fom stories

“The world is a stage” so says Will Shakespeare.  My life has been a continuous series of stages.  I believe our lives can be a movie, that is played at the end of our glorious life on earth, recounted by yourself to God.  This is your life on stage.  Everyone who performs, craves that moment of stardom, yearning for attention, love and acceptance, and an overwhelming desire to entertain people, lift them up and make them laugh.  That is my mission.

Divine inspiration is better than petty perspiration, is my motto.  I am amazed, looking back at my life in my innocent pushy joie de vivre style of forcing myself on stages and Open mics.  In elementary school high school and college.  In my first performance at St. Edmunds school, I forgot the words to my song, half-way.  I had to persist with determination to succeed.  Oh to hear the applause, to satisfy my audience.  Another memorable time was my performance at Queen Mary School.  I was blessed to have many beautiful people in school to encourage me.  When I was Born Again, I was able to put some real pizzazz in my recitals.  As I do songs with our present conductor at Friends of Music, I assure him we can pull it off in a good way.

In the same fashion, pushing myself to do a stint with a Rock Band in Calgary to do the song Bee-Bop-A-Lula, and they played great.  To me, music has been a gift from God to glorify Him through art.  Going through phases of painful shyness, insecurities, and rebellion.  I treasure all of these precious moments, even the painful ones.  Sometimes locking myself in my room as a teenager to blast my treasured records of Elvis Presley, Connie Francis, Buddy Holly, Nelson Eddy and Jeaneatte MacDonald.  These artists were my first Friends of Music. 

The communication of artist to audience I believe is essential, make the listener believe and feel I am singing just to them personally.  Everyone has the ability and power to raise above their circumstances. 

Try your hand and voice to music.  Therapy Personified, reach out in love! 

I love to sing old Rock ‘n’ Roll, Gospel, Operetta, and old songs to glorify the creator.  Singing with St. Andrews and Billy Graham chorus was a highlight.  I have been blessed to have been at the Met Church, and have been featured in TV interviews and recitals on the CBC and C-Fax.  I just loved being part of the Salvation Army Worship Service, as I was the featured singer before the gospel service.  Also, performing with Matt Laner and the Christian Rock Band SPAM event.  Ronald MacDonald managed to get a guest spot on a commercial, not used.  Appearing on Comedy shows is my favorite. 

My writing and artwork have been featured in the Village Vibe, Good News, Salvation Army Newsletter, Victoria Street Newz (10 years), Nexus, Monday Magazine, Ho’s And Hypes, Pandora Swift Gazette, Island Catholic News Books, Heartbeat II, University Journals of the UVic Programs, Megaphone Books, Megaphone Magazine and Get the Beat Newsletter of FOM Music Society. 

My advice to aspiring musicians who come on over to Friend’s of Music.  The advice of a loner who listened to his records, overcoming obstacles and trauma, to follow in music with the creator.  Put away your insecurities, don’t worry about critics.  You can do it, believe in yourself!  When problems seem to be impossible and there’s no way out, relax and inhale.  Believe a power that is much stronger than any of our problems.  Always keep hope and a song in your heart.