On Saturday, January 14th, 2023 Caravan du Nord will be at Rochester Civic Theatre in Rochester, featuring Carnage the Executioner, Carolyne Naomi, and Colin Bracewell. 

This multi-genre musical experience will be an unforgettable showcase of amazing Minnesota talent, held for the first time at the Rochester Civic Theatre in downtown Rochester. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and is sponsored by The Current, Explore Minnesota, and Rochester Civic Music. 

Caravan du Nord features Minnesota musicians of different genres and backgrounds from across the state. This year’s showcase series launched in October 2022 stops in St. Paul and Red Wing, and will continue January-March, 2023 with tour stops in Rochester, Northfield, Austin, and Duluth. Each tour stop also features a workshop and networking event for any local musicians. Learn more about all Caravan du Nord events at https://www.mnmusiccoalition.org/caravan-du-nord/

Schedule for the Day 

3PM Workshop: Marketing for Musicians, present by Youa Vang, Rochester Civic Theatre 

Learn how to put together an EPK, and how you can enhance your public relations and publicity activities to gain awareness and attention for yourself as a musician. 

4PM Workshop: DIY Touring for the Independent Musician, featuring Carnage the Executioner, Hannah Lou Woods, and Mike Munson, Rochester Civic Theatre 

Touring is an important component of an artist's career, but it can also provide many different challenges and obstacles -- especially on the DIY level. Learn + listen from an experienced panel of local artists on their touring experiences, pitching to venues in new markets, and ultimately, what goes into hitting the road. 

5:30PM-6:30PM Networking Social Hour, Forager Brewing, 1005 6th Street NW, Rochester, MN

Register for networking and workshop events HERE 

7PM Doors/7:30 Show Caravan du Nord concert, featuring Carnage the Executioner, Carolyne Naomi, and Colin Bracewell 

Purchase tickets HERE 

Rochester Civic Theatre, 20 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, MN

About the Artists 

Carnage The Executioner (Legal Name: Terrell Woods) has spent an impressive 30-years mastering his impact on the world. Whether he is rapping, composing, performing, instructing, or being involved as a youth counselor—there is zero question that this man was born to do three things: Instruct, Motivate & Entertain. 

Creating music—providing captivating one-man-band performances—touring the world— and educating people of all ages & socioeconomic backgrounds, Carnage’s minimal-rest work ethic proves to impress time & time again. Despite his dedication to the community (including playing nearly 200 live shows a year), Carnage still finds time to teach private lessons, independently book his national tours & be a devoted father. 

A self-trained songwriter, Carnage possesses a raw talent that allows him to instinctually craft an intricate battle-rap – while just as seamlessly formulating a moving story. Though, his pure artistry extends further than solely writing, creating & producing thought-provoking music. Many have said that his live performances give the entertainment of a live show, with the message of a motivational speaker. 

The experience of a Carnage performance provides nothing less than authentic entertainment. His combination of showcasing original material, as well as unique improvisations & spot-on re-creations of popular songs leaves audiences transfixed from start to finish. Promoting self-expression & speaking on topics of social justice — crowds, classrooms & boardrooms alike are left feeling like they just experienced a motivational seminar, masked as a full-fledged concert. 

Drawn to the power of music since childhood, Carnage has access to an overflowing memory bank of countless musical references, genres & techniques. His unique beginnings of “human beatboxing” have taken on a life of its own. Expanding his skillset, he now uses technology such as looping & effects pedals, which he refers to as “The Constructicons,” commonly used by guitarists. 

Previously a social worker, Carnage takes pride in building strong, meaningful relationships. Teaching his techniques of human-beatboxing, song-writing & strengthening stage presence is the foundation of his passions. As a testament to his recognition, for 12-years, Carnage has been contracted through the MacPhail Center For Music & SteppingStone Theatre agencies as an educator & mentor. Demanding justice for all, his advocacy & encouragement of unique self-expression is a staple of not only his art, but his method of helping individuals (of all ages) define their own identities & discover artistic/personal growth. 

Through years of perseverance, Carnage uses his platform to share his life story. Emitting heart- warming, down-to-earth energy, his lyrical mastery confidently chronicles his failures, achievements & tumultuous teenage years in the foster care system. Also, a shameless survivor of poverty, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Carnage makes no excuses for his upbringing. Instead, he draws inspiration from it to practice self-reflection. www.carnagetheexecutioner.com 

Carolyne Naomi - Drawing heavily from the music of her youth growing up in Nigeria, Carolyne Naomi creates a unique blend of afro-pop, reggae and soul, heavily influenced by the gospel and R & B music that she grew up listening to. Carolyne’s take on this modern-day afro-fusion reflects today’s multicultural world and the everyday challenges it holds. 

