4 Unique Activities It's the beginning of summer and it's time to let loose and enjoy your freedom. Summer is all about trying new things and experiencing life outside of your regular schedule. Start from scratch and let yourself be adventurous this summer with these 4 unique activities.
SAIL-IN CINEMA
Oh, those summer nights! Watching a movie under the stars is a great way to spend your summer, and since summer is all about spending time outside, why not spend your nights outside. A movie under the starts beats an indoor theatre any day, so grab some friends and head down to Sugar Beach. Why is this a great event? As a movie lover myself, this is the perfect way to spend a warm summer night. Also if you're a sea lover, you can come in by boat.
PICNIC IN HIGH PARK
Discover one of the most beautiful parks in Toronto! Whether you’re spending the day having a picnic, taking pictures, or just taking a walk to absorb the beauty, High Park won’t disappoint and always has something new to offer. Known for its cherry trees called Sakura trees, they bloom in April or May depending on the whether so it’s best to visit during spring time when they’re in full bloom. There’s also waterfront and hiking trails, and designated sports facilities. The list goes on and on...
To Do This Summer
SCAVENGER HUNT
Calling all mystery lovers! Go spend an afternoon solving a murder at the ROM, or go after hours and solve a mystery in some of the most haunted places in Toronto. Sound up for the challenge? This is truly a unique thing to do in the city so make sure you Grab some friends and experience some of best Toronto neighbourhoods like you've never seen them before.
STAND UP PADDLE BOARD (SUP)
Quickly becoming one of the world’s fastest growing water sports, SUP will give you that thrillseeking adventure you’re looking for. Located in the Scarborough Bluffs, you know you’re guaranteed that beautiful scenery of that country life you’re looking for. SUP can be done year round with the right equipment, and you don’t need to be expert to do this. Many clubs in Toronto offer beginner classes or a one day drop-in session for those of you who just want to check it out. So grab a board and surfs up, friends!
Not The Right Fit B Y
N A D I A
R U K A V I N A
There are an abundance of jobs in the world; for most of us at a young age, we don’t have the opportunity to work in a place that really brings us internal joy. Especially before you have any degree, most jobs are only temporary. I loved my job at Canada’s Wonderland I had while in University but it wasn’t something I was passionate about, although I did love going to work. It wasn’t until I worked at Shadow Lake Centre that I really discovered what I’m passionate about (in terms of working). Shadow Lake is a camp for kids and people of all ages with physical and intellectual disabilities. I woke up every morning knowing I had purpose in life, knowing that the smallest gesture could make somebody’s day, knowing that I could make somebody happy. Having finished a summer at Shadow Lake, I wanted to take my experience elsewhere in Canada. Since I’ve wanted to explore the West, I began looking at camps in BC. I found one which will remain nameless. Let’s call it Camp Mountain. The following summer (last summer), I landed a job as a counsellor at Camp Mountain and was eager to dive into a field of work that makes my heart fill with joy and my soul shine through my skin. At the beginning of the season we were told that we would be growing and learning as the weeks pass and that our supervisors were there to witness that happen, and to guide us along the way. Everything was going so well and I was complimented by my peers on my work. I wasn’t perfect, though, and no one can be when they start a new job. I had to adapt to new rules and new camp dynamics and in the process, I made a few honest mistakes but always corrected myself and learned from them.
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One sun shining day, in the midst of laughter, joy and outrageous camp games, I was told I was needed in the office. I thought nothing of it, because any time I’m in the office it’s for paperwork, to check in or for guidance. I figured my supervisors were wanting to know how I was doing with the recent cold I had caught. Over the weeks, my supervisors quickly became more than just my bosses; they became people I could trust and rely on. They became my friends. When I walked into the office that sunny day, everything was different. The vibes quickly changed and it felt cold. These friends whom I confided in were suddenly strangers with no words to say. Blank stares casted an uneasiness throughout my body and I knew something was very, very wrong. In a stern tone that contradicted his goofy personality, my head supervisor said, “Have a seat, Nadia.” I did as told and asked, “Is something wrong?” “Your contract has ended and you’ve been terminated… ” As he spoke these words I felt a whirlwind of emotions. My heart sank as a million knives probed at it and my head was flooded with bewilderment. “… You have one hour to pack everything up and leave the property.” I didn’t understand. NOTHING had gone wrong, absolutely nothing. I tried to ask why but I was shut down and told there would be no discussion regarding why. The other two didn’t speak a word. I started to bawl, “So the other day when you told me I’m doing a great job… that was a lie?” The head supervisor, *Jack, replied, “I am not speaking anymore of this. Please pack up your things. These two will accompany you until you are off property.”
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I wasn’t fit for something that I am completely and whole-heartedly passionate about.
