Lisa Patterson is akin to a renaissance artist: multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, performer, producer/engineer, freelance consultant and educator. A Classically trained musician, she went direct from high school to study audio engineering and production at London’s Fanshawe College, and later attended Toronto’s York University as a performance major focusing on South Indian music, Composition and Contemporary Improvisation. Lisa has spent the last 15 years as a side musician and solo recording artist touring in North America, India, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East. She is director of imaginit music, the Toronto-based umbrella company founded in 1999 that operates as a multi-use recording, rehearsal, teaching studio facility and administration office. imaginit music has presented multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse events in Toronto such as Forward Festival [Lula Lounge] and Musiques Sans Frontieres [Drake Hotel] as well as concerts in South India in association with Alliance Francaise.
As a recording/performing artist Lisa has commercially released 2 solo albums and 3 music videos (Festival Distribution/Canada; Rough Trade Records/Europe) enjoying 3 Top Ten charted singles in The Benelux. With longtime band-mate and musical friend cellist/vocalist Alex McMaster, Lisa launched ROAM in 2007, a collaborative duo that take their name from Lisa’s sophomore album title. ROAM’s debut album Points of Departure [March 2009] has been well received by CBC Radio programs The Signal, Here & Now, Metro Morning and Fresh Air - which included a 3O min feature interview. Performance highlights include Canadian Connections Fair in Holland; west coast and Ontario/Quebec tours; Canadian Music Week Amnesty International showcase 2009; Toronto Symphony Orchestra soiree; Toronto residency with notable guest artists; Symphony in the Barn Concert Series in Durham, Ontario.
Lisa’s songs have appeared in award-winning documentaries, shorts and feature films including Bruce McDonald’s ‘Roadkill’s, Charles Johnston’s ‘Tete A Tete’, Darrell Wasyk’s ‘H’ and Ingrid Veninger’s ‘Three Sisters On Moon Lake’. Her most recent single ‘Silver Lining’, featuring Alex McMaster and recorded by Adam Messinger (Jully Black, Ivana Santilli, New Kids On The Block) myspace.com/messingersounds was written as a tribute to the hidden blessings in loss after losing her mother to breast cancer.
As a producer/engineer Lisa has worked on over 10 commercially released discs and scores of demos from genres as diverse as urban jazz diva Rita DiGhent, North Indian fusionists Toronto Tabla Ensemble and pop artist Emm Gryner. Recent successes include creating the new album for award-winning Aboriginal Roots singer Brenda MacIntyre [number 1 on ReverbNation.com, winter 2010] brendamacintyre.com and the debut disc for Haitian-Canadian artist Melissa Laveaux - now a European rising star based in Paris - that got her signed to France label No Format/Universal. myspace.com/melissalaveaux
Passionate about promoting the diversity of Canada’s population demographic to mainstream media and music industry, Lisa has collaborated and studied with African, Indian, Aboriginal, Middle Eastern and Eastern European artists and brings social consciousness to all her work as exemplified by affiliations with Stephen Lewis Foundation, Amnesty International and Alliance Francaise. Collaboration highlights include vocalist / musician Maryem Tollar (maryemtollar.com), tabla and Ghazal maestro Cassius Khan (cassiuskhan.impendo.com), Roma violinist Lache Cercel (lachecercel.com), and esteemed musicians in South India including Darbuka Siva (percussion), Rahul Pophali (tabla), Navin Iyer (flutes), Venkata Subramanian (mrdangam) and Prakash (bass).
Lisa is an active mentor and coordinator in community arts programs with focus on at-risk youth, cultural diversity and anti-violence. She has facilitated and presented youth songwriting workshops & performance showcases and was a mentor at the 2009 OCFF conference in Ottawa.
Career initiatives supported by: F.A.C.T.O.R.; DFAIT Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Canada Council for the Arts; VideoFACT & Bravo!FACT; Ontario & Toronto Arts Council.
Recognition includes: Leonardo da Vinci Award for Creativity and Innovation; Paul Casino Achievement Award York University; Fanshawe College Producer of the Year nomination.
Download Lisa’s bio as a word doc here.