Sad Dad Poetry

Album
54'00"
2026

This album came about at a time when I was looking for a creative outlet with no restrictions. My dad had written a collection of poetry in the summer of 2025 that I felt had a lot of emotion left unsaid. As I looked through the collection, I found myself reading between the lines, thinking about my dad’s life, using it as context for the poems. In doing so, I heard soundscapes fill the gaps while I was reading. I figured as a creative exercise, I ought to bring these guides into existence, to translate the context I was using to read the poems into music. So anyone wanting to look at the collection could also use that context. After spending two years in university learning about electronic music through a strict aesthetic lens, making this album with no guidelines or rules except for my own was really eye-opening and fulfilling. I loved working with my dad and making this music for him, getting to write whatever I wanted, and sending it to him. Dad, this is for you, I hope you enjoy. - Fiona Marchetto

From 1990 to 1999, I worked at the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede, mostly as a parking lot attendant. Longtime listeners to CJSW 90.9 FM may recognize some of these stories from my time hosting “The 12 Ave Paylot”. “At The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth” was written back in 2016 and ended up being longlisted for the 2017 CBC Creative Non-Fiction Contest. Many of these other pieces date from the same era, though a few are more recent, and barely any have ever had eyes on them. It has been incredible to see how these works come alive during the recording process. Hearing the words float among Fiona’s soundscapes adds depth, often highlighting the loneliness and alienation I tried to evoke on the page. Thank you for bringing these to life and letting me be a part of this process! - Sean Marchetto