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Not only did I just feel betrayed, but I also felt like I was being treated like a criminal; I was not allowed out of sight. While I packed, Ella sat in the room and watched me, while *Greg sat outside of my dorm room. Ella, Greg and Jack were the three coordinators in charge. It was quite impossible to pack up my entire life within an hour, especially when I could not stop crying because I could not make sense of the situation… and especially when I had nowhere to go once I left camp property. I lived four provinces away and had to figure out where to go on top of trying to pack. It did not seem fair that I was only given one hour to sort out my life. I couldn’t just hop on a bus and go home. Where was the empathy? Where was the support they stressed about during training week? I tried to ask Ella why this was happening. All she said to me was “you’re not the right fit.” But I was, and I am. It’s what I want to do with my life. Those words crushed my soul. They tugged at the strings of my passion and ripped all that I knew about what I loved out of my heart. Upon leaving, Jack never wanted to leave me unattended, continuously making me feel more and more like a criminal. These were people who were here to support me and yet I was suddenly a threat and had to evacuate immediately. I was let go of because I was down to earth and made human mistakes. I was let go of because I was adapting and learning and growing. Before camp all began, this was what Jack, Ella and Greg all wanted to see: us growing and learning. They said they don’t give up on anyone or let anybody go - the whole point is to make mistakes and grow. Did they forget this when they judged me and told me to leave?
I felt as though I was given up on. I was abandoned, betrayed. I wasn’t fit for something that I am completely and wholeheartedly passionate about. I wasn’t the same once I left. I didn’t know how to move on and coping was unbearable. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I was sick often. This went on for months and months. But, I did survive my first experience of being told I can’t do something I love to do. I didn’t let the trag-edy of a broken heart stop me from pursuing my dreams. They told me no but they don’t truly know me. They don’t know my heart or my soul or my true intentions and only made judgments based on external observations.
I will be working at a camp again for people with disabilities this summer because I won’t give up on something I’m so deeply passionate about. I won’t let someone tell me my passion isn’t for me. When you feel it, you know it. It’s something you’re meant to do when your spirit lifts and dances at the thought of something. That something for me, is changing and inspiring the lives of people with intellec-tual and physical disabilities. Don’t let someone tell you what you can or can’t do with your life. Fight for what you love.
*Names changed to protect identity
We We have have aa
HUMAN PROBLEM, not not aa dog dog problem. problem.
I have been writing these articles now since last December. I’m not sure if I have actually impacted anyone with my writing, although I truly hope I’ve reached at least one person. My work on these articles has brought me the great opportunity of meeting new, inspiring people I otherwise probably never would have connected with and opened myself to a community of passionate and smart dog lovers. I have had the distinct pleasure of sharing with you their stories and struggles of living life with a dog. This time around though, I will be adding my voice to theirs.
HUMAN PROBLEM Without getting too political about how much I have come to hate the Liberal party and their airheaded Kathleen Wynne, let me just say that our HUMAN problem starts here. You see I have these two dogs. They aren’t perfect purebreds, just simple, beautiful mutts. Both adopted and both loved far too much. Mia is a little over the age of five and I’ve had her for about four years now. Ben is two and a half and has been the little brother Mia never wanted for the past two years. When in the public space one of my two dogs is muzzled, but admittedly it’s not the dog the Liberal’s believe is better off dead. The simple fact of the matter is: Mia can be dangerous. She was likely abused before I adopted her and she has a bit of a sad back story. I used to feel bad for her and I used to use her sad start to life as a scapegoat for her poor behaviours. I was a useless human for her and I allowed her behavioural issues to continue on long enough that I don’t think she’ll ever be perfect. She is under socialized, has some fears, and has a relatively strong prey drive; those combined can lead her to become quite aggressive.
I’ve seen her be attacked by a neighbours “Pit Bull” type dog and I’ve seen her attack a small dog. Both were terrifying experiences and both were human failure. The neighbour’s dog was very poorly managed and raised. It had ZERO social skills outside its family and was raised under a heavy hand. As for the small dog that Mia attacked, it was an error of improperly containing her, an error I take 100% responsibility for. I was part of the human problem once. Having been one of those people, I can tell you first hand the human repercussions of a dangerous dog are few. Even when Mia attacked the other dog, the other owner never once blamed me. I remember her only asking about Mia’s behaviour, but what about mine? It was MY error that had led to the incident. It was a human problem first.
