My 1970s childhood with two older brothers had a huge impact on my musical development. They replaced my K-Tel albums with rock and folk and, while one brother recited all Frank Zappa lyrics, the other took me to my first concerts at the Montreal Forum before my teen years.
My mom supported my classical piano training through childhood which became the foundation to build on when I was ready. My dad worked as a history professor by day and a musician by night. Born and raised in Twin Butte, southern Alberta, he was from boyhood a lover of country-western music. As a young man living in Montreal he was featured on several live radio shows during the 1950s, and hosted the Bobby Hill Show on the CBC national network in the early ‘60s. His “Saga of Rocket Richard” about the famous Montreal Forum riot was a runaway hit in 1955, and his “When the Bees Are in Their Hive” (1957) is today recognized as the earliest Bluegrass recording in Canada. As a one-man band in the 1970s and ‘80s, he learned song classics in foreign languages and was booked for years in advance to sing in Yiddish and Hebrew at the weddings and bar mitzvahs of the large Jewish communities in Montreal and Ottawa. My dad enjoyed a rich and varied musical experience and he will be missed. Dad passed away in June, 2015.
For a year after high school I attended a small school in Elverum, Norway where I was immersed in music from a different angle than ever before. Our music director was active in the anti-apartheid movement, travelling to and from South Africa to volunteer hands-on, returning with Swahili songs for us to learn. We formed an a cappella octet and toured local high schools, banks and community halls. In December 1984, after recording our cassette Beautiful Africa, we met Bishop Desmond Tutu and performed 3 Swahili songs with him in Oslo the night he accepted his Nobel Peace prize.
When our family’s Twin Butte ranch home burned down in 1998, I began writing poetry for reflection and healing. A few of these poems became lyrics for my first songs.
Writing songs began full time in 2010 inspired by our Wild Spaces, Connection, and our local History. In writing and continuing to learn my instruments and vocal capacities, I find my voice to the world.
Recording with David Kean on my 2nd album finds us now on the homestretch of a most wonderful artistic journey over a longer chunk of time. Namaste to you David!
