about the author
I feel very fortunate to have grown up in the small farming community of Bulyea, Saskatchewan. It’s a place where winters are cold, summers are hot, the sky is endless and people live purposeful, straight-forward lives. For me, life on my Dad’s farm was a strange combination of work and play. There were always chores to do – cows to milk, wood to cut, bales to haul, grain to deliver, and I’m sure I complained about the work – but the farm was also a huge playground of prairie and poplar bluffs, and I developed an immense appreciation for open space, the freedom to explore, and unlimited independence.
The year I turned six, I began piano lessons, launching a deeply satisfying relationship with the instrument that continues today. I love music, and though I don’t remember practicing with the diligence or determination of the Musicians in The Five Treasures, I do remember the satisfaction I felt in making the piano come to life. When I graduated from high school, the future pointed only in one direction – music – so I headed off to the University of Regina, Saskatchewan to study piano performance; then the Université de Montréal, Quebec for a master’s degree in musicology; and finally, a piano teacher’s certificate from the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan.
Living in cultures so different from that of my childhood – learning to speak French and Japanese – were remarkable experiences for me as a young man. With music as my secure companion, I began to see how people everywhere shared the common threads of beauty, art, fear, hope, and life. Working with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, founder of the Suzuki Method, led me to understand how music and education could have life altering effects on humanity.
Upon my return to Canada, I began a twenty-year career as a Suzuki Piano master teacher, instructing throughout Canada, Australia, Japan and the U.S.A. I settled in Calgary, Alberta, where I met my partner Alan, and dedicated my energies to the development of music programs which would focus on music and the human spirit. The privilege of working with hundreds of students, their parents, and teachers gave me an immense appreciation for the complexities of human life.
These days, I call myself a social innovator – someone whose mission is to transform lives and strengthen communities by promoting genuine social progress. Through my work as a musician, educator, and author, I would like to empower people everywhere to be their own masters, to take charge of their lives, and live with purpose and satisfaction.