Charlotte Cornfield

What music are you listening to / art are you checking out these days?

I am really excited about the music that's happening in Montreal right now.Leif Vollebekk is an incredible songwriter - he just re-released his first record and has a new one on the way.  Tune-Yards is wicked - I saw her live recently, and her show is RAD. Lake of Stew, The United Steelworkers of Montreal, and Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few continue to rule the folk/roots scene. There are a bunch of new bands that are about to blow everyone's minds - The Tiny Dictators, The Youjsh, The F in Fresh, Bent By Elephants.  Then you have the big wigs like Arcade Fire, Plants and Animals, Land of Talk, Stars, Besnard Lakes. Yeah, I'm basically listening to anything Montreal right now.

What music are you listening to / art are you checking out these days?

I am really excited about the music that's happening in Montreal right now.Leif Vollebekk is an incredible songwriter - he just re-released his first record and has a new one on the way.  Tune-Yards is wicked - I saw her live recently, and her show is RAD. Lake of Stew, The United Steelworkers of Montreal, and Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few continue to rule the folk/roots scene. There are a bunch of new bands that are about to blow everyone's minds - The Tiny Dictators, The Youjsh, The F in Fresh, Bent By Elephants.  Then you have the big wigs like Arcade Fire, Plants and Animals, Land of Talk, Stars, Besnard Lakes. Yeah, I'm basically listening to anything Montreal right now.

What music are you listening to / art are you checking out these days?

I am really excited about the music that's happening in Montreal right now.Leif Vollebekk is an incredible songwriter - he just re-released his first record and has a new one on the way.  Tune-Yards is wicked - I saw her live recently, and her show is RAD. Lake of Stew, The United Steelworkers of Montreal, and Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few continue to rule the folk/roots scene. There are a bunch of new bands that are about to blow everyone's minds - The Tiny Dictators, The Youjsh, The F in Fresh, Bent By Elephants.  Then you have the big wigs like Arcade Fire, Plants and Animals, Land of Talk, Stars, Besnard Lakes. Yeah, I'm basically listening to anything Montreal right now.

Why should people, especially youth, vote?

We are lucky enough to live in one of the safest, most beautiful, priviledged countries in the world. Let's not take that for granted. In order for our democracy to work properly, we have to vote. It is our responsibility as citizens of this country to do so. If the voter turnout is low, the results are skewed and do not reflect the general sentiment of the population.

Let's face it: our country's leadership is in shambles. Part of the reason for that is that millions of people who could have had a say in the way our government operates aren't going out to vote. It is SO important. I can't stress that enough.

For you, is there a connection between art and democracy? What is it?

Both art and democracy are modes of expression. We need democracy in order to have the freedom to make art. So much great art continues to be banned all over the world for having loaded subject matter that upsets certain politicians. Harper can slice our funding (and we are reeling), but nobody can take away our freedom as artists. It's our democracy, baby! It's what we rest on. It's our identity.

Why do you care about your community, when it is so easy not to?

My community is everything to me: my neighbourhood, my friends and family, my network of music people. Without it I would have nothing. I think it's so important to give back to something that gives us so much. Community requires symbiosis - it's a web, it's an organism, and in order to keep it functioning at an efficient level everybody has to do their part. It's totally akin to democracy that way.

What do you look for in a politician? What do you expect from your Member of Parliament?

I look for charisma, spark, drive, empathy, a sense of what's realistic, integrity, and honesty (as demanding as that may be). Most importantly, though, the ability to follow through and make things happen. The world is full of ideas right now, but very few of them are being carried out. Make it happen!

I expect an MP to make themselves available to the people in their riding to discuss what's going on in the community, what's working and what isn't, and what needs to happen.
MP's should be in schools talking to kids about how the government works, educating them on the importance and significance of our democracy. They should be able to take the primary questions and concerns of their riding and present them in parliament. That's their responsibility.

What causes do you actively support?

There are so many things out there to get behind, and it's always difficult to decide what to get involved in. Climate Change is a huge one. I really believe in getting to the root of this problem and reassessing our lifestyles. I think kids are being overlooked right now. They're the future generation, and they're going to be picking up the pieces.

My mom, Denny Manchee, is heavily involved with the Evergreen Foundation, a program who's mandate is to provide outdoor classrooms to schools and community facilities in urban centers so kids can get their hands dirty and do some learning on the ground level. I think once you understand what it takes to plant something and watch it grow, once you have a sense of that process, you can connect to nature so much more.


What are one or two simple actions you recommend youth take to make a difference?

Listen and learn. Know what's going on in your community, keep up to date on issues, and take action in whatever capacity you can.