Musical kickoff
By Mario Prusina Times Editor
Alberta country musician Joel Ostrom will kick off the Strathmore Musical Arts Society’s latest concert series Oct. 3 at the Strathmore Travelodge.
Ostrom, a fourth-generation Albertan who grew up west of Carseland, brings a background that combines country music, guitar and the Alberta rodeo scene to the stage.
Despite picking up music in high school, Ostrom’s career has skyrocketed in a short amount of time.
“I really started playing guitar when I was about 15, so around Grade 10. I hadn’t really done much with music before that,” he said. “We took piano lessons when we were kids – myself and my two sisters. When I was in high school, I started taking guitar lessons from a guy who lived locally near Carseland. I also played in church with my mom and one of my sisters, playing music for the Sunday morning services.
“When I went off to university, I started spending more and more time practicing and learning stuff on my own. Then I decided I wanted to study music, so I did. I earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Ambrose University in Calgary.”
Since then – and technically still to the present – he’s been a freelance guitar player, playing for many different bands and artists.
“There are lots of musicians who do that. In the country music scene, at least, it’s rare to find a band or artist who has one dedicated group of musicians playing with them all the time,” said Ostrom. “There aren’t always enough gigs to keep a musician occupied full-time as part of one dedicated group.
“So, if the guy who usually plays guitar for you is unavailable for the next gig because maybe he took a gig with someone else, you go and get another freelance player. Everybody kind of plays with everybody.”
However, after a few years of freelancing, he wanted to venture out on his own and make an impression.
“Around 2019, I decided I wanted to start my own band and front my own band. I basically wanted to play shows and play the songs that I wanted to play,” he said. “When I would freelance for other people, I might sing four or five songs in one night, but they weren’t necessarily songs I had written. They were just songs I would sing and play.
“So, I started my own band in 2019 and was able to pick and choose the songs I wanted to play. Since then, I’ve been getting shows and gigs under my own name and performing with my own band (Tin Star).”
Ostrom is now looking forward to the Strathmore Musical Arts Society concert.
“You feel a little bit closer, one-on-one, with the audience,” he said. “The size of the venue will change the dynamic of what kind of performance you’re going to put on. If it’s a larger venue, you can usually get away with playing louder and maybe playing some heavier music, which can be fun.
“But I’ve always liked older country music that’s a little bit softer, and that pairs well with a smaller venue because it doesn’t necessarily call for louder volumes or a heavier emphasis on the drums and just being louder overall.”
He will be joined by opening act Dallas Larsen for the Oct. 3 performance.
The concert is the first of four shows planned by the Strathmore Musical Arts Society for the upcoming season.
Bottle Rock-It will perform Nov. 21, with Chase Morgan and Brettyn Rose as opening acts. The Travelling Mabels are scheduled for Feb. 27, with Aaron Krabsen opening, while Maggie’s Wake will close out the series April 10 with Charlie Ewing as the opening act.
All shows will be held at the Strathmore Travelodge, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the concert beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $60 can be purchased online (strathmorearts.com).