Local musicians Lisa Schettner and Mark Towstego to perform at Toronto Reference Library

By JESSICA SHACKLETON

Lisa Schettner and Mark Towstego, musical artists based in the Upper Beach, will be performing a Modern Fairytale concert at the Toronto Reference Library next week.

Though they are separate acts, they have found common ground with their music.

Modern Fairytale will be a free show on Thursday, March 19, featuring original folk, rock, and Celtic-inspired songs. The show will tell a story through music and from two different perspectives.

Schettner’s style is folk, while Towstego is more indie-rock.

Schettner was born in France and has a French and Czech background. Growing up, she moved around a lot, living in Bogotá, Vienna, and Prague. She released her first Extended Play (EP) in 2016 while living in Vancouver.

“Being exposed to different cultures and meeting so many people really impacted my songwriting. All my songs are about my connection with other people,” she said.

She moved to Toronto about three years ago, settling in the Upper Beaches.

“Moving to Toronto was a big change for me because it was my first time really living on my own. I travelled a lot as a kid, but I was always surrounded by family and friends. It took a couple of years for me to figure out how the city worked,” said Schettner.

“Now I know what makes its heart beat, I can understand it and write about it.”

Schettner met Towstego when she opened for his band, New Delta. He has since acted as a Toronto tour guide for her and helped her appreciate the city and find good spots to perform.

Towstego is the lead singer, songwriter, and second guitarist of New Delta. The band started releasing music last year, and he arranges the songs. Towstego grew up in Richmond Hill and attended Seneca Polytechnic for music production.

“I’ve been doing music since I was very young. For a while, I was producing and working with other artists. It wasn’t until more recently that I decided to pursue my own original music as my own focus,” he said.

The two recalled how they started to work together.

“New Delta was performing, and she was billed as an opener. We met that night, and she asked me to collaborate after that, so we started working together,” said Towstego. “At first, I was just accompanying her, but then we realized we have a similar songwriting philosophy, so it makes sense for us to be performing our songs together.”

They collaborate in various ways, with Towstego currently helping produce Schettner’s next song.

“We have been performing on and off at several venues, sometimes outside performances,” said Schettner.

Both fans of Christmas, they performed at the Distillery Winter Village this season. Their March show at the Toronto Reference Library is their second one at the venue.

“It’s such a nice place. Good acoustics. We wanted to get more people from this neighbourhood this time,” said Schettner.

Their songwriting styles are both melodic, and while the sounds are different, they pair well together and tell stories with their music.

“There are so many things about it. Being able to share your music and seeing people respond to it. The best part is when people come forward after a performance and say, ‘That song resonated so much,’ or find me on social media and message me: ‘That song helped me through a difficult time.’ I hold those messages close to my heart,” said Schettner.

Though different people like different kinds of music, everyone can agree that music is powerful.

“I won’t boast to be a doctor, but art in general is kind of like healing the soul. We’re kind of like soul doctors in a way,” said Schettner. “So, everyday life is less painful, less boring. If you ever need to disconnect, just listen to your favourite song, and everything’s alright.”

Towstego has found the best part of him for performing is sharing his music and feeling truly himself.

“When I was younger, I was a little more shy to perform my music. As much as I was always writing, performing it was another step. As I’ve become more comfortable putting my music in front of people, it feels like by releasing it into the world in a way people can enjoy, it’s like I’m putting my true self out there.”

As musicians, they have worked hard and dreamed big to get to where they are today. Here’s the advice they have for younger people entering the music world.

“People always enjoy seeing someone put themself out there. There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re not going to ridicule you, or think there’s something wrong with what you’re doing. Just by putting yourself out there, people will be impressed and feel like they’re seeing the true you,” said Towstego. “When somebody puts themself out there, people tend to think nothing but ‘That person is a brave person for doing that.’”

“As far as I’m aware, we live only once, and I don’t want to have any regrets,” said Schettner. “Just go for it and see what happens. So far it’s been beautiful.”

The March 19 show is free and goes from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The Toronto Reference Library is located at 789 Yonge St.