THE “DOG PROBLEM” Which leads us to the supposed “dog problem”. Even with Mia being an obvious public safety hazard when mismanaged, I still get asked why she is muzzled and Ben is not. The simple answer to that is; he’s not the dangerous one. He has been socialised, he has never been abused, he has been trained, and furthermore he has never bitten another or anything. So living with a potentially dangerous dog and a friendly dog, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that people are afraid of Ben because he looks a certain way, when the real threat is Mia. Sometimes the ignorance of others makes me want to take Mia’s muzzle off and let her escalate to a full blown, aggressive fit and then ask them which dog they would like me to muzzle. That of course would be an irresponsible reaction as a pet owner, but I think would quickly prove my point that physical characteristics have little to
do with dog behaviour. Just because Ben tends to look like people’s idea of danger doesn’t mean he is. I know Jeremy, who I met at the Ontario Million Mutt March at Queen’s Park back in May would agree with me. You see Jeremy is a cosmetologist and an investor, as well as a martial arts competitor and of course a dog owner. Jeremy lives a very active and busy lifestyle and needed a dog that could keep up with him: enter Achillies and Pandora. Achillies is a 2 year old male and Pandora a 9 month old female, both are “pit bull” type dogs.
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It’s not as simple as just getting a dog like a new pair of jeans, but with good training and knowledge, a dog can definitely be a stand up citizen and your best friend.
Achillies and Pandora are both very strikingly, magnificent dogs and they definitely pulled in a lot of attention at the March. One of the most frequent comments I heard aside from how well trained and beautiful his dogs were, was that they didn’t have muzzles on. When I asked Jeremy about this, he told me his dogs are well socialized and strictly trained. They respect him as the leader and decision maker, the alpha if you will, and know that aggressive behaviours are not acceptable. He also said, “The proof is in the pudding, and my dogs are my pudding”. Muzzles make our dogs guilty of a crime they have yet to commit. They signal that the dog poses a threat, yet in many cases this just isn’t true for our misunderstood bullies.
Jeremy also told me he often encounters people that don’t understand why his dogs are so friendly and calm. This is actually quite simple though, he’s a responsible pet owner. He understands the importance of owning a breed that suits you and the importance of socialization and training. In Jeremy’s case there is no human problem, and thus no “dog problem”. However, Jeremy commented about the numerous times he’s encountered a barking and aggressive small dog. That these dogs are usually in front of their owners calling the shots and being the boss, and instead of correcting this behaviour these people just pick their dogs up and tell them it’s OK, which does nothing but reward the dog for its terrible behaviour. Jeremy strongly believes that if you are going to own a dog you need to take the initiative to understand how pack animals think and understand what your dogs’ breed was bred for. You need to be a responsible pet owner.
RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP BSL certainly is not the way to enforce responsible pet ownership. It’s not a dog problem; it’s an owner problem, a HUMAN problem. By targeting certain types of dog based on looks does not solve the issue of negligent and abusive owners. But what is the answer then? Well Calgary, Alberta seems to have come up with a pretty good one. The Animal and Bylaw Services of Calgary do not advocate for BSL. They believe that poor animal behaviour comes from a failed relationship between owner and pet and that Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) can be summarized in five points: - Licensing and permanent identification - Spay and neuter - Provide the proper training, socialization, diet, exercise, and medical attention - Not allowing pets to become a threat or nuisance to the community - Obtaining pets from ethical breeders, shelters, and/or rescues Calgary enacted their RPO Bylaw in 2006, a year after Ontario added their BSL provisions to DOLA. There has been little to no change in dog bite statistics in Ontario, however Calgary’s stats have dropped dramatically. The Calgary community has adopted the RPO standards well and Animal Services continues to educate citizens on the benefits the standards bring, as well as facilitate compliance with them, and enforce the bylaw against those who refuse to comply. Sadly, the underlying principles of breed specific legislation that Ontario continues to use are identical to the principals involved in racism and discrimination of any type. They are the same principles that have been used time and time again by governments looking to exterminate particular races in the human world by genocide. The fact is BSL is not effective in dealing with dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners. THE FACT is the current legislation has resulted in the unnecessary euthanasia of thousands of dogs and puppies in Ontario alone, many having no history of violence towards people or animals.
Written by: Nicole Papp
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, “Being true to yourself is beauty”, and “being confident in your own skin” are all quotes with one thing in common; they portray the true meaning of what it means to be beautiful. Beautycon is a summit that brings together influential role models from the internet, along with their fans; which results in a fusion of buzzing conversation about beauty experiences, tips and tricks. As one of the attendees, I decided to share my experience with the world! I was invited on a weekend road trip to New York, New York by one of my childhood friends. We ended up getting a group of four girls, including myself to go. The opportunity seemed too good to pass up, I mean, an all night ten hour drive to get to New York, followed by a summit with the internet’s biggest beauty icons?! I wouldn’t miss it. So we hit the road like jack. In the process, a couple of near crash experiences occurred with the New York taxis. We also got lost, walked for three hours; which involved some blisters forming on our feet, but when we finally made it to the event, it was all worth the Manhattan themed adventure.
who do not have time for events like these, with everyday people, it was refreshing to see that people that built their fame through their content, were actually willing to meet with us normal folk.
