In 1986, my school came to Vancouver on a Band trip. We were here for a week to perform at Expo 86. At the time I was in a lot of music. Apart from studying organ privately I was in Jazz Band, Concert Band, Jazz Choir and Concert choir! I was also in a number of bands and jamming with a variety of people from an “All Girl” Rock band (Long story for another post) to a Jazz combo. But most of my musical focus was on a duo I formed with Sharie Cale.  Now Sharie and I had been friends since we were 3 years old, but it wasn’t until grade 10 when I discovered she had an amazing singing voice. We started playing and performing together and I began to focus my songwriting on songs that Sharie could sing and we could perform.

Anyway back tot he band trip! as each of the four groups we came with had vastly different set ups (i.e. an 80+ concert band following a 20 piece Jazz band) there was some down time between the bands as we re set up. So Sharie and I would get up and do a song or two. Some times and original I’d written, sometimes a Carpenters song. Anyway it was an absolute thrill to be 16 and roaming free in Vancouver and playing my songs live to such a big crowd! My Vancouver Debut! I’m trying to dig up some of the old demos we recorded of those teen age song, and I’ll post em if I can find them.

All the coverage this month of the 30th anniversary of Expo 86 had me reminiscing about those days and I thought I’d share that memory. Too bad I wasn’t a member of Socan then!