In technology, architecture, construction, engineering and real estate development the word building may refer to one of the following: # Any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy, or # An act of construction (i.e. the activity of building, see also builder)

In this article, the first usage is generally intended unless otherwise specified.

Buildings come in a wide amount of shapes and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, to land prices, ground conditions, specific uses and aesthetic reasons.

Buildings serve several needs of society – primarily as shelter from weather and as general living space, to provide privacy, to store belongings and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the ''outside'' (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful).

Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasess of artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has also become part of the design process of many new buildings.

Definitions

Building is defined in many aspects as:

As a Civil Engineering structures such as a house,worship centre,Factories etc. that has a foundation,wall,roof etc. that protect human being and their properties from direct harsh effect of weather like rain,wind,sun etc.

The act of constructing, erecting, or establishing.

The art of constructing edifices, or the practice of civil architecture.

That which is built; a fabric or edifice constructed, as a house, a church, castle, arena/ stadium, etc.

The act of constructing or building something; "during the construction we had to take a detour"; "his hobby was the building of boats"

The commercial activity involved in constructing buildings; "their main business is home construction"; "workers in the building trades"

A structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; "there was a three-storey building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice"

The occupants of a building; "the entire building complained about the noise"

To differentiate buildings in the usage of this article from other buildings and other structures that are ''not'' intended for continuous human occupancy, the latter are called non-building structures or simply structures.

''Structural height'' in technical usage is the height to the highest architectural detail on building from street-level. Depending on how they are classified, spires and masts may or may not be included in this height. Spires and masts used as antennas are not generally included.

The definition of a ''low-rise vs. a high-rise'' building is a matter of debate, but generally three storeys or less is considered low-rise.

History

The first shelter on Earth constructed by a relatively close ancestor to humans is believed to be built 500,000 years ago by an early ancestor of humans, Homo erectus.

Types

Residential

Residential buildings are called houses/homes, though buildings containing large numbers of separate dwelling units are often called apartment buildings or apartment blocks to differentiate them from the more 'individual' house.

Building types may range from one-room wood-framed, masonry, or adobe dwellings to multi-million dollar high-rise buildings able to house thousands of people. Increasing settlement density in buildings (and closer distances between buildings) is usually a response to high ground prices resulting from many people wanting to live close to work or similar attractors.

Multi-storey

A multi-storey building is a building that has multiple floors above ground in the building.

Multi-storey buildings aim to increase the area of the building without increasing the area of the land the building is built on, hence saving land and, in most cases, money (depending on material used and land prices in the area).

Creation

The practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings is most usually a collective effort of different groups of professionals and trades. Depending on the size, complexity, and purpose of a particular building project, the project team may include:

A real estate developer who secures funding for the project;

One or more financial institutions or other investors that provide the funding

Local planning and code authorities

A Surveyor who performs an ALTA/ACSM and construction surveys throughout the project;

Construction managers who coordinate the effort of different groups of project participants;

Licensed architects and engineers who provide building design and prepare construction documents;

Landscape architects;

Interior designers;

Other consultants;

Contractors who provide construction services and install building systems such as climate control, electrical, plumbing, Decoration, fire protection, security and telecommunications;

Marketing or leasing agents;

Facility managers who are responsible for operating the building.

Regardless of their size or intended use, all buildings in the US must comply with zoning ordinances, building codes and other regulations such as fire codes, life safety codes and related standards.

Vehicles—such as trailers, caravans, ships and passenger aircraft—are treated as "buildings" for life safety purposes.

Ownership and funding

Mortgage loan

Real estate developer

Building services

Physical plant

Any building requires a certain amount of internal infrastructure to function, which includes such elements like heating / cooling, power and telecommunications, water and wastewater etc. Especially in commercial buildings (such as offices or factories), these can be extremely intricate systems taking up large amounts of space (sometimes located in separate areas or double floors / false ceilings) and constitute a big part of the regular maintenance required.

Conveying systems

Systems for transport of people within buildings:

Elevator

Escalator

Moving sidewalk (horizontal and inclined)

Systems for transport of people between interconnected buildings:

Skyway

Underground city

Building damage

Buildings may be damaged during the construction of the building or during maintenance. There are several other reasons behind building damage like accident. Buildings also may suffer from fire damage and flooding in special circumstances.