Posing with a Beauty Con (Shameless Maya) From left to right: Candice Roberts, Karleena Waugh (Instgram @karkar023), Shameless Maya, Nicole Papp, Sharleene Keffer
There was a panel discussion on what it meant to be beautiful, as well as the growing experience that each youtuber involved, went through. A re-occuring theme that stuck with me was that no matter what you do in life, there will always be those that criticize, along with life consisting of outside pressures and the natural instinct to compare. The most important thing to keep in mind is to just focus on your own personal happiness and satisfaction with who you are, because you cannot change what you were given genetically. You can however change your mind, as it a very fluid and malleable part of you. It is important to work with what you got, and the rest will soon follow after.
Beautycon Posin’ From left to right: Sharleene Keffer, Nicole Papp, Karleena Waugh, Candice Roberts
There were many booths that were representing different brands within the beauty industry, including bare minerals and Revlon, to name a few. The Revlon booth was my favorite, because it was giving away free mascara and eyeliner. Their new Revlon Bold Lacquer Length & Volume Mascara is awesome!- but alas, I digress; back to the event! Some of the internet celebrities that attended this event included Whitney Port off of The City, youtubers Kandee Johnson, Shameless Maya, ItsMyRayeRaye, and GiGi Gorgeous, to name a few. It was a chance for all of the followers to actually interact with their favorite youtubers, which was a really down to earth and humbling experience. With all of the famous celebrities out there,
My experience at Beautycon was a very exciting, eye opening and exhilarating one. It reminded me to stay grounded and focused on what I love, and to always keep positivity around me. After all, it’s the little things in life that make it amazing!
Feeling Free Photo credit: Karleena Waugh (Instagram @karka023)
ntrepreneurship LASSONDE T
he Lassonde School of Engineering at York University is doing big things!
Entrepreneurship is not only a huge trend nowadays, but it is also an actual viable career option. Many universities are introducing entrepreneurship programs to their curriculums. Marvin James, from the Lassonde School of Engineering is hosting variety of events at the York University Keele Campus. Marvin James is the Co-op coordinator for York University and is responsible for leading all activities for the creation of a brand new Co-operative Education program, establishing the strategic direction, and creating and managing the processes and business systems that support this initiative. Marvin’s main duties include cultivating corporate partnership development to secure co-op opportunities in both the domestic and international space, for Lassonde students, offering support to co op students, creating student programming, marketing and social media activities to promote the program to potential students. Students and faculty at York University are able to get involved with the events in a variety of capacities. Past events such as Entrepreneurship and You hosted by the Centre for Information Visualization and Data Driven Design (CIVDDD), an $11.5 million ORF-RE research grant at the Lassonde School of Engineering, and the recent Entrepreneurial panel event generated a large amount of interest and excitement amongst the York University community. The Entrepreneurship and You event was presented to computer science graduate students on March 27th 2013. This event generated a large amount of interest which led to a collaboration with ventureLAB, the Regional Innovation Centre (RIC) located in the York Region and is a partner in the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (http://venturelab.ca/?page_id=12). Entrepreneurs are able to get assistance with bringing their technology to the market, and commercialize their ideas. The Government of Ontario’s plan for Economic Development is the backbone of the CIVDDD grant. The goals are to engage private sector and institutional partners, conduct research, commercialize research, QVCMJTIJOH LOPXMFEHF NPCJMJ[BUJPO USBJO IJHIMZ RVBMJmFE QFSTPOOFM JOJUJBUF TUBSUVQ DPNQBOJFT BOE QSPWJEF ZPVUI outreach programs. These programs are a collaboration across three campuses; York University (lead), OCAD University and the University of Toronto.
Barbara Whitmer is the project manager for CIVDDD, and links events held on each of these campuses. Recently Barbara moderated the Entrepreneurial Panel event, which was a discussion that included several entrepreneurs from a variety of organizations including startups, student run organizations, and established corporations. As an attendee of the event, I found the discussion to be very informative and interesting. Each entrepreneur gave their perspective based on what their experiences have been with entrepreneurship. There have been a variety experiences for each of these entrepreneurs in different stages of start ups that were presented to the attendees of the panel event. The most recent event at the Lassonde School of Engineering was the Lassonde Technology Faire on April 25th. This event had youth workshops in 3D printing and Robotics, a student design competition, entrepreneurship pitch session, engineering presentations, and a co-op and career exhibit. This event explored new technology, entrepreneurship, and the new co-operative education program and internships led by Marvin James, Co-op Coordinator for the Lassonde School of Engineering. The Lassonde School of Engineering is one year old as of May 1, 2014, and is the home of the Renaissance Engineer. The focus is on engineering with a social consciousness and multi-disciplinary learning, including entrepreneurship. There are collaborations between the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Schulich School of Business, and the Osgoode Law School. The Schulich School of Business offers the Entrepreneurship for Engineers 4500 course, which is a joint initiative with Lassonde. The Bergeron BEST (Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology) scholarships have started to be awarded in fall 2013 to students who are interested in entrepreneurship in engineering. Lassonde is a very important part of the entrepreneurship initiatives at York and will continue hosting different events to engage the student community. According to Marvin, “The Lassonde School of Engineering Co-operative Education program takes a unique TUVEFOU DFOUFSFE BQQSPBDI 8IJMF PUIFS QSPHSBNT PGGFS B iPOF TJ[F mUT BMMw BQQSPBDI PVS QSPHSBNT SFnFDU UIF JOEJWJEVBMJUZ PG PVS TUVEFOUT FODPVSBHJOH DSFBUJWJUZ QBTTJPO BOE iPVU UIFoCPYw UIJOLJOH 'SPN UIF FBSMZ TUBHFT PG UIFJS EFHSFF PVS TUVEFOUT XJMM CF FYQPTFE UP BO iFOUSFQSFOFVSJBM FDPTZTUFNw XIFSF TFMG FNQMPZNFOU GSFFMBODF DPOUSBDUT BOE QSPKFDU CBTFE SPMFT BSF TFFO BT UIF OPSN SBUIFS UIBO UIF FYDFQUJPO w 'PS JOGPSNBUJPO PO UIF -BTTPOEF 4DIPPM PG Engineering, you visit their main webpage: http://lassonde.yorku.ca or their facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/lassondeschool.
