Shari Ulrich

I was born in San Rafael, California, the accidental 3rd child of Esther and Stanley. My mother always said I came so quickly that the party atmosphere in the delivery room must have been the reason I was born happy. Music came from both of but it was my father, who died when I was 10, who saw that light in me. My mother, who soldiered on with 3 kids to raise, was a huge example of independence which I think is largely responsible for my tenacity in a career path that is both utterly choice-less while requiring a bullheaded fortitude.

I was a child of the 60s in the San Francisco Bay Area, which implies a lot about the influences of my early years, and filled me with The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and a long list of folks who still inspire generations.

I bolted to Canada when I was 18 when Kent State rocked America. After stints of backpacking and cycling around Canada and the US, in search of my place and path in the world, which included performing with my sibs in the San Francisco Free Theatre, I realized music was undeniably my life. Ive been incredibly fortunate on this road. Ive released lots of albums (21) and been in lots of trios (3) with the remarkably talented and wonderful men, (Rick Scott & Joe Mock of The Pied Pumkin; Bill Henderson & Roy Forbes in UHF; Barney Bentall & Tom Taylor in BTU, and a gaggle of them in The Hometown Band and now The High Bar Gang. Lucky girl. My solo life, which began when the Hometown Bands tour support was suddenly cut off by A&M in 1977, the night before we won the Juno for Best New Group, has been my main course. And thats all about songwriting.

I write about what I know and what Ive lived. Some of it is stuff people dont talk about, but seem to be hungry to hear. I didnt intend to be that kind of writer it just comes out that way. The rest is about being a musician, and trying to get better at it. I pretty much left the sax and flute behind with The Pied Pumkin, but the violin, which I started when I was 9, remains my main instrument, and everything else Ive just picked up along the way - piano, guitar, dulcimer & mandolin,

Ive released music all ways from the days of Pied Pumkin and Canadas first Indie Lable, Squash Records, when we financed our first recording by collecting the names, addresses and $5 from fans; to being signed to world wide record deals with A&M and MCA; to my own label, Esther Records. Ive toured every way, from traveling across the US & Canada in a fancy tour bus, to packing a PA, a piano and the dog and driving to Saskatchewan. Ive played Maple Leaf Gardens and living rooms. Ive won Junos (2) and almost won a bunch more. I have a BC Entertainment Hall of Fame star on Granville & Robson where more than a few drug deals and other nefarious transactions have taken place. Ive loved it all.

Inarguably, my Big Reward is daughter Julia, who at 23, has grown into a remarkable person and musician. The musician part was her call, though again, with the genes from both sides (her father is singer-songwriter and visual artist David Graff) and being on the road with me from when she was 6 weeks old certainly left its imprint. But the hard work of becoming so accomplished on violin, piano & guitar, accordion and mandolin, is all hers. Julia is now in the Masters in Music in Sound Recording program at McGill and she just engineered and produced my new album Everywhere I Go. Wow.

This life in music has lead me down dozens of tangential paths I never would have pursued otherwise: Scoring documentaries; TV hosting; teaching songwriting; musical theatre; and has allowed me to give voice to many causes. In short, its been a remarkable way to go through life and I have never, ever, for one day, lost my sense of gratitude for all that music brings, is, and continues to be. I love the people I play with and for. I love doing something that brings joy, escape, and sometimes tears, to the hearts of people who are so hungry. Its taught me everything I know about humans and getting along with them. And its damn fun. See you out there.