For more than 40 years, Sunshine Music Festival has been put together by a group of dedicated volunteers and become an annual tradition that attracts concert-goers.
The two-day music, food and beach extravaganza takes place at Palm Beach Regional Park on Labour Day weekend. This year, the music lineup is going back to its folk and singer/songwriter roots, and plenty of the performers are from the qathet region.
One such artist is C.J. Beauchamp, a singer/songwriter and guitarist who will take the stage on Saturday, August 31, after another local group, The Kitchen Sink, performs. Beauchamp picked up the guitar early in life and has been jamming and playing for audiences for nearly 20 years.
"I started [playing guitar] when I was 12, but I knew I wanted to do it since I was a little kid," said Beauchamp. "All of my uncles played guitar and classic stuff, like The Beatles and Creedence Clearwater Revival."
Beauchamp said he plays a wide variety of music from different genres, but he also writes original tunes.
"Music is such a personal thing, so I try to find songs that I like to play from different time periods, and hopefully someone [listening] will relate," he added.
At one point Beauchamp was mentored by local musician Ron Campbell, who just happened to be his neighbour at the time.
"I took my first lessons from him; that was fun," said Beauchamp. "Ron's a great teacher."
He went to lessons for a year with Campbell to learn chords and some basic music theory, which he said helped him to start writing his own compositions.
"I'm going to play ‘House of the Rising Sun’, which is a fun song for guitar and ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd, that's another classic that many people like," said Beauchamp, who will also mix in his own songs when he plays the festival.
But, because of recent health issues that have affected his voice, he said he is rearranging some songs to suit his vocal octave.
"I used to be a tenor when I was younger but I'm having to rearrange a lot of my music because my voice has deepened," said Beauchamp. "I'm bringing two guitars, because some of the original material I've written is in an altered tuning."
Local bluegrass band Scout Mountain will also be taking the stage on Saturday. On Sunday, jazz/funk band Whatever Four (Karina Inkster, Walter Martella) will be performing.
"What I love the most is meeting other people and jamming along," said Beauchamp. "I love all kinds of live music, so I'm excited to be able to hear a bunch of different bands [at the festival]."
Beauchamp said he has another gig booked at Rockit Music and Coffee on Marine Avenue in October.
Other than music, he loves getting outdoors.
"I have a group of friends who are into freediving, and we love it," said Beauchamp. "We dove where they sank the mermaid in Saltery Bay."
Sunshine Music Festival takes place Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1. For more information, go to sunshinemusicfest.ca.
Local band The Kitchen Sink will also perform on Saturday.
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