IMPROV
A CREATIVITY CATALYST I had asked a friend to tell me the first image that sprung into her mind when I said the word “creativity”. She said, “a sort of anthropomorphic paintbrush.”
Improv and creative tasks share the same daunting hurdle; originality. Unoriginality is seen as the bane of creativity’s existence; and as a result, filtering-out ideas that are thought to be “unoriginal” can become common practice when brainstorming ideas for a project, scene, character, art piece, research topic, start-up enterprise, etc.
Improvisation and Improv Comedy feeds on the spontaneity of the actors in order to tell unfolding stories in real-time and within fictional play worlds. The possibilities are as expansive as the actor’s imagination; An example of unoriginality filtering: yet, they only have their words and actions Name something you put on your head! to create playable realities. Essentially, A: “Um… ugh… um… I don’t know… a colonial improvisors are working inside their tricorne” imaginations at a spontaneous rate. versus B: “Hat”
The "Um… ugh… um… I don’t know…" is indication of mentally searching for an appropriate or "good enough" answer, and filtering out whatever their initial thoughts may have been. Perhaps "hat" was their spontaneous thought, yet they felt as though "hat" was too unoriginal. The issue person A may run into at this point is deciding on another original idea to add to their offer (colonial tricorne), which forces them back into their brains to scour for another word, likely stumbling due to the barriers placed by the unoriginality editor. Whereas person B can build on their offer (hat) instantaneously since they are allowing their spontaneity to do the work, rather than the unoriginality editor. Person B will produce answers at a quicker rate, find more surprises in their impulses, and undergo less mental exertion; ultimately working at a higher mental efficiency. The criteria for originality and unoriginality is based off creations that already exist. So, when blocking the imagination’s spontaneous impulses due to an unoriginality phobia, the filtered impulses are then compared to ideas in existing creations. Without realization, we may succumb to augmenting our imagination in hopes of coming across ideas like the creators who have
produced original works in the past, further removing ourselves from our own creative impulses. If you feel as though you’re experiencing creative atrophy, wringing your brain for those droplets of brilliance driving your next creative endeavour; try taking a break, flip through a book, prod your finger somewhere on a page, read the word, and acknowledge the first image that came to mind when you read that word. Pay homage to that image whatever that means to you - and allow it to exercise those brilliant spontaneous brain muscles of yours. For me, I tend to imagine an environment inspired by the word, or find an interesting character living within that environment - these elements may resurface during an improv show. Sometimes, I just let my brain jump to the first word or phrase associated with the chosen word. For some people, the image sparks a memory. Some rap – those talented folk. It may feel bizarre at first; but once you get used to getting in that zone, you will free yourself of self-editing. Improv has its ways of seduction; catalyzing creativity is just one of them. by Kristen Andrews Photography by Fiona Downey
KURT SINGER: Following Passions Through Music
by Kateland Walker If you were to ask me what my top three played albums are on my iPhone, or iTunes they would be, Arkells - Michigan Left, Arkells - Jackson Square, and Kurt Singer - The Temperance Movement. That last album choice might have something to do with the fact that I’ve known Kurt for 8 years, but has more to do with the fact that he is one of the most hard working, genuinely incredibly talented, and one of the most passionate people I know. I asked him to answer some questions about himself and about his passion for music! He is a singer, a song writer, and plays multiple instruments.
For those of you who don’t know him, I asked him to tell us a little bit about himself. “Well to start, I’m a recent graduate of Brock University and studied Sport Management - which couldn’t be any farther away from music. However, I have always had a passion for sports and the program I took was the best four years of my life. I grew up in a small town called Bradford, which is about an hour north of Toronto, sandwiched between Newmarket and Barrie - a place I hold dearly in my heart. I now currently live in Hamilton and work in Oakville at a prestigious golf course (which I am currently loving as well).”
