School of Song’s Paul Cournoyer on balance and musical evolution

Each year, School of Song gathers four up-and-coming local musicians to play at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. This year marked School of Song’s 17th year — and a commitment to bringing more francophone musicians to the stage.

Paul Cournoyer, a local francophone musician, made his mark as one of School of Song’s artists this year.

“I’m really feeling lucky to be a part of the gang,” he said. “I knew all of the artists from a distance, but it was kind of my first time working with all of them.”

Getting together with School of Song also meant an opportunity to bring different instruments to the mix. Mark Boer from the Western Thistles played the banjo on a couple of Cournoyer’s songs, and Cournoyer played the upright bass on a few of the other artists’ songs too.

“It’s been really fun, and I guess maybe magical would be a word,” he said. “It’s kind of fun to sprinkle in different instruments, and then on the other side, jumping in on other music.”

He’s been rerecording some acoustic, stripped-down versions of his past songs for an upcoming EP. 

“I’m taking a few of the songs that maybe had more built out arrangements and trying to do a more stripped-down, folk-ier version,” Cournoyer said. “Some of my favourite artists have done it over the years and sometimes those end up being my favourite records.”

Shifting goal posts in music and life

He tends to blend some folk, rock, and pop elements into his songs, but the biggest change over the years has been getting closer to what he hears in his head. 

“Part of, I think, what drives a lot of musicians and singers is you have music or something in your head that you’re trying to achieve and you’re kind of always striving for that,” he explained. 

The goal posts keep shifting, but Cournoyer tries to keep some perspective about it. “When I started making music, I dreamed of making the records that I have been able to make now and I always thought that was almost unattainable.”

This isn’t his first time in School of Song — his duo with his wife, Post Script, took part 11 years ago. The two just had their second kid together. Balancing a day job, their growing family, and music has its challenges.

“It’s a balancing act and life is so full of compromises,” Cournoyer said. “I wanted to be present for our family so I’ve been more at home, more recording.”

Finding the time to be creative, even if that doesn’t mean performing on stage, is important to him. That doesn’t always mean he can’t have both. Folk fest offered some time to spend on the hill with his family. 

Preparing for the festival wasn’t a piece of cake either. The School of Song practiced together ahead of the festival for a few months. 

“When I got the call for this gig, it was just a priority to make it work,” he explained. “Thankfully, we’ve got a really supportive family. My wife was … king of [holding] it down with the grandparents and get everyone, the circus as we call it, all together so I could get down here and do the shows.”