When I was very small, my Oma and Opa had a pair of old apple trees in their backyard. I would sit in my seat in the apple tree, singing for hours on end, sometimes joining in with the choir as they practiced in the church just behind their house.

 

I grew up in Waterloo, with two sisters and a large extended family.  My favourite memories are of our whole family, crammed around the table in my Oma and Opa’s basement, arms thrown around each other’s shoulders, singing folk songs in harmony. Or around a garden table in Germany, under the stars, singing late into the night. Always, there was music. Always, there was love.

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Featuring original songs written and composed by me, with help from some pretty amazing cowriters. I've been so lucky to write with Scott Metcalfe, Nathan Hiltz, Jason Fowler, Ross MacIntyre and Mark Lalama, as well as the late Sean Cunnington. I need a little help because I don’t play any instrument well. I have the whole thing in my head - melody and lyrics, but I need someone to hear me sing it A Cappella, need to give them my thoughts on key, tempo, chords and background parts, and guide them until we feel it out and it sounds like the composition in my head. Sometimes I play a little on the piano (badly), to show them where I hear it, and we always seem to work it out.

 

Sean's memory is honored in the tracks, Without You and Beautiful Day and is sampled on the songs I’ve Got Everything, Can't Go Back and Too Much to Ask; even contributing vocals on a reggae version of All I See Is Love. We had so much fun that day, and I just had to include it in the later album, In Spite Of Me. It is one of the only recordings I have of his voice. An old friend and co-writer for fifteen years, Sean’s life was tragically cut short by Covid in March of 2020. I didn’t think I’d ever write again, and the first song I wrote after his death was for him. Losing him was the event that inspired me to finally get out there and share our music with the world. That, and a much-needed push from one of my closest friends, Juliann Kuchocki, who has been my sounding board and guide on this project. So much help has also come from my new friends along the way; Julian Decorte, who's keen ear I've come to trust throughout this long process, and Jeremy Darby, who put me in his capable hands and has looked in from time to time to see that I'm taken care of. He has become so dear to me as well. I know, I'm rambling, but the point of all of this is that life is short. You have to follow your dreams while you can. And, after all, it’s a beautiful day.

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