It’s obvious that you are, but why are you passionate about music? “Music really drives people - it can be safe to say that nobody can go a day without hearing music in some way, shape, or form - especially when it gets stuck in your head. But really what makes music passionate to me is the strive to make that perfect chord change, or perfect line that just strikes with people and sends chills down the spine. It’s all about hearing those moments and I’m hoping to make a song that has one of those moments for someone.”
When and why did you start playing instruments, and when did you start writing? “I started playing music seriously when I was in high school, but I had been writing for many years prior to that. I started when I was around 13 years old, just writing utterly brutal piano ballads about well, nothing really, but the summer going into university (2010, it would have been) was when I really started writing a lot of music that was actually decent and some things I could be proud of and happy to play. I think I wrote probably close to two or three albums worth of music. I would write two or three songs a day. Why I started writing was really just a way to get out the feelings I had about certain topics on paper. The best way to release the energy and thoughts in my head was by writing music. Lyricism has always intrigued me, so I really wanted to focus on writing deep lyrics full of metaphors, not just writing songs with the same line over and over.”
What drove you to want to start writing music? “I think it was really just hearing some albums that I thought “hey, that is incredible music - I want to do that”, and then having some things going on in my life that I had some emotions and thoughts about, so naturally I
was just drawn to writing lines down with some chord progressions and started to evolve into something a little more than that.”
Anything specific in your life that has played a part in your development as an artist? “I had to think about this one, but I can say for sure it was when I taught myself guitar. Before then I was really limited to only making music on the piano. Performing was a challenge because it’s tough to lug around a piano, and it is not a “solo musician’s instrument”. You don’t see people playing a set with a piano in a cafe all that often. However, when I learned guitar, music completely changed for me. Not only playing, but writing music as I had another instrument to get totally different sounds and feelings with. That has been integral for my music hands down.”
What was the first song you learned? “That is a very good question.. I want to say it was probably ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane. That album was the first album that I learned how to play note for note. I didn’t stop playing that album, and can say that album was the kick starting moment for my piano/music writing career and really honed in the learning by ear process that I have when learning songs.”
What is your personal musical genre, favourite genre to listen to, to cover, and so on? “For my personal music genre, I would classify myself as a folk/indie/alternative artist, however my next few projects are starting to move more into the electronic/ambient side. But for the majority of my music career thus far, it has been folk music.
That’s pretty much what YouTube is.”
Who are your inspirations/musical influences? “My main musical influences would be a few bands, mostly British: Keane, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons - they would be my top 3. The electronic and ambient side of my music is really influenced by Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, Evenings, and Boards of Canada. However, when writing lyrics I really look up to Adam Young (from Owl City), and Ben Gibbard (from Death Cab for Cutie) - those two have written some of the greatest lines I’ve ever heard and can use such deep metaphors that really make your heart cringe with pain and hope simultaneously.”
Do you have any advice for beginners? “I would say for beginners, don’t let the thoughts of “you’re not going to make it” stop you from actually trying and have fun in the first place. Music is something that you should enjoy doing, and if you’re not having fun doing it then you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. I’ve gone through that and still am in a way. So just making sure you are doing this for the fun of the music and not focusing on how you’re going to get an agent and sell out the ACC - you’ll enjoy music in every way possible.”
What are your future plans music wise? “I’m currently working on an album, which was originally slated to be released this spring. It keeps getting pushed back which I am regretting, but I am striving to release an album hopefully by the end of the year. I have the album artwork already finished with the album going to be titled “Loneliness and the Lighthouse” and will have a blend of acoustic and electronic ambient sounds on it. The songs I’ve written so far are great, so it’s something I’m very excited for. I’m also looking to start a couple of strictly electronic projects potentially diving into the deep house genre as well as some dubstep/house music. DJ’ing would be another thing I’d like to do as well.”
My favourite genre to listen to would have to be folk/alternative music, and a close second would be the electronic side of music. I do like the house music artists (Deadmau5, Martin Garrix, etc.), but I focus more on the ambient/electronic artists that has a little bit more emotion and depth in their music than just beats and drops. Some really intriguing music is played when you can take a live sound and distort it to something that compliments electronic sounds and it is just phenomenal.
You’ve played in a decent number of places, so what has been your favourite venue to play so far?
Covering music has always been folk/alternative music - especially with the guitar. But I’ve now wanted to start covering some popular Top40 music, it’s always fun to take those popular songs and make them into your own covers.
“Great question - I think so far it would have to be the Richmond Hill Performing Arts Centre, that was fun. I did a one song instrumental piano performance, however that was my first experience of performing in a theatre setting.
