StFX has scored well in the recently released East Coast Music Association (ECMA) award nominations with an undergraduate student and a number of faculty, staff and alumni all up for 2021 honours.
Moira MacMullin, a fourth year StFX student taking a BA in psychology with a minor in music, received an ECMA award nomination in the category Rising Star Recording of the Year for her debut EP '6 Is Green,' released Oct. 16, 2020. When releasing music as a solo act, Moira goes by the name Moira Bren. She also releases music with her younger sister, Claire MacMullin (also a StFX student, studying engineering and earth sciences) as part of the folk-pop duo Moira & Claire. Both are music directors at StFX’s radio station CFXU.
StFX faculty, staff and alumni are well represented in the Children’s Entertainer of the Year category with two nominations, for DR. G and for Bingly and the Rogues.
DR. G is led by alumnus Greg Melchin. His live performances have been supported by music faculty Jake Hanlon and Carolyn Curry.
Bingly and the Rogues includes Justin Gregg (leader, and part-time biology faculty), supported by Ranke de Vries (Celtic studies professor), music faculty Paul Tynan and Jake Hanlon, alumni Jenn Priddle and Natasha MacKinnon, Claydon Goering (StFX Gender and Sexual Diversity Advisor) and Laura Teasdale (director at Festival Antigonish).
Among the StFX alumni nominated for awards are
Jazz Recording of the Year: Anteater with Casey Thompson (leader), supported by Andrew MacKelvie, Adam Seto, Brendan Melchin, and Kye Ehresman
Inspirational Recording of the Year: Ease Back – Natasha Blackwood
Studio Engineer of the Year: Scott Ferguson
Breagh Isabel (Breagh Mackinnon) is up for a couple of ECMA awards, for Fans Choice Video of the Year: Classified, "Good News" featuring Breagh Isabel (director: Mike Boyd) and for Song of the Year: Classified, "Good News" featuring Breagh Isabel.
