This week I received the news that my former piano teacher, Boyanna Toyich, passed away. When I saw the news flash over my screen, I was stunned and suddenly filled with an immense amount of grief. When I was a student at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music from 1993-97, she was a key […]
The city and country I call home have become entranced by a game where you put a ball through a basket. And I too have been caught up in the frenzy of the Raptors becoming NBA Champions. On the surface, that doesn’t make much sense…why would a composer of modern art music care about sports? […]
From May 13 to June 4, Lisa and I were so fortunate to have a dream trip to Europe. It’s not like it was our first trip to Europe…we’ve been a bunch of times over the years. But this trip seemed extra special in that we had a chance to visit with people we admire […]
Yet another video posted on my Twitter feed this morning of plastic and garbage floating en masse in a pristine waterway. Despite the good intent of many to spread the word, research shows that the problem of plastic being dumped in our lakes, rivers and oceans is getting worse. Many community groups have taken up […]
I’m so excited this week! I’ve been working on the music for this musical project for 5 years now. But this is the first week when I can really talk about it coming to life since we’re about 2 months away from unleashing Spend Your Kids’ Inheritance onto the world, or at least at the […]
I am so grateful to be in an incredibly loving marriage with my soulmate. But ironically, I have no interest in wearing my wedding ring. At least that’s the way it’s been for the past couple of years. Yes, my ring finger has been “al fresco” for a while now. My 22nd wedding anniversary comes […]
Very excited to share that Lisa and I will be in Europe this May! It’s been quite a while since we crossed “the pond” and we’re really looking forward to the sights, sounds, and experiences that await us. Here are the highlights of what we have to look forward to… The European premiere of my […]
My 45th birthday took place on Friday. Lot’s of thoughts have compiled in my mind over all these years. Here’s some of them… 1. Love is the most important thing. 2. As much as a human being would like to think they can lead a solitary life, they can’t. 3. The Toronto Maple Leafs will […]
I’m happy to announce that I have been awarded a major grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to record a new album of my compositions! The album will be called ‘Project Dovetail’. The plan is to release it in the fall of 2020. All the compositions on this album are inspired by works […]
What do I hear in my head? I hear melody. I hear rhythmic patterns. I hear the sonority of particular instruments. I hear the unique combinations of sonority between different instruments. I hear voices. Sometimes they speak. Sometimes they sing. I sometimes hear my own voice in my head. It often encourages me. But it […]
I decided to take one of those online personality tests for the first time. So, why not do it in real time on camera!? Am I an introvert or an extrovert? Observant or intuitive? A thinker or a feeler? Check out the video for the reveal!
I’m really happy to announce that I will be spending a 3-week residency this summer at the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony in the beautiful Temecula Valley, California! I’m over the moon happy since this will be the first time I have ever attended an artist’s residence. As a Canadian musician, it is sort of a […]
I’ve been fighting the “winter blues” lately. Then again, I tend to have to fight the “winter blues” at many random points of any given year. So ya, it’s probably just the usual depression. So my lovely and supportive wife thought we needed to change things up and have a change of atmosphere. How to […]
Lisa and I are considering selling our Toronto condo and replacing it with a smaller space. We presently live in a 2-bedroom that’s over 700 sq. feet. One of the 2 bedrooms is our office. It’s a nice place…we enjoy it. But the idea of getting rid of more stuff and buying a one bedroom […]
As a composer, one of the steps in the creative process that I often find mentally difficult to grapple with is coming up with a title for a new work. Sometimes it can be so annoying that I often wish I could just call something “Untitled”. But it’s never gotten that bad that I’ve had […]
