Yesterday I received notification that ‘Take My World Apart‘ won top honors in the 2011 Independent Music Awards (IMA). I was rather surprised to have been selected as the winner of my category, and felt quite honored and grateful as there was surely a lot of other deserving submissions. As part of the competition, the IMA conducted a brief interview with me, which can be found by clicking here. I hope you’re enjoying the ride as much as I am! Thanks for reading this update and following along with my musical journey. It means a lot to me to have your support.

I can hardly believe how fast the month of April flew by. So much has been happening at the Kamps camp. I’m presently involved in a research and development phase for some new material I hope to write this summer. My desire is to learn all about Alberta’s rich history and to draw inspiration for songs from Rocky Mountain folklore. If you or your friends know of any people who have a story to tell, please put us in touch with each other. I’d love to get to learn all about our adventurous pioneering past and make some new friends along the way. Ciao for now!

It’s Monday morning and I just returned home from a west coast tour with singer/songwriter Justine Vandergrift. I was blown away by the hospitality that was shown to us by friends and family; new and old. I can’t begin to express my thanks for your generous support and for graciously welcoming us into your homes. Spending time with each of you was a blessed experience and I certainly hope we get more opportunities in the future. Side-note, one of the most memorable moments on tour was accidentally breaking into the wrong basement suite at 1 AM in Vancouver…

This past Wednesday I showcased at The Rivoli in Toronto. What a stellar venue! I was honored to share the stage with several other talented acts from all over Canada including Ali Milner (Vancouver, BC) and Sarah Troy (Bragg Creek, AB). During the evening I met a friendly local photographer, Corbin Smith, who was taking photos throughout the night (including the photo to the left). He posted a review of day one at Canadian Music Week and gracious included me therein – you can read his thoughts on Torontoist.com, so please feel free to meander on over…

I recently had the pleasure of performing at the Alberta Culture Forum 2012, where I was accompanied by members of the Calgary Youth Orchestra. What an amazing experience it was. We spent the week beforehand meeting up and arranging some parts for our showcase. I’ve been in contact with them since and you can be assured that this is not the last you’ll see of the CYO. Footage from our performance can be seen to the left, as well as on my video page. I hope you all enjoy!

This past week I received word that ‘Take My World Apart‘ was awarded a semi-finalist spot in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). A snippet from the official ISC email: “With over 16,000 entries in ISC 2011, this is an incredible accomplishment, and we would like to sincerely congratulate you on this achievement!” It was a lovely mid-week surprise and I’ve gotta say, I’m pleasantly surprised with the results.

I also wanted to thank those of you who have been encouraging me to continue pursuing a career in music and songwriting. I really appreciate all of your kind words – they always seem to come at the most welcome of times. Again, I offer you a heart-felt thank you.

Well it’s reached that time… the second week of January and the holiday season has since lost it’s allure. Many of my friends and family are back at work; the routine has set in once more, and there’s never enough time to get things done – or so it seems. I’ve been trying to get myself back in the saddle in fact. The opportunities I experience in Alberta are practically unheard of and thankfulness is key.

A quick update career-wise: I’ve been invited to showcase at Canadian Music Fest during Canadian Music Week in Toronto this March. I’m quite enthused at the opportunity and hopefully I’ll be able to get my ducks in a row to allow me to make the trip. I’ve also been tracking Take My World Apart on radio across Canada and now in the United States thanks to Seth at Least Of These Promotions.

At the end of March I also plan to embark on a mini West Coast tour from Calgary to Vancouver and back. I hope to have some more dates nailed down really soon – feel free to contact me with suggestions or opportunities. House concerts are welcomed requests. Much love.

The holiday season is fast approaching and it seems like every passing day gets busier and busier. I for one am looking forward to a little downtime with friends and family when Christmas rolls around.

In other news, three weeks ago I injured my right wrist and forearm and did some tendon damage. It’s wrapped up in a brace these days and hopefully it’ll be all healed up by mid-January. One positive thing to come of this so far has been time spent on grant applications and festival bookings. I also may have finally picked up my first music theory lesson…

This past fall I tried my hand at acting. Here’s the first of three TV spots I was featured in for the new Travel Alberta’s ‘Remember to Breathe’ add campaign. This is the longest of the three spot, simply called “Alberta”. My mind has been blown by the way Sean Thonson has captured Alberta’s beauty with the use of slow-motion film. I really hope you enjoy these clips – and for those of you who knew ahead of time, thanks for being patient!

You can see the other two shorter spots by following the links below:
Travel Alberta’s “Alberta Summer” Spot (1:02)
Travel Alberta’s “Rock & Glass” Spot (0:33)

Thanksgiving… where to start? Like many of you, today I reflect on all the things I generally take for granted. By virtue of living in North America I already experience more freedoms today than the rest of the world will get the opportunity to experience in a lifetime: Freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, freedom from oppression, and even the financial freedom to go out and purchase a cup of coffee at the slightest whim. I think of the time I’ve spent traveling and seeing people live with a lot less and seemingly be far more thankful in general. Consider our access to water and food – these things I take for granted most of the time. I think too of my family and friends – those who have journeyed with me through all the ups and downs of life. And then, still after all of these things I think of the one who has been there from the start and will see me through to the finish. What great gratitude I have for these things!