Outside of Robotics and teaching, my biggest passion is music. About 20 years ago, I took a break from teaching for a while, and I was in a band as the keyboard player. We spent a few years just touring, playing gigs, and then I got into making music for different TV shows and movies. Now, everything is digital. I'd say my main instrument these days is the computer.
I eventually ended up back into teaching. It has been an amazing experience. I have really loved my time at St. George's. But next year, I have decided to take some time off again. I'm going to use that time to do more music. That's my number one passion. The challenge of teaching for me is that when I get home, I have no time or energy. And on the weekends to put effort into music, it takes a lot of time and energy. I've been teaching again for a while now, and now I'm gonna do music for a while.
I believe that music is everything. Music is learning new stuff all the time. It's creative and emotional; it's sharing it with other people. It's interacting. When you're playing in a band, you're with other people. I love being on stage, performing in front of a large group of people who are all really enjoying music. There's nothing that compares to playing on a stage in front of a group of people who are all bouncing, dancing, and jumping. There's no feeling that beats it. I had some chances to play with my favorite bands. My biggest highlight is one for a guy called James Brown. When you open up, sometimes the two bands play the same gig. You have the headliner, and they're the ones that play last. Then, you've got the band that opens for them, which I was in. He is a huge funk star. Another guy, his name's Herbie Hancock. He's a jazz-funk player. I got to open for him. I met him and had a conversation with him. The Montreal Jazz Festival; a bunch of people all dancing and bouncing, and that was just an incredible experience.
I grew up in Winnipeg, which is a community with a love for the arts. Whatever art you can think of, whether it’s music, painting, or theatre, I appreciate it. You’ve got to find different things that help you grow.
Comments