Where did you grow up? I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario.
What inspired you to get into music? I liked to sing for a long time, ever since I was a young teenager. A singer named Jan Berry, which he was a singer from the 60’s named Jan Dean, well, I watched a movie about them called Dead Man's Curve, and in the movie it showed that as their career was going great, Jan got into a serious car accident and wasn’t expected to live or even sing again. But he proved people wrong and some years later, he came back and sang again. That inspired me to never give up on my dreams.
Did you take lessons for guitar, or are you self-taught? When I was 27 years old, one year after I moved out of my mother’s house, my mother bought me my first guitar for Christmas and signed me up for to take guitar lessons.
What is a song writing session for you? A song writing session for me is, when I think of some
words for a song that just pops in my head, I write it down on paper, or on the computer, depending on where I am at the time. Then every time I try to add stuff to the song, I write it down and add it. I try not to over think the words. When I get together with my friend Bruce, we try and collaborate together the song. We both share our ideas about the song together to make it sound good.
You acquired a brain injury after an accident when you were a kid. Does that affect your creativity at all? No, it doesn’t. I had my accident when I was 7 years old. When I was 12 years old, my father passed away. One year later, when I was 13 years old, I went to a grief group. I remember, one day after my grief group, as I was waiting outside for my mother to pick me up. I thought of some words to a song that I called This is a Goodbye. I wrote it down when I got home. From that day forward, I wanted to sing.
What is your local music scene like in Ontario? Before the pandemic, I used to volunteer in a childcare for some years and I would bring my guitar there and sing to the children there. Now, I just sing on live Facebook with Bruce once a week, or once every couple weeks. I also sing for and with someone on Facebook messenger once a week. It's like a sing a long.
Do you ever collaborate with other artists? When I was in my late 20’s, I joined a place called the
opportunity center in Kitchener, where people with a brain injury meet and socialized with each other. There was a music program there where everyone would sing songs with each other. We even wrote songs about each other. We had some concerts for people in the community such as the downtown community center in Kitchener. There was someone on the keyboard, guitar, drums and everyone sang with each other to every one.
Has Covid19 affected your music at all? Once a week, my friend Bruce, which he is also my voice
teacher and also giving my some keyboard lessons, we go onto live Facebook together, and sing different songs for everyone. I also sing for and with someone once a week on Facebook messenger. It's a sing a long.
Tell us about your latest project. My latest project was a few years ago, when I wrote the song called, Olivia, with some help from my friend Bruce. I wanted to write a song for my Goddaughter
named Olivia. At the time Olivia was just a baby. Bruce and I wrote the song together, recorded it and videoed it. Olivia and her family were in the video as well. We put the video on YouTube.
What can we expect from you in the future? I am hoping to do more music in the future. As well, as I would like to do talks with different people and be a motivational speaker one day. I have been through a lot in my life, from my accident when I was 7 years old, to my father passing away when I was 12, growing up with a brain injury, and my mother passing away during my years of going to college. I would like to encourage people to never give up when things get tough and
things get in the way in life. To always think positive.