See also

Autonomous building

Building material

Earthquake engineering

Famous buildings

Float glass

Green building

Hurricane-proof building

List of building types

List of largest buildings in the world

Natural building

Natural disaster and earthquake

Nonbuilding structure

Skyscrapers

Steel building

References

Category:Real estate

ar:مبنى an:Edificio az:Bina zh-min-nan:Kiàn-tio̍k-bu̍t be:Будынак be-x-old:Будынак bs:Zgrada bg:Сграда ca:Edifici cs:Budova cy:Adeilad da:Bygning de:Gebäude et:Hoone el:Κτίριο es:Edificio eo:Konstruaĵo eu:Eraikin fa:ساختمان fr:Bâtiment (construction) fy:Bouwurk ga:Foirgneamh gl:Edificio ko:건축물 hr:Zgrada io:Edifico id:Bangunan ia:Edificio it:Edificio jv:Wewangunan kn:ಕಟ್ಟಡ ka:შენობა sw:Jengo la:Aedificium ltg:Kuorms lv:Celtne lt:Statinys hu:Épület mk:Градба mr:इमारत mn:Байшин nah:Calli nl:Opstal (bouwwerk) nds-nl:Bolwark ja:建築物 no:Bygning pih:Bilding pl:Budynek pt:Edifício ro:Clădire qu:Wasichay ru:Здание sco:Biggin simple:Building sk:Stavba sl:Zgradba sr:Грађевина fi:Rakennus sv:Byggnad tl:Gusali ta:கட்டிடம் th:อาคาร uk:Будівля zh-yue:樓 zh:建筑物

name	Looptroop
landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
years active	1991–present
origin	Västerås, Sweden
genre	Hip hop
label	David Vs GoliathBurning Heart RecordsBad Taste Records
website	Official website
current members	PromoeSupremeEmbeeCos.M.I.C }}

Looptroop Rockers is a hip hop group from Västerås, Sweden. The members are rappers Promoe (Mårten Edh), Supreme (Mathias Lundh-Isen), DJ/Producer Embee (Magnus Bergkvist) and CosM.I.C (Tommy Isacsson). In February 2007 CosM.I.C, who had been a member of the group since the beginning in 1993, decided to focus on designing and maintaining looptrooprockers.com and not to be an active member of the group. He however rejoined the group in 2010 as Promoe announced at a concert in Helsinki on May 19, it was officially announced on their website on May 21. On their fourth album, Good Things, the group changed its name from Looptroop to Looptroop Rockers, a name they've used unofficially for some years prior to the change.

Biography

Looptroop was formed in 1991 by Promoe and Embee. The two had met while attending school in Västerås and were still in their teens at the time of the group's inception. Cos.M.I.C joined shortly thereafter and in 1993 the group independently released their cassette-only debut EP ''Superstars'', which was followed in 1995 by ''Threesicksteez''. By the time they released their third cassette, ''From The Wax Cabinet'' (1996), long-time associate and frequent collaborator Supreme had become a permanent member of the group. It was in the pre-DVSG time when Promoe and Cos.M.I.C were also part of a group of graffiti writers called the "BIF" (Babylon Is Falling) crew in Västerås.

In 1998, Looptroop started their own record label, David Vs. Goliath (commonly referred to as DVSG), and with distribution handled by the Swedish punkrock label Burning Heart Records they released their full-length debut album ''Modern Day City Symphony'' in 2000. The album managed to sell reasonably well despite limited media exposure and spawned the underground hit single "Long Arm of the Law," which took a critical stance towards the Swedish police force and has since become one of Looptroop's signature songs.

In 2001, Promoe became the first member of the group to launch a solo career, with his debut solo album, ''Government Music''. In 2002 Looptroop released their second album ''The Struggle Continues''.

Embee's solo album ''Tellings From Solitaria'' was released in 2004 and featured contributions from several notable Swedish artists, including José González, Timbuktu and Daniel Lemma. The album was critically acclaimed and won a Swedish grammy award for best hiphop/soul in 2004.

