Cohen, Mitchell and Lightfoot: Three Canadian Icons

• Week 1 
  Leonard Norman Cohen was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in the wealthy Montreal enclave of Westmount. In 1951 he enrolled in McGill University, where his mentor was the Canadian poet Irving Layton. Cohen was drawn to poetry and fiction writing throughout the 1960s, often living a quasi-reclusive life where he could create. 
• Week 2 
  Cohen taught himself guitar and played and sang during his university days, but it wasn’t until American singer-songwriter Judy Collins forced him to perform with her at a benefit concert that his musical career began. Consequently, at age 33 in 1966, poet and author Leonard Cohen became a musical pop star. 
• Week 3 
  Roberta Joan Anderson was born in Fort McLeod, Alberta. Joni struggled at school, but her primary interest was painting and poetry. An extension of her art led her to the guitar and songwriting. After dropping out of school, she began playing and singing at clubs, eventually heading to the U.S., where she became immersed in the folk scene. 
• Week 4 
  Mitchell’s big break came in 1968 when her first album was released. Since then, she has released 19 albums and sold more than seven million records. She was never at the top of the Billboard charts, but both fans and critics alike revere her as a true artist. Her influence on pop music has been immense, as both a songwriter and a performer. 
• Week 5 
  Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. was born in Orillia, Ontario. He learned to play guitar at an early age and began to gather a following on the Toronto folk circuit. It was his songwriting, however, that brought him recognition on the international stage, as artists such as Judy Collins, Marty Robbins and Bob Dylan recorded his songs. 
• Week 6 
  Over his career Lightfoot released 20 studio albums, three live albums, 16 greatest hits albums and 46 singles. He became a successful concert performer on the back of his songwriting, with concert sell-outs worldwide until his death in 2023. 

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Recognize the album that was the "break-out” for each artist
• Identify which artist is considered the “true Canadian songwriter”
  
• Appreciate the individual characteristics of guitar playing and the signature sounds of each artist 

• Lectures
• Participation in discussions
  
• Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
  
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.