As the nickname implies, MoM (Music on the Mountain) Festival is a close knit community. Held annually in Fort St. James, B.C., 2020 would have been the tenth consecutive year for this little festival-that-could. Instead, after cancelling the festival due to COVID concerns, the board of directors responsible for the event have found way to keep the community tethered and support their local artists.

Brin Porter has been performing at MoM Fest since 2010 and now sits on the Board of Directors. Image courtesy of MoM Festival.

Set to be released summer 2021, the compilation album will feature 19 of the musicians who were scheduled to perform at MoM Fest 2020 covering each others music. Brin Porter, board member, coordinator of the album, and Prince George-based musician says that participating artists are finding a sense of community and connection through the project that they might otherwise miss in a year without the festival. In addition to community, the album allows the festival organizing committee an avenue to support artists financially during the pandemic which has halted most, if not all, touring and performing opportunities.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact the North, musicians, artists, and community members look anxiously to summer 2021 though organizers are yet to announce their intentions. Summer festivals, such as MoM Festival, Artswells, Robson Valley Music Festival, Arts on the Fly, and many more play a significant role in the financial viability of being a working musician in the region and help to bridge the distance of living in the North. The looming threat of another year without these gatherings may well prompt organizers to continue to think outside the box about how to present their line ups.

CFUR is a community supporter of the MoM Festival 2020 album.

Listen to the interview on CFUR-FM: