account (@alaraspencer_music) and my seasonal account (@alarasseasonalobsessions)  both on Instagram and giving me a follow for more summer content! Come back next week for another summer blog!