Their third full-length studio album, ''Fort Europa'', was released in 2005. On the track "Fort Europa," the group takes a particularly critical tone towards their country's immigration policy. In the video, an image of a TV screen reading "Welcome SWE" is smashed by a golf club as the beat drops. In the first verse, Promoe compares immigration policy to the Berlin Wall.

On February 9, 2007 Cos.M.I.C announced that he was leaving the group indefinitely. He stated that there had been no falling-out between him and the rest of the group and mentioned that the group's busy schedule, which prevented him from spending time with his family, prompted this decision. Cos.M.I.C then contributed to two songs on the group's 2008 album "Good Things". After Cos.M.I.C left the group, they have also officially changed the group name from Looptroop to Looptroop Rockers.

They recently finished their new album in English entitled ''Good Things''. Cos.M.I.C is set to feature on two of the tracks on the album. The album was released 23 April 2008, also the same year that DVSG is celebrating their 10th anniversary. Looptroop have worked with artists like Rakaa Iriscience of the Dilated Peoples, Cunninglynguists, Timbuktu and Adam Tensta for this album.

The group is currently working on a new album as announced on their website on May 21, 2010, Promoe said it to be slated for a February 2011 release at a gig in Helsinki on May 19. On the same occasion it was announced that Cos.M.I.C. rejoined the group as a full member working on the new album.

In march 2011 the group released their fifth album "Professional Dreamers"

Discography

Looptroop

Main Albums

''Superstars'' (1993)

''Threesicksteez'' (1995)

''From the Waxcabinet'' (1996)

''Punx Not Dead'' (1998)

''Modern Day City Symphony'' (2000)

''The Struggle Continues'' (2002)

''Fort Europa'' (2005)

''Good Things'' (2008)

''Professional Dreamers'' (2011)

Singles

Fort Europa/Looptroop Radio (2005)

Naive /w Timbuktu (2008)

Professional Dreamers (2011)

12" vinyl

''Ambush in the night'' (1999)

Long arm of the law (2000)

''Fly Away'' (2002)

''Looptroopland'' (2002)

''Don't Hate The Player'' (2003)

Fort Europa.(2005)

The Building" (2008)

EP's

''From the Wax Cabinet EP (1996)

''Fuck A Record Deal'' (Looptroop/Headtag) (1996)

''Unsigned Hype'' (1997)

From beyond K-line (With Kashal Tee & Dj Erase) (1998)

''Heads or Tails EP'' (1998)

''Schlook From Birth'' (1998)

''Sedlighetsroteln'' (2000)

''TBA (2011)

Solo Albums and Side Projects

Promoe

''Off the Record (single) b/w It's Promoe/Poor Lonesome Homeboy'' (1999)

''Government Music'' (2001)

''The Long Distance Runner'' (2004)

''White Man's Burden'' (2006)

''Standard Bearer'' (2007)

''Kråksången'' (2009)

''Bondfångeri'' (2009)

''Never Follow [EP]'' (2010)

Embee

''From The Way Beyond Mixtape'' (1998)

''Embeetious Art EP'' (2000)

''Tellings From Solitaria'' (2004)

''Mash Hits'' (2006)

''The Mellow Turning Moment'' (2010)

The Casual Brothers (Embee and Cos.M.I.C)

''The Casual Brothers'' (2001)

''Customer's Choice'' (2003)

See also

Swedish hip hop

Hip hop music

References

External links

Official website

Looptroop Rockers On Reapet Album:Professional Dreamers 2011

Looptroop

bg:Looptroop ca:Looptroop da:Looptroop Rockers de:Looptroop es:LoopTroop no:Looptroop pl:Looptroop fi:Looptroop Rockers sv:Looptroop Rockers

name	Ray Mears
birth date	February 07, 1964
birth place	Kenley, London
known for	Bushcraft and survival techniques
occupation	Television presenter and author
nationality	British
children	}}

Raymond Paul "Ray" Mears (born 7 February 1964) is an English woodsman, instructor, author and TV presenter. His TV appearances cover bushcraft and survival techniques, and he is best known for the TV series ''Ray Mears' Bushcraft'', ''Ray Mears' World of Survival'', ''Extreme Survival'', ''Survival with Ray Mears'', ''Wild Britain with Ray Mears'' and ''Ray Mears Goes Walkabout''.

