My musical journey started after my parents got me a guitar for my 10th birthday. I took lessons for a couple of years and then continued to learn how to play on my own. I started singing and writing music after joining a band in high school. I kept it up as a solo effort during my time studying at Ivey, but I wasn’t performing live shows like in high school.

When the pandemic hit earlier this year, I wanted to do something to help others — so I started a fundraiser for the Canadian Red Cross. I created an Instagram account called QuaranTunes, where I recorded and posted myself playing a different cover of a song each day over several weeks. I encouraged listeners to submit song requests for my future posts.

The page was created to not only help raise money to support the Red Cross in their efforts during the crisis, but also to provide others with music and a bit of a break from all of the craziness and uncertainty.

My initial goal was set at $1,000, but that was reached within the first week. I increased it to $5,000, and I hit that goal in less than three months thanks to the support of some pretty amazing people.

As restrictions ease, I am hoping to do some live shows. I’m more comfortable in front of an audience now than I was back in high school, which is partly due to my experience at Ivey. I gained a lot of confidence being in that environment, which was both supportive and challenging.

Why music? To me, the expression you can give through music is something you can’t find anywhere else. It’s been a way for me to communicate some of my thoughts and ideas that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to. It’s a nice creative outlet, especially for a University of Calgary master’s student studying biomedical engineering who stares at numbers all day!

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