Jamie Grey

“Sure to have you up on your feet, dancing around.” - Linda Heldman

“It’s technically a solo project, and if the music she performed was all her writing, it sounded brilliant. A lot of it is very catchy, there were hooks in every song.” - Bucket List Music Reviews

I'm an artist. It's taken me a long while to admit it. There was even a time when I felt guilty about not getting up at 7am and working a normal 9 to 5. It's not to say I'm lazy. I put in far more than 8 hours a day and if you consider travel time, there are times I am well in excess of a 40 hour work week. Being in the arts is difficult. Along with stereotypes regarding living an Artist's life, there are also issues with being self employed, being socially relevant, and what it means to actually make it. To me, "making it" simply means earning a living from what I do without the need for other sources of income. It's not about millions of dollars. It's not about being famous. It's about making music. Ironically, we are expected to simultaneously be emotionally sensitive to create and tough as nails to endure the types of criticism most people would run to their HR department or union rep to complain about. In truth, I've endured abuse and rejection professionally that at times makes me really think about why I chose this path.

Every once in a while something happens that makes me realize why I make music. In the last few years two major opportunities presented themselves:

The first happened two years ago when I was working with a young Country singer named Jamie Gabbani. She was determined to give back and suggested we donate a song to the Tim Horton Children's Foundation. The THCF is an initiative facilitated by Tim Horton's owners. They provide camp experiences and leadership training for underprivileged youth in Canada. Most impressively, if they graduate from the foundation's Youth Leadership Program, the THCF Carolee House Bursary Program will make it possible for these young people to attend college. We invited 10 kids who benefit from THCF programs to participate in the making of Jamie's video for "Now That I've Met Me". Each had a unique story to tell. Some were introverted or bullied BEFORE their camp experiences. If you watch the video, you'll see the after effects on their behaviour. They are more confident, and most definitely less introverted! A worthy cause indeed!

The second is more recent. I co-wrote and produced an album for an artist named Rich Cloke. The first single is a song about picking up a girl in a bar called "Wanting You". A few months ago, Rich got a letter from a young fan named Connor. His note explained how our song helped him deal with the bad days when he gets bullied for having Tourette Syndrome. We enlisted the help of experts to respond to Connor. A friend who writes speeches for the Canadian government wrote the message and The National Center For The Prevention Of Bullying checked the language. Rich sent Connor a video greeting (You can watch a montage of the entire exchange here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8tLiHwhTvs) that resulted in this message from Connor's mom:

“Hello I want to thank you again for taking the time and making my son Connor feel so loved. Connor is getting stronger and standing up for himself now. Rich Cloke’s message helped him out so much. He talks about him to everyone. I can’t wait till the day I can give you and Rich Cloke a big hug and meet you guys. Love Gloria.”

I sometimes think long and hard about doing something else. Then, all of a sudden, the Universe lets me know that what I do matters. If I can impact one person - like Connor - it's totally worthwhile!

Flavio Monopoli - Flavio Monopoli