Early life

Mears grew up in Kenley, Greater London, and the North Downs, where he discovered a countryside abundant with wildlife. Educated at Reigate Grammar School, a co-educational independent school in Reigate, Surrey, he learned to track foxes in the forest at a young age. As a boy, he desired to sleep out on the trail, but unable to afford camping equipment, he resorted to setting up camp using what he could find in his surroundings.

Interests

Mears's enthusiasm for his subject, combined with his broad knowledge of survival and the uses which may be made of plants, trees and other natural materials found in woodland, forest or desert, have made him a popular figure in TV broadcasting in the UK. He has travelled extensively across the world for his TV series and has learned survival techniques from the indigenous peoples he has met. In his programmes he demonstrates his knowledge of the wild, how to find food from seeds, berries, roots and other growing things, and how to survive by constructing temporary shelters, fires and canoes from natural materials.

Mears is particularly interested in the survival of groups of resistance fighters and partisans for extended periods during the Second World War, such as the Norwegian heavy water plant saboteurs (see ''The Real Heroes of Telemark'') and the Bielski brothers in Belarus (see ''Extreme Survival'').

Personal life

Mears met his long term partner, Rachel, in 1992 when she attended one of his five day survival courses. The couple lived in East Sussex with her two adult children, and married in 2005, after Rachel was diagnosed with breast cancer. Rachel died from cancer in 2006, aged 50, and her ashes are scattered in the Ashdown forest near their home.

In 2005, Mears was a passenger in a serious helicopter accident while filming a documentary in Wyoming. The helicopter in which he was travelling with his camera crew struck the ground during a steep low level turn, and broke apart, rolling to a stop. The fuel tank was ruptured in the accident, and escaping fuel covered Mears and the crew. No fire occurred, and Mears was able to escape the wreckage and assist in the rescue and first aid of one of the crew who was badly injured. Mears escaped uninjured.

Non-television work

Mears started his bushcraft company aged 19. Mears' first book, ''The Survival Handbook'', was published in 1990. Mears has continued to publish books, both standalone works, and as accompaniments to his TV series.

In September 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University, and in the same year he began to deliver public lectures across the United Kingdom on his experiences in front of and behind the lens.

In July 2010, Mears was asked by Northumbria Police to help them track fugitive killer Raoul Moat, after he fled his temporary tent-based shelter in the village of Rothbury.

Television

Mears has made a number of series for BBC television, visiting various parts of the world and covering such topics as bushcraft and survival skills, the traditional culture of indigenous peoples, and the achievements of noted explorers.

In 2009 he was approached by ITV to present a planned revival of its long-running nature documentary series ''Survival''. The resulting three-part series was rebranded ''Survival with Ray Mears'' and broadcast on ITV1 in 2010. Each episode followed Mears as he used his tracking skills to locate bears, wolves and leopards. In a ''Radio Times'' interview to promote the series, Mears complained of being typecast by the BBC. This series was followed by ''Wild Britain with Ray Mears'', also broadcast by ITV.

Series

''Wild Tracks'' (BBC, 1994)

''Tracks'' (BBC, 1994–97)

''Ray Mears' World of Survival'' (BBC, 1997–98, 2 seasons of 6 episodes each)

''Ray Mears' Country Tracks'' (BBC, 1998, 2002–03)

''The Essential Guide to Rocks'' (BBC Education, 1998)

''Ray Mears' Extreme Survival'' (BBC, 1999–2002, 3 seasons of 6 episodes each)

''Ray Mears' Adventure Special'' (BBC, 2001) – Mears takes Ewan McGregor into the Honduran jungle on the trail of the prehistoric people of the Mosquito Coast.

''Ray Mears' Real Heroes of Telemark'' (BBC, 2003)

''Ray Mears' Bushcraft'' (BBC, 2004–05, 2 seasons of 5 episodes each)

''Ray Mears' Wild Food'' (BBC, 2007, 5 episodes)

''Ray Mears Goes Walkabout'' (BBC, June 2008, 4 episodes) – Mears tours the Australian outback. An accompanying hardcover book was published in the UK by Hodder and Stoughton in March 2008. In the series Mears meets one of his heroes: Les Hiddins (aka "The Bush Tucker Man").

