The Backstory
We all have stories about songs that invoke strong memories and emotions. Maybe it's a song that comes on the radio that makes us want to stop what we're doing and dance around the room. Maybe we have a song that reminds us of lost love or particular time in our lives. Maybe we have a story about how music connected us, perhaps while travelling and turning a roomful of strangers that don't speak the same language into life long friends in a matter of hours.
Music is a universal language that helps us connect with one another. It has the power to rouse the subconscious within us and break through cultural and social barriers in a way words alone cannot. We connect through music because it helps us express how we feel. Music is magical.
And the science and history of it is pretty fascinating too.
The History
Evidence of music has been found in every single culture on earth, both historically and in the present day. It is used for religious and spiritual ceremonies, as a form of therapy, celebration and expression.
For all the amazing things music does for us, it can be described very simply as organized sound. Sound is a vibration that travels through a medium (usually air) and is interpreted through auditory mechanisms known as ears.
In the words of Albert Einstein Everything in life is vibration.
That means that everything has the potential to be heard.
The Creator's Story
My story starts with a love of the natural world. When Earthly Pursuits first went live way back in 2016 it was a site that I basically used as an outlet to express thoughts and tell random stories about the state of the world. The natural world was in peril and it was breaking my heart and that made me feel the need to express myself.
Somehow I found myself covering a music festival with a camera I'd bought off my brother for $50 that I had basically no idea how to use. Three days later, I'd done my first interview (Forever in your Debt, Will Varley!) and had my first experience shooting photography from "the pit". I haven't really looked back since - the doors that have opened and the opportunities that presented themselves have led me to here.
I love shooting live music. I love talking with artists and hearing about what moves them to create and perform music. And I want people to learn and to be inspired by these stories.
When I’m not photographing portraits or live s I’m probably in nature trying to find a new way to capture how being in it makes me feel. Either that or on the hunt for Vancouver’s best fish taco.