Chris Ronald didn’t start recording music until he moved from the UK to Vancouver in his early thirties in 2002.
Now, his music makes up a large part of his career.
Ronald is a father of three, a touring musician, and a substitute teacher at elementary schools (when he’s not on tour, that is).
Ronald says when he moved to Vancouver, he “felt freed up to try and pursue my passion. I felt like there was more of a culture around maybe trying to break out, to do something – follow your dream a bit more.”
So he started recording some of the songs he’d written.
He would sell his music at his shows around Vancouver. He says over the next decade, “it snowballed into something much bigger.”
Touring has become a much larger part of his life now. He’s toured extensively around British Columbia, playing shows here or there in an attempt to expand his audience and meet more people. He’s also played shows across Canada, and in the UK.
Many of the shows on his tours happen on the way to somewhere else. Last year, he toured around B.C. on his way to visit family in Terrace.
On the way, he made his first-ever stop in Wells. He was trying to expand his audience, and his nine-year-old son wanted to go to Barkerville: it worked out perfectly.
This summer, he’s touring his way through B.C. on his way to Whitehorse, Yukon.
When he performs, Ronald likes to tell the backstories for his songs.
“I have a song about losing my grandfather’s wedding ring,” says Ronald.
“And so many people come up to me and say, ‘Something very similar happened to me.’ So you kind of make that connection with people. You start a conversation.”
For Ronald, that’s the most gratifying part. He likes building those connections. In a way, he says, it’s like building community.
Ronald will be playing at the Bear’s Paw Cafe in Wells on Saturday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. Entrance to the show is by donation.
It will be his second time performing at the Bear’s Paw Cafe, following a show he had there last year.
Visit www.chrisronald.com or Facebook.com/chrisronaldmusic for more details.
heather.norman@quesnelobserver.com
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