''Ray Mears' Northern Wilderness'' (BBC Two, Autumn 2009, 6 episodes) – Mears follows in the footsteps of pioneers who opened up Canada, such as Samuel Hearne, John Rae and David Thompson.

''Survival with Ray Mears'' (ITV, Spring 2010, 3 episodes)

''Wild Britain with Ray Mears'' (ITV, Autumn 2010, 6 episodes) - To be followed in 2011 by extended 60 minute episodes with exclusive additional content to be broadcast on UKTV's natural history channel Eden.

Books

''The Survival Handbook'' (1990)

''The Outdoor Survival Handbook'' (1992)

''Ray Mears' World of Survival'' (1997)

''Bushcraft'' (2002)

''Essential Bushcraft'' (2003)

''The Real Heroes of Telemark: The True Story of the Secret Mission to Stop Hitler's Atomic Bomb'' (2003)

''Ray Mears' Bushcraft Survival'' (2005)

''Wild Food by Ray Mears & Professor Gordon Hillman'' (2007)

''Ray Mears Goes Walkabout'' (2008)

''Vanishing World - A Life of Bushcraft'' (2008)

''Northern Wilderness'' (2009)

Quotations

Quotations by Ray Mears include:

''"Bushcraft is what you carry in your mind and your muscles."''

''"The great thing about bushcraft is that wherever you go, the skills go with you."''

''"One of the great things about bushcraft is that skills you learn in your back garden can be used all over the world."''

''"Knowledge is the key to survival and the best thing about that is: it doesn't weigh anything."''

''"You cannot underestimate the importance of preparation."''

''"As far as I'm concerned, these people are just showmen."'' On Bear Grylls

See also

Les Hiddins aka Bushtucker Man

Mors Kochanski

Lofty Wiseman

Richard Proenneke

Les Stroud - in Survivorman

Bear Grylls

Rüdiger Nehberg (''Sir Vival'')

Bruce Parry British anthropologist

Lars Monsen Norwegian adventurer and journalist

References

External links

Ray Mears' own web site

Ray Mears on MySpace

Ray Mears @ IMDb

Ray Mears' Survival shows on Dave (UKTV)

Photographs of 2005 helicopter accident

itvWILD">Wild Britain on itvWILD

Ray Mears Woodlore Facebook page

Ray Mears Bushcraft Official Youtube page

Category:British television presenters Category:British writers Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Old Reigatians Category:People from Kenley Category:Survivalists

de:Raymond Paul Mears fr:Ray Mears nl:Ray Mears ro:Ray Mears ru:Рэй Мирс

name	Sarah McLachlan
background	solo_singer
birth name	Sarah Ann McLachlan
born	January 28, 1968 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
genre	Pop, soft rock, adult contemporary
occupation	Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, painter, executive producer
years active	1988–present
instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboard, guitar, harp
label	Arista (outside Canada), Nettwerk
website	sarahmclachlan.com }}

Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range,

In 1997, Lilith Fair, featuring McLachlan as one of the headlining acts, garnered a $16 million gross, making it the top-grossing of any touring festival. Among all concert tours for that year, it was the 16th highest grossing. Lilith Fair tour brought together 2 million people over its three-year history and raised more than $7 million for charities. It was the most successful all-female music festival in history, one of the biggest music festivals of the 1990s, and helped launch the careers of several well-known female artists. Subsequent Lilith Fairs followed in 1998 and 1999 before the tour was discontinued.

Nettwerk CEO and Lilith Fair co-founder Terry McBride announced that the all-female festival would make its return in Summer 2010.

Hiatus

In 1998, in addition to performing her own set, she performed a cover of "Sad Lisa" with rock band Phish at the annual Bridge School Benefit concert in California, hosted by Neil Young, after which McLachlan began an extended period away from recording or touring. Six years elapsed between the release of ''Surfacing'' and that of her next studio album, ''Afterglow''.

However, she did release a live album in 1999, entitled ''Mirrorball''. The album's singles included a new live version of her earlier doubles "I Will Remember You", a studio recording of which had previously been released on ''The Brothers McMullen'' soundtrack as well as ''Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff''.