However, the Coffee Culture in Bradford will always have a special place in my heart. I’ve played there three times now, and every time I played there was a fantastic crowd. I did my first ever CD release there and sold the place out every seat was filled with friends and family. The experience was unforgettable.”
Do you still get nervous when you play and how do you fight nerves? “I usually just try to laugh - a lot. If I can laugh and be easy going right before a show and try not to think about it too much, then I will have a lot easier time dealing with the fact that I have a show coming up. But yes, I certainly do get nervous - it’s always more anticipation and excitement rather than nerves. Just the itching to get the show going.”
What is currently on your “now playing” playlist? “Coldplay’s new album will be on repeat upon it being released - I can guarantee that! Right now I am really digging the album “Spaces” by Nils Frahm. That album has some of the greatest piano playing I’ve ever heard - and it’s a live album at that. Just an incredible piece of music that I highly recommend listening to in its entirety so you can just lose yourself for an hour in pure amazement.”
What is your favourite project that you’ve done to date? “My favourite project that I’ve done would have to be the band that I played in during my first year of university - we called ourselves The Mean Seasons. We had a lot of promise but some things led to the inevitable break up of the band, but it was a lot of fun. My favourite solo project I’ve done so far would have to be the making of my first “album” if it could be called one (it has more of a demo album aspect). I had a collection of songs that I wanted to release and finally saved up enough money and time to do it over three days with a good friend of mine from St. Catharines (shout out to Adam Marshall - a great music engineer in his home studio). It was cool to see the whole process of the album from the first takes to the finishing and promotion of it. So far though, this next album has started to shed some new light on my favourite project - I’m really excited about this one and once I actually start to work on it, I will be very thrilled with it.”
What would you say is the hardest part of being a musician?
What do you think about the music industry today?
“I think the hardest part of being a musician is two things. One, it’s tough to keep your mind from wandering at the potentials. The “what if’s”. You know, the “what if I actually make it” or “what if I actually start getting noticed”. Yes, it’s great to dream about those kinds of things and work towards it, however it’s tough to keep yourself grounded and say “okay, just do it for the hell of it - do it because you want to, not because this is the single that you will break out with”. Two, it’s tough to keep myself focused on a track and not saying “okay, it’s good enough”. I’ve always been one to just end the music making process of a song very quickly without actually spending a lot of time on it. I’ll be satisfied with a sound and put it out for the public to listen to without giving it the full potential that it possesses. My goal for this next project is to really spend a lot of time on each song, and learn how to make it the best it can possibly be.”
“I think it’s expanding at a very rapid rate. Anyone can make it big with any song, however I think the music industry is losing grasp on what is important to music. That’s making music for people to listen to and feel. I say that and artists like Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, even modern artists such as U2, Snow Patrol, etc. who all have the commonality of making music that is emotional, that makes people feel, hurt, think, cry, laugh, get lost in the words and how they wrap around the melody. The music industry is all about making money these days - artists sell out all the time. How many views can they get on YouTube? How many times can they say “baby” in a song? How many times can they introduce themselves in a song even though we all know who it is because they are on the radio every hour? Music needs to be shaped back into making music to feel and because they love it, not to sell out stadiums and have a competition to see who makes the most money. Maybe I’m wrong in thinking that because I’m not in Justin Beiber’s shoes, I mean I don’t know how he feels when he writes a song. But I just hope that artists, especially up and coming artists, continue to write for the sake of writing what’s in their hearts and minds, not what they hear on the radio.”
What other things interest you besides music? “I’m a huge golf fanatic - I would die a happy man if I could claim that I have made a living off of playing the beautiful game of golf. Sports in general interest me, as is typical with the majority of other 21 year old males. I like to dabble around with art as well, mostly abstract stuff - however let’s just say I’m a better golfer and musician than an artist.”
Is your family supportive and have they always been? “They’ve been wonderful in the support of my music - I’ve been truly lucky with that. All of my family have always been incredibly supportive and I’m so grateful to have them stand behind me in everything I do. Without my family, it would be tough to call myself a musician.”
If you hadn’t been born in this time period when and where would you have liked to live/been born? “Another one that makes me think a bit. I would say the 50’s and 60’s. I mean, how cool would it be to live in the Rat Pack era, having that whole lifestyle and being best buds with Bobby Darin? I’m jealous to all those who have had that opportunity, it was a really special time in history, especially music history.”
times I have driven on the road where she was found lifeless, months after the initial case started. The case always hit hard to be being so close to my hometown, so naturally I wrote a song to pay tribute to the entire case. It’s my second favourite song I’ve made, based on the importance of the lyrics, which happen to be pretty haunting.”
I know it won’t be easy to answer, but what is your all time favourite song? “My all time favourite song would have to be Politik by Coldplay from their “A Rush of Blood to the Head” album. The ending never fails to send shivers down my spine when I hear it, and is one of the best endings to a song I have ever heard. It’s one of those songs that really make you say “damn, I wish I wrote that”.” Huge thank you to Kurt for answering all of our questions! Definitely looking forward to hearing that new album. Best of luck to you, and we hope you continue to follow your passion for music, and that it leads you to success!
