The grass is greener
but the water's deeper
and you can't go home again...
I wrote those lyrics well over a year ago for a song called 'Home Again' done by my band No Island. These words really relate to how I'm looking back on 2012. The lyrics to that song talk about the angst of wanting to change your life. You no longer want to be stuck in a rut going no where. You want to go out and escape, explore, grow and transform...but with these changes comes great risk. Although the grass may indeed be greener, the "water's deeper" meaning, the stakes are higher and you may never be able to go back to that comfortable shelter you call "home." Reflection on this past year has shown me that those words were somewhat prophetic to my own life...
I have a very hit and miss memory, so in my looking back at this year I may miss a thing or two but I'll get the good stuff.
I said goodbye to 2011 (a year of great depression and then triumph) and hello to 2012 by doing what I do and love best; playing music. I played a fun gig at a restaurant called Cin Cin which is located on Robson Street. I love bringing in the new year this way. Playing music is what I'm meant to do. I'm not good at anything else so it's nice to celebrate a milestone like that by doing what you love.
Here we are in a hilarious predicament...having to
eat in the back room. It was...weird.
2012 saw a great period of growth for my band No Island. We played a great show in January at the Railway Club after a 4 month writing/rehearsal/growth/hibernation period and then in February, we went into Blue Wave studios to record 2 tracks that would later appear on a release called The Waiting Game EP <--(Download there) In the following months the band continued to play many gigs around town and develop into a formidable force of rock which I am proud to be a part of.
Some of the greatest musical experiences I've ever had took place this year. Getting to play guitar in the premier Capliano Vocal ensemble, NiteCap, was an incredible honour. In January we played a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie. In February we played with the unbelievable Jason Marsalis. It was one of those gigs where you probably learned more in that 45 minute set than in one year of school. And in April we finished our concert series with a fantastic vocalist named Karrin Allison. The following week we traveled to Banff, Alberta to be a featured act at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival. This was an unforgettable trip.
NiteCap with Karrin.
As I said, 2012 was a big transitional year and none was bigger than graduating Capilano's Jazz Studies program with a Bachelor's Degree. Academically I did quite well but in all 5 years of my schooling I cared infinitely more about how I was developing as a player and I think my grad recital reflected that passion. I spent months preparing and stressing for the show and it ended up going quite well. My band was better than I could imagine. The phenomenal Mili Hong on drums. The incredibly solid Alex Dobson on Bass. And the mind-blowing Sax playing of Geoff Claridge.
I shared the evening with one of my best friends and brother, Andy Rice who had an equally successful recital. It was fitting that we played on the same night seeing as how we've been playing in a band together for over three years now.
Upon graduating, I received a life-changing email from an organization called MusiCounts. They are all about music programs in schools and I found out that I was one of 12 winners of the MusiCounts Fred Sherratt Award. They picked 12 outstanding music students from across Canada who are nominated by their teachers. There is a cash reward and an amazing, whirlwind trip to Toronto. It was just incredible to get to hop on a (free) plane and fly to Toronto and get treated like royalty all because you've just been doing what you love to do. Can it get any better? I got my own swanky hotel room. I got to perform at Much Music. Meet INCREDIBLE musicians and people. Tour the Bell Media building and see Toronto all on someone else's dime. Yep...I could get used to that.
Pretty certain Tanya Kim was into me...
Chor Leoni had a fantastic season which was all capped off with a European tour. To show you how crazy it was, this was my schedule. On the last Monday in June, I did the last 2 Bard shows with Chor Leoni. I then hopped on a plane the next morning for Toronto. Came home on Thursday. Then EARLY Friday morning, I jetted off to Bosnia with Chor Leoni. That tour was simply unforgettable. The first week and a bit was spent touring and playing shows in Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Then we went to Gorizia to compete in the Seghizzi International Choral Competition. We saw and met some astounding choirs and even better human beings. On the second to last night of the competition, there was a big open air party where all the choirs got together to mingle and sing for one another. Needless to say, 50 Canadian men doing synchronized dance moves to Indian music was a huge hit for everyone involved. All the choirs took turns leading the festivities and it was just one of those nights that reminds you what music can do for the soul. It was just amazing.
Man was I glad there was a guitar there...
Chor Leoni basically swept the competition. We won a dozen awards (far more than any other choir) and came in 2nd in the Grand Prix to an incredible choir from Indonesia. It was an experience which I can (and may) write many blogs about but I wont go into it here.
Coming home from tour, I wasted no time and went on a two week vacation to Osoyoos with my family. After that I spent some quality time with friends...
...bought my dream amp...
.
...and then I hopped in a van with my band and we went on the road.
We had a very successful tour all over Western Canada. We saw many beautiful places (and some not so great places) and played many fantastic shows. We melted faces and left a firm implant on those who were there. Unforgettable.
Coming home from there, the band continued to play shows and I continued my teaching work. In early December, I lost someone very important to me and the world lost an incredible human. Diane Loomer passed away on December 10th 2012. She was much more than a choral conductor. She was a major player in bringing the world together. I will write about her in an upcoming blog after her celebration of life. There's simply far too much to say.
2012 was a year of transition and transformation. I know that the grass is greener on the other side but the water is definitely deeper and the stakes are much higher now that I am in the real world. And once I finally leave this house that I've lived in all my life, there may very well be no returning. 2013 is looking to be an enormous year. No Island has some humongous, enormous, ridiculous plans. We will unleash so much rock into the world we might as well be Geologists...
There are big things happening. I'm going to make a mark in this world with my music. I hope you can come along for the ride.