Singing since she was 9 years old, Carolyne dove into playing guitar when she was an undergraduate at the University. With a BA in English, as a songwriter, Carolyne uses her command of the language to draw pictures and scenarios in a poetic manner. By weaving phrases of the everyday Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) spoken by the youths of Nigeria in homes across the globe into her narrative, she strikes a familiar chord in the ears of the greater African diaspora. 

While in Nigeria, her talent ushered her onto a national reality tv show/competition called “Project Fame West Africa” bringing her to the forefront of Nigeria household awareness. Her career continued to progress in Nigeria working in radio stations and other entertainment outlets, learning the inside ropes of the entertainment business. 

The Minnesota leg of her musical journey was a result of her desire to pursue additional musical education at McNally Smith College of Music She was working toward a degree on guitar and voice performance. Since her arrival in Minneapolis, she has graced stages throughout the metro area and beyond, including the MN State Fair, The Bayfront Reggae and World Music Festival in Duluth, The Cedar Cultural Center and more. https://carolynenaomi.com 

Colin Bracewell, a 21-year-old indie pop artist from Minneapolis, MN is paving his own, fresh path within the Midwest music scene. Originally hailing from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Colin blends inspiration from the likes of Justin Vernon and John Mayer, though his music holds a raw and unabashed post-Frank Ocean R&B quality. His instrumentation sets Bracewell apart from other singer-songwriters of the same genre, often adding gentle synths, a killer trumpet solo or a moody saxophone riff to bring a jazzier feel that offsets lyrics of heartbreak (or amplifies them, depending on the listener). Colin is also a full-time student at the University of Minnesota majoring in Vocal Performance and Marketing. http://colinbracewell.com

About the Workshop Presenters

Youa Vang is a master of all trades, jack of none. After working a decade in retail management, she attended IPR (the Institute of Production and Recording) for Music Business with the intention of tour managing bands. She inadvertently got an internship at City Pages and ended up working as a freelance writer for the paper after graduating, where she has interviewed over 500 artists as a journalist -- some of those famous (Jeff Bridges, Chris Thile, Aimee Mann, David Lovering, Jeff Daniels) and many of those local artists just trying to make it. Currently, she works with Minneapolis artist Chris Koza, freelance writes, and runs a cross stitch business with her sister.

Carnage the Executioner: Carnage The Executioner (Legal Name: Terrell Woods) has spent an impressive 30-years mastering his impact on the world. Whether he is rapping, composing, performing, instructing, or being involved as a youth counselor—there is zero question that this man was born to do three things: Instruct, Motivate & Entertain. 

Creating music—providing captivating one-man-band performances—touring the world— and educating people of all ages & socioeconomic backgrounds, Carnage’s minimal-rest work ethic proves to impress time & time again. Despite his dedication to the community (including playing nearly 200 live shows a year), Carnage still finds time to teach private lessons, independently book his national tours & be a devoted father.

Hannah Lou Woods: Hannah Lou Woods is an award-winning indie singer-songwriter who writes straight from the heart. Fusing her signature messages of self-healing and universal love with soulful vocals and intricate piano and guitar arrangements, Hannah’s music bears witness to the full spectrum and experience of being human. As a traveling soul on a journey of self-discovery through music, Woods explores deeper truths through her songwriting, expressing the courage and resilience it takes to continually face our fears and be who we truly are. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Hannah has shared the stage with many well-respected artists including Emily Elbert and Adrianne Lenker, and has opened for other talented artists such as Couer De Pirate, Jen Chapin, and Raining Jane. Originally hailing from a small town in Minnesota, Hannah has received numerous awards for her songs, including the Great American Song Contest (Winner - Pop Category), John Lennon International Songwriting Contest (finalist) and an Honorable Mention at the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival Songwriter Showcase. In addition, her electro-pop project We Saw Lions has gathered over 4.5 million streams on Spotify. 

Mike Munson: Since he would rather be playing guitar than anything else, Mike Munson is grateful for the last ten years he has spent doing just that. With country blues as a guidepost, his sound marks the similarities and highlights the distance between Fred McDowell, Leo Kottke and Chuck Berry.