Also that year, McLachlan recorded the Randy Newman song "When She Loved Me" on the ''Toy Story 2'' soundtrack. This song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song in 2000, and McLachlan performed it at the awards ceremony, but the award went to "You'll Be in My Heart" from ''Tarzan'', written and recorded by Phil Collins.

In 1997, McLachlan co-wrote and provided guest vocals on the Delerium song "Silence" for their album Karma. This song achieved a massive amount of top 40 airplay when released as a single in late 2000 and also featured on the soundtrack for the movie ''Brokedown Palace''. In 2001, McLachlan provided background vocals, guitar, and piano on the closing track "Love Is" from Stevie Nicks' eighth solo album, ''Trouble in Shangri-La'', in addition to drawing the dragon used for the "S" in Stevie's name on the album cover. In May 2002, her duet with Bryan Adams was released on the ''Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' soundtrack. She sang harmonies and played the piano on the song "Don't Let Go" while Sood did the drum work.

McLachlan also participated in several concerts during her break, such as Sheryl Crow's ''Live from Central Park'' in 1999, the Arista Records twenty-fifth anniversary celebration in 2000, as well as the 2002 British Columbia Cancer Foundation Benefit Concert in memory of cancer victim Michele Bourbonnais. She participated along with four other Canadian artists: Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Barenaked Ladies, and Chantal Kreviazuk.

''Afterglow''

McLachlan returned to public life and touring with her 2003 album release, ''Afterglow'', which contained the singles "Fallen", "Stupid", and "World On Fire". Rather than shoot a conventional music video for "World On Fire", McLachlan donated all but $15 of the $150,000 budget to various charitable causes around the world and then used the video to explain how it benefited the communities that received the money.

Another live album, ''Afterglow Live'', was released in late 2004. The CD consisted of several tracks from a full-length concert, which was included in its entirety on a DVD, as well as the three music videos from ''Afterglow''.

In 2004, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, who credits McLachlan and her music for lifting him from a period of depression, invited her to join him on a track from his solo album. Although the album was not released until early 2006, remixes of the song "Just Like Me" were included on a number of compilations in 2005.

In 2007, McLachlan's song "Answer" featured in ''The Brave One'' starring Jodie Foster.

''Wintersong''

In October 2006, McLachlan released a Christmas album called ''Wintersong''. The album included 11 new recordings, featuring covers of Joni Mitchell's "River", Gordon Lightfoot's "Song for a Winter's Night", and John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", which she recorded with her outreach children and youth choir, and seasonal favourites: "Christmas Time Is Here", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Silent Night", "The First Noel", and "Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)", among others. The title track is an original work of McLachlan's.

''Wintersong'' debuted at No. 42 on the Billboard 200 album chart the week ending 4 November 2006. It peaked at #7. For the week of 5 December 2006, it was the #1 album on iTunes. Worldwide the album has sold over 1.1 million copies to date. It has been certified Platinum in the U.S. and 2x Platinum in Canada.

''Wintersong'' was nominated for both a Grammy Award, in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category, as well as for a Juno Award, for ''Pop Album of the Year''.

Guest appearances

In November 2006, McLachlan performed the song "Ordinary Miracle" for that year's feature film, ''Charlotte's Web''. The song was written by Glen Ballard and David A. Stewart of Eurythmics. McLachlan was the subject of rumours of an Oscar nomination for the song, but in the end was not nominated. She helped to promote the song and movie by performing it on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' as well as during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She also performed the song during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in her hometown of Vancouver, in front of an estimated 3 billion television viewers worldwide.

In early 2007, she sang on Dave Stewart's ''Go Green'', alongside Nadirah X, Imogen Heap, Natalie Imbruglia, and others.

McLachlan also appeared on Annie Lennox's album, ''Songs of Mass Destruction''. Together with Madonna, Céline Dion, Pink, Sugababes, Angélique Kidjo, k.d. lang, Faith Hill, Fergie, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Anastacia, Joss Stone, Dido, and KT Tunstall, she performed on the song "Sing".

In 2010, McLachlan appeared as herself on the television series Life Unexpected and performed. On September 8, 2010, McLachlan performed and sang "Forgiveness" from her 2010 album ''Laws of Illusion'' on a semi-final show of ''America's Got Talent''; she did so again on the ''Tonight Show,'' two days later.

