Other things . . .
Poetry In Voice
I was very fortunate to be able to compete in “Poetry In Voice”, which is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students across Canada. It is sponsored by Scott Griffin, the founder of the Griffin Poetry Prize. In the year I competed, there were over thirty thousand high school students, from more than three hundred schools across the country. In the end I came in first place in Canada!
Here are videos of two of the poems that I recited at the finals. The first one, “Dog Boy” is by Matthew Rohrer and is a humourous poem about strange goings on in Oklahoma and Pittsburgh. The next one, “Wolf Lake” is by Elizabeth Bachinsky, and is a dark and chilling story about a girl who comes home for the summer, and comes to a bad end.
I was very fortunate to be able to compete in “Poetry In Voice”, which is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students across Canada. It is sponsored by Scott Griffin, the founder of the Griffin Poetry Prize. In the year I competed, there were over thirty thousand high school students, from more than three hundred schools across the country. In the end I came in first place in Canada!
Here are videos of two of the poems that I recited at the finals. The first one, “Dog Boy” is by Matthew Rohrer and is a humourous poem about strange goings on in Oklahoma and Pittsburgh. The next one, “Wolf Lake” is by Elizabeth Bachinsky, and is a dark and chilling story about a girl who comes home for the summer, and comes to a bad end.
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VSO Jazz performances
I like to play trombone, and will get in a little bit of big band from time to time. For the last few summers I have done the VSO Jazz workshops, singing and working with combos, and playing big band trombone at Pyatt Hall. It gives me a chance to get in some practice and have a lot of fun at the same time.
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This 2023 cool, James Bond action is called "Moon and Sand" composed by Alec Wilder and Morty Palitz, with lyrics written by William Engvick.
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In 2023 we did a vocal combo with no vocals, playing "Splanky", composed by Neal Hefti for the Count Basie band. I love my "duet" with our great young saxophone player.
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This 2017 totally cool arrangement of "Autumn Leaves" was put together by the equally totally cool Jesse Cahill (on drums). It was written by Johnny Mercer in 1945.
Another 2016 VSO Jazz song: "Are You Listening?" by Sonny Stitt. I love this one, especially my Clave/Cowbell "duet" with our awesome thirteen year old trumpeter. A great song!
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My 2019 VSO Jazz combo put together "Social Call", written by Jon Hendricks and Gigi Gryce - guided by the Vancouver jazz great Bill Coon.
In 2018 VSO Jazz was working on doing some Bossa Nova music and so our combo put together this version of "Agua de Beber" . It was originally published in 1963.
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Here is our 2015 combo "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen + One Girl" performing "The Way You Look Tonight" written by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
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This is a song from my 2016 VSO jazz combo, performing "All the Things You Are" by Jerome Kern. Guided by the awesome Jesse Cahill on drums.
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My jazz albums of songs that I play while busking
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This is my album of songs from the "Great American Songbook" from the 1920s to 1940s. I regularly sing these songs while busking, and I sell the CDs at my performances. If you'd like to listen to this one, just click on the name to the left to go to "Soundcloud". If you'd like to get a CD, just email me to order one
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This is my album of songs from the "Great American Songbook" from the 1920s to 1940s. I regularly sing these songs while busking, and I sell the CDs at my performances. If you'd like to listen to this one, just click on the name on the left to go to "Soundcloud". If you'd like to get a CD, just email me to order one
This is my album of Christmas songs from the 1920s to 1940s (or maybe a little later). I regularly sing these songs while busking, and I sell the CDs at my performances. If you'd like to listen to this one, just click on the name to the left to go to "Soundcloud". If you'd like to get a CD, just email me to order one |
Songs from Matilda - this is an album of my original songs
This is my album, songs From Matilda", which I recorded as part of my CBC "On The Coast Best Singer/Songwriter In the Lower Mainland" competition prize package.
I recorded "The Compromise" and "White Tablecloths" with Jon Siddall of CBC, at CBC Studio One. Another of the songs, "O Sinking Ship" I worked on with Veda Hille, and recorded it at the Hive Creative Labs .
It's a bit more of an EP, with just eight songs on it - four with vocals, and four instrumentals. They are all piano songs (one with violin), as it was burned before I started playing ukulele. Just click on the album cover to go to SoundCloud, to hear my songs from this album, along with a couple of more recent compositions .
I recorded "The Compromise" and "White Tablecloths" with Jon Siddall of CBC, at CBC Studio One. Another of the songs, "O Sinking Ship" I worked on with Veda Hille, and recorded it at the Hive Creative Labs .
It's a bit more of an EP, with just eight songs on it - four with vocals, and four instrumentals. They are all piano songs (one with violin), as it was burned before I started playing ukulele. Just click on the album cover to go to SoundCloud, to hear my songs from this album, along with a couple of more recent compositions .
Art stuff on Tumblr and Instagram
Co-op Radio - She Boom!
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I met “Skyy Guy” of Co-op Radio down at Granville Island one day while I was busking. He asked if I’d like to be on his radio show “She-Boom!” at Co-op. I played songs and we talked for almost an hour. It was great fun - you can listen to it here on YouTube.
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The Magic Flute - Vancouver Opera
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In 2013 the Vancouver Opera put on a production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
I auditioned for, and was accepted as, the Third Spirit. It was the second VO opera that I had been in, but this one was even more exciting, as I had an actual part. |
(Previous to this, I had been part of the Children's chorus in Carmen, in an earlier production.) As the VO's version is based upon West Coast influences, I am the one in the blue body suit, with a bald head, and an ermine skin tied around my forehead. Not the costume that I had hoped for, but it was still a really great experience!
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