
Bee is a classically trained pianist, an award winning composer and a piano teacher. She also teaches music theory and music history. She has performed at many venues and festivals, composed the music & lyrics for three complete musicals (as well as incidental music for several plays), and has developed the music for a series of radio plays being produced out of Halifax, one of which is Old Wounds – the Firefly tribute.
Her voice, as inspiring as it is beautiful, has been described as "a voice like an angel" and has been compared to Tori Amos and Kate Bush (among others). Her writing has also been described as reminiscent of Canadian Jane Siberry.
Bee's singing has been described as "ethereal and irresistible", "warm and soothing", “radiates strength and conviction”, "one of the great new and relatively unknown Canadian talents" and "truly unique - and decidedly Canadian".
Sharon Bee is a graduate of the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario (Classical Piano Performance). She was born and raised in Toronto – Don Mills, and currently resides in London, Ontario.
Bee and our June 4th featured poet Monika Lee are friends. They co-wrote one song which Bee will perform immediately following Lee's reading.
Listen to samplings from Sharon Bee's two CDs.
The Event
WHERE: The Mykonos Restaurant at 572 Adelaide St. North, London, Ontario. The restaurant has a large, covered terrace just behind the main restaurant, which comfortably holds 60 poetry lovers. Mediterranean food and drinks are available. Except for the coldest months, the terrace is open to the parking lot behind. Overflow parking is available across the side street and in the large lot one block north, in front of Trad’s Furniture.
WHEN: June 4th, the first Wednesday of the month.
LIVE MUSIC: Pianist Sharon Bee will open the event at 6:30. She will also perform during the intermission and at the end of the event.
THE FEATURED POET: Monika Lee will open the poetry portion of the event at 7:00, followed by a Q&A.
OPEN MIC: Following the featured poet, 15 open mic poets will read for about 1.5 hours, ending about 9:00 pm. Each poet has five minutes (which is about two good pages of poetry, but it should be timed at home). Sign up on the reader`s list, which is on the book table at the back. It's first come, first served.
RAFFLE PRIZES: Anyone who donates to London Open Mic Poetry Night receives a ticket for a raffle prize, three of which will be picked after the intermission. The prizes consist of poetry books donated by Brick Books and The Ontario Poetry Society. Donations are our only source of income. We still haven't paid off our initial debt!