On November 22, 2010, McLachlan again performed and sang "Forgiveness" this time on the ''Regis and Kelly'' show.

Rereleases, ''Rarities Vol 2'', and ''Greatest Hits''

On October 3, 2006, the live album ''Mirrorball'' was re-released as ''Mirrorball: The Complete Concert''. This release contains 2 discs that were compiled from 2 concerts performed on consecutive nights in April 1998 at the Rose Garden arena in Portland, Oregon.

April 29, 2008 saw the release of ''Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2''. The tracklist includes McLachlan's recent covers of Joni Mitchell's "River" and Dave Stewart's "Ordinary Miracle", as well as collaborations throughout her career with The Perishers, Cyndi Lauper and Bryan Adams, among others.

August 5, 2008 saw the release of the 15th anniversary 3-disc edition of ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy''. The set includes the original re-mastered album, ''The Freedom Sessions'' and a DVD that includes live performances, music videos and more. The album was released by Legacy Recordings.

McLachlan released a greatest hits album, ''Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan'', on October 7, 2008. On August 12, 2008, she released a new song from the album, "U want me 2", a mid-tempo contemplative love song, as a digital single on iTunes; also accompanied with a video performance. McLachlan also admitted the song was inspired by the dissolution of her marriage, which she announced in September 2008, during initial promotion. Being quietly released as a single on 3 February 2009 the other new song found on the album, "Don't Give Up on Us", signalled a wrap.

2010 Winter Olympics, Laws of Illusion and Lilith Fair 2010

A new single, "One Dream," was released on September 29, 2009 and was a rumoured contender for the official theme song of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. McLachlan's first studio album of original material in seven years, ''Laws of Illusion'', was released on June 15, 2010. New York Times music critic John Pareles says about ''Laws of Illusion'' - "It’s a kindly, enveloping sound that Ms. McLachlan has long used to conjure passion and empathy laced with melancholy. But now it encompasses a new anguish, deeper and sharper than what she hinted at with ''Afterglow'' in 2003." It features 10 new songs in addition to the previously released tracks "U Want Me 2" and "Don't Give Up on Us," as well as various bonus tracks. Previews of the tracks and bonus materials were made available on iTunes and Amazon.com for listening and viewing on May 26, 2010. Lilith Fair kicked off in Calgary, AB on June 27, 2010. In anticipation of the soon-to-be released album and this summer's tour, McLachlan appeared on the WNYC-produced radio show ''Soundcheck''. During the wide-ranging interview, McLachlan discussed the last eleven years of her life and how she has changed — especially as working mother of two — over that time with ''Soundcheck'' host John Schaefer. She also played solo two songs from the new album.

Guitars and equipment

For years, Sarah McLachlan's main stage guitar has been a late-'70s Larrivée C-10 with rosewood back and sides, a spruce top, and a Florentine cutaway. The guitar is amplified with a Fishman Rare Earth Blend (which combines a magnetic pickup and an internal mic), running through a Radial JDV Mk3 active DI. She has also performed with Canadian-made Morgan guitars, and at the time of the interview, she was trying out Taylor models with Expression System electronics.

McLachlan strings her guitars with phosphor-bronze or vintage bronze Dean Markleys. She uses medium-lights (.012–.054) for her guitars in E A D G A D and D A D G A D tunings. Sometimes she uses lights (.011–.046) and raises E A D G A D a whole step so her capo positions can be two frets lower. For instance, in the past she played "Building a Mystery" in E A D G A D with a capo at the seventh fret, but now she tunes to F# B E A B E and capoes at the fifth fret. McLachlan's capo of choice is a Dunlop C-Four.

Awards and achievements

McLachlan has been nominated for twenty-one Juno Awards and awarded eight. In 1992, her video for "Into the Fire" was selected as best music video. In 1998, she won Female Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year (along with Pierre Marchand), Single of the Year for "Building a Mystery", and Album of the Year for ''Surfacing''. In 2000, she won an International Achievement award and in 2004, won Pop Album of the Year for ''Afterglow'' and again shared the Songwriter of the Year award with Pierre Marchand for the singles "Fallen", "World on Fire", and "Stupid."

She has also won three Grammy Awards. She was awarded Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1997 for "Building a Mystery" and again in 1999 for the live version of "I Will Remember You." She also scored Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1997 for "Last Dance." Among these, she is credited for various nominations.