What is your favourite song that you’ve written? Why did you write or decide to play that song? “Hmm, I would say that belongs to “Parading Lost Souls”. I wrote that song because my friend and I kept bouncing random song titles off of each other, a lot of them ending up on my “Clock of the Long Now” electronic album. However, one stuck with me and I really liked it - that being Parading Lost Souls. I had no words for it but only a melody and a guitar part. Finally, during work at a pizza store one night, I sat down and wrote the lyrics in about 15 minutes. It was the coolest thing I had written in a long time, and eventually became my favourite song because of the story in how it came to be, and the sound of it really is fun - a lot of fun to play. The most important song I’ve written is not the favourite one, though. I wrote a song called “Days in October”, which pays tribute to the unsolved case of Christine Jessop and the wrongfully accused Guy Paul Morin - the landmark Canadian law case in the topic of wrongful convictions. The hometown of Christine where she was last seen is no more than 10 minutes away from Bradford, and I can’t even begin to count the amount of
If you want to check out Kurt Singer’s music, you can listen here : http://kurtsinger. bandcamp.com And like him here : https://www. facebook.com/kurtsingermusic And you can follow him here to keep up with his cat, his naps, and his sports talk : https:// twitter.com/KurtKSinger
Ontario Million Mutt March
of Canada (DLCC), Ontario “Pit Bull” Co-op, Doberman Rescue, and even MPP Cheri DiNovo speak about the injustice BSL had dealt us. Despite the dreary weather the turnout was good and it was amazing to watch and be a part of so many people coming together for the love of dogs. The group walked a large section of Toronto near Queen’s Park, drawing in more supporters as we went. Some owners and their dogs stopped to talk with members of the public about what the march was for, while others stopped
to simply allow passersby and shop owners to schmooze over their beloved pooches. All in all it was a very motivating and empowering experience, and only the first of many planned for 2014. For more information on upcoming events you can connect with the Ontario “Pit Bull” Co-op via Facebook and Twitter.
Prestige League
Clothing,more commonly known as “PL” is an independent clothing line owned & operated by 27-year-old entrepreneur Greg Dundas. PL was first launched on August 10, 2013 & continues to grow due to the amazing support received on a local and national front. PL has shipped products all over Canada, several US states, and even as far as Australia. Sole proprietor, Greg Dundas’s vision is to have PL be recognized as one of the great brands created from a humble beginning.
PL clothing offers various forms of apparel and accessories ranging from t-shirts, tanks, and v-necks to underwear and snap backs, and even cell phone cases and stickers, with much more still to come! Watch for the prestige of positivity emerging within and encourage the world to be more with Prestige League. The urban look is new and trendy and we are committed to this style. The aspiring owner is confident that the PL brand is not only up and coming, but also here to stay.
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Ontario Million Mutt March The Million Mutt March took place May 3rd, based out of Queen’s Park in Toronto. The march was hosted by BSL Awareness and the Ontario “Pit Bull” Co-op in support of the One Million Pibble March on Washington, DC. Both marches were hosted to show support against Breed Specific Legislations (BSL). All family members and dogs were welcomed and encouraged to join the event.
My mother and I went out to support the cause with one of our dogs directly affected by the broad reaching arms of BSL. We drove down to Toronto, but took the subway to get down to Queen’s Park specifically. This was only my second time on the subway and our dog’s very first city trip in general. I can’t speak enough
about how much pride I felt in my boy for his amazing mannerisms in the big city. He never seemed to get overwhelmed; he stayed quite on the subway and he happily accepted the attention he received from a few passengers. He took all the hustle and bustle of the people, and the various new environments he experienced in stride. The only issue we encountered was his very strong opinion that escalators are not for dogs, so we took a lot of stairs that day.
As all the other owners began to collect in Queen’s Park before the walk, it was great to take in how different we all were, and yet how strongly we all felt the same about BSL. We all had the opportunity to listen to members from the Dog Legislation Council
of Canada (DLCC), Ontario “Pit Bull” Co-op, Doberman Rescue, and even MPP Cheri DiNovo speak about the injustice BSL had dealt us. Despite the dreary weather the turnout was good and it was amazing to watch and be a part of so many people coming together for the love of dogs. The group walked a large section of Toronto near Queen’s Park, drawing in more supporters as we went. Some owners and their dogs stopped to talk with members of the public about what the march was for, while others stopped
to simply allow passersby and shop owners to schmooze over their beloved pooches. All in all it was a very motivating and empowering experience, and only the first of many planned for 2014. For more information on upcoming events you can connect with the Ontario “Pit Bull” Co-op via Facebook and Twitter.