Canadian Songbook is a documentary-style podcast hosted by Juno-winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini, celebrating the diverse voices that define Canada's musical landscape. From opera stars and jazz artists to music educators and community leaders, each episode explores how music has shaped the life of one guest at a time, across generations and geographies.
Told through candid conversations and warm storytelling, these are the journeys of real people—musicians who honed their voice and found connection in childhood choirs, high school bands, smoky jazz clubs, and summer music camps. You’ll hear how one person's family, heritage, and community helped forge their path to international stages—and how collaboration, creativity, and mentorship continue to shape their uniquely Canadian sound.
Whether you are drawn to stories of growth and transformation, curious about creative culture, or simply interested in the lives behind Canada's creative scene, Canadian Songbook offers an intimate and inspiring portrait of what it means to grow through music in Canada.
🎵 This podcast is a growing archive of voices and visions, rooted in rhythm, memory, and home.
In this episode, saxophonist Tara Davidson joins longtime friend and collaborator Ernesto Cervini for a conversation about memories, music, and the quiet courage of coming into one’s own. From early piano lessons that ended in tears to a formative encounter with Mike Murley in high school, Davidson traces how a shy kid from Brampton, encouraged by a jazz-loving father, grew into one of Canada’s most respected jazz voices. The conversation explores the roots of her many long-standing collaborations, including co-leading the genre-blurring Carn Davidson 9 and performing in Turboprop, led by Cervini, where she found herself pushed physically and musically into new territory. Through laughter and tender reflection, Davidson shares how melody, mentorship, and community continue to shape her evolving sound, offering a portrait of growth grounded in trust, grit, and joy.
17 Sept 2025
Holly Nimmons
In this episode, Ernesto Cervini sits down with arts advocate and Canadian Music Centre CEO Holly Nimmons for a conversation that weaves music, memory, and social change into one remarkable story. Born into a home where jam sessions happened beside the bassinet and artistry was woven into daily life, Nimmons shares what it meant to grow up as the daughter of legendary Canadian bandleader and educator Phil Nimmons, and how her mother’s musical brilliance shaped her just as deeply. From high school band rooms and theatre stages to activism in midwifery and national arts leadership, she reflects on the enduring power of music to shape identity, empathy, and community. The episode is a warm, wide-ranging portrait of a woman who believes in listening deeply, advocating boldly, and helping others - especially young people - find their voice in the soundscape of Canadian culture.
13 Aug 2025
Elliot Madore
In this episode, Grammy-nominated baritone Elliot Madore recounts a journey shaped as much by passion as by serendipity - from childhood days walking around Toronto with a Walkman full of Brahms, to a life-changing encounter with a vocal coach who opened the door to opera. In conversation with host Ernesto Cervini, Madore reflects on formative experiences in Toronto’s youth choirs, the disciplined joy of summer bootcamps with the Toronto All-Star Big Band, and the moment onstage at the Met when he first felt at ease, truly at home in his voice. With humility and humour, he explores how family, identity, and mentorship shaped his artistry, and how opera came to feel deeply personal. It’s a portrait of musical belonging, and the quiet persistence required to become oneself on the world’s grandest stages.
16 Jul 2025
Allison Au
In this episode, saxophonist and composer Allison Au reflects on the winding path that brought her to a life in jazz—from childhood days pulling records off her father’s shelves in suburban Toronto, to private saxophone lessons that offered solace after stepping away from school band programs altogether. She speaks with Ernesto Cervini about how a single teacher, Maggie Thompson, sparked her love for the saxophone, and how imposter syndrome nearly kept her from pursuing music altogether. They explore the pivotal role Humber College played in her artistic rebirth, the community that shaped her sound, and the deep relationships within her long-standing quartet. Allison also shares the personal and global threads that shaped her award-winning Migrations project, and how collaboration—with string quartets, vocalists, and trusted bandmates—has become central to her creative process and her voice as an artist.
11 Jun 2025
Jim Creeggan
Host Ernesto Cervini interviews Jim Creeggan, bassist for Barenaked Ladies, about his musical origins and the influences that shaped his career, revealing the joy of making music with loved ones.
11 Jun 2025
Mike Murley
Saxophonist Mike Murley discusses his musical journey with host Ernesto Cervini, from early jam sessions to discovering jazz, revealing the importance of community and artistic vision in this interview.
30 May 2025
Introducing Canadian Songbook
Host Ernesto Cervini introduces Canadian Songbook, a documentary-style podcast, and explores how music profoundly shapes the lives of Canadian musicians across diverse backgrounds in an interview.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
83
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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