Humble prairie girl gaining success (The Sheaf)
By Crystal Wallin, October 5th, 2000
It’s Friday night at 9 pm and Lydia’s Pub is totally happening. Monica Schroeder sits back with her guitar to try to calm her nerves before going on stage. So far, the Prairie Music Festival is going excellent for Schroeder. When she heard the exciting news that she had been nominated for an award in the Outstanding Pop Recording category, she was ecstatic. “I was very surprised and shocked at being nominated long with artists like Jann Arden and Chantal Kreviazuk.”
Schroeder started 2 years ago, singing at coffee houses and amateur talent shows. She not only sings, but also play guitar and writes her own music. In spite of this, her career in the music industry as she explains, “is a side thing for now”. Schroeder lives in Winkler, Manitoba and works at a mental group home. She went to university and finished a degree in Sociology. Schroeder still feels a bit naïve in the music industry, she says she’s “like a kid just dreaming about all this. For now I just pretend that I know what I’m doing,” she jokes.
Support from friends and family is greatly appreciated by Schroeder: “They would come to my show when I was only beginning and really encourage me, and they still do. It seems that when people find out that you’re living you dream, they get inspired to offer you support and encouragement. I don’t know if I could go on with out he support.” Some of Schroeder’s main influences come from performers like Crowded House, U2 and Blue Rodeo. She looks across the table smiling, “80’s rock, that was me!”
In the near future, Schroeder plans to start another album. She also wants to tour as much as she can. “I’m going to stick to Canada for now to try to make progress. It’s a big country, man; it’s like chipping away at a mountain. I’ve got to get a handle on Canada before chipping out other territories.”
Monica Schroeder’s performance at Lydia’s was fantastic; any nervousness she felt beforehand definitely didn’t follow her on stage. It was really easy to listen to Schroeder’s music and watch her perform. Some of her songs have a trance-like effect, while other songs are upbeat and moving. Her kind features and modest approach on stage induce a humble air around her.
Schroeder commented after her performance: “It was wonderful playing with the band and coming all together. It felt really good. After my first song, I wasn’t so nervous. It was awesome being on stage, so much fun!”