Her song "Building A Mystery" came in at 91 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.

McLachlan has been extensively profiled by media including cover stories for ''Rolling Stone'', ''Time'' magazine, ''Entertainment Weekly'' and ''Flare'', a Canadian fashion magazine.

Through her career, she has also received many awards, primarily in recognition of her efforts in launching Lilith Fair. She was awarded the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Visionary Award in 1998 for advancing the careers of women in music. In 1999, she was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada by then-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson in recognition of her successful recording career, her role in Lilith Fair, and the charitable donations she made to women's shelters across Canada. In 2001, she was inducted to the Order of British Columbia.

On February 12, 2010, McLachlan performed her song "Ordinary Miracle" at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

On June 15, 2011, she was recognized with an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University.

Philanthropy

McLachlan contributed the track "Hold On" to the 1993 AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization. She also performed at the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund Benefit Concert on February 12, 1997 and went on to release a haunting cover version of ''Unchained Melody'' created as part of her support for Peltier and later included on the album ''Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2''.

In early 2005, McLachlan took part in a star-studded tsunami disaster relief telethon on NBC. On 29 January McLachlan was a headliner for a benefit concert in Vancouver along with other Canadian superstars such as Avril Lavigne and Bryan Adams. The show also featured a performance by the Sarah McLachlan Musical Outreach Choir & Percussion Ensemble, a children's choir and percussion band from the aforementioned Vancouver outreach program. In addition to her own headliner show she also joined Delerium live on stage for their first-ever performance of 'Silence'. The concert was titled ''One World: The Concert for Tsunami Relief'', and raised approximately $3.6 million for several Canadian aid agencies working in south and southeast Asia. The show was the brainchild of McLachlan's manager, Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk. It ran for four hours and aired live on CTV across Canada.

She is an avid supporter of the ASPCA and animal welfare. She filmed a two-minute advertisement for the organization which featured her song "Angel". The advertisement's imagery of shelter animals mixed with the soundtrack and McLachlan's simple appeal for donations has raised $30 million for the ASPCA since it began to air in 2006, which allowed the organization to air appeals in higher profile prime-time cable ad slots; subsequently the organization produced a new ad for the 2008 holiday season featuring McLachlan appealing for the ASPCA over her ''Wintersong'' performance of "Silent Night", and a new ad with her was released in January 2009 featuring the song "Answer".

On July 2, 2005, McLachlan participated in the Philadelphia installment of the Live 8 concerts, where she performed her hit "Angel" with Josh Groban. These concerts, which were held simultaneously in nine major cities around the world, were intended to coincide with the G8 summit to put pressure on the leaders of the world's richest nations to fight poverty in Africa by cancelling debt.

McLachlan also funds an outreach program in Vancouver that provides music education for inner city children. In 2007, the provincial government announced $500,000 in funding for the outreach program.

For raising millions of dollars for causes including women's charities, AIDS sufferers and inner-city kids, Simon Fraser University conferred Sarah McLachlan the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa on June 13, 2011.

Discography

1988: ''Touch''

1991: ''Solace''

1992: ''Sarah McLachlan Live EP''

1993: ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy''

1996: ''Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff''

1997: ''Surfacing''

1999: ''Mirrorball''

2001: ''Remixed''

2003: ''Afterglow''

2005: ''Bloom: Remix Album''

2006: ''Wintersong''

2008: ''Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2''

2008: ''Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan''

2010: ''Laws of Illusion''

References

External links

Official site

Interview with Sarah McLachlan

Category:Arista Records artists Category:Musicians from British Columbia Category:Canadian adoptees Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian mezzo-sopranos Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian singer-songwriters Category:Canadian pop guitarists Category:Canadian pop pianists Category:Canadian harpists Category:Canadian keyboardists Category:Canadian music video directors Category:Canadian female guitarists Category:Canadian multi-instrumentalists Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:Feminist musicians Category:Ballad musicians Category:Gemini Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Juno Award winners Category:Members of the Order of British Columbia Category:Musicians from Nova Scotia Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:People from Vancouver Category:People from Halifax, Nova Scotia Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Animal rights advocates Category:NSCAD University alumni

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