FEATURE
STORY continued
Straker had been fast-tracked to the
position of Brand Manager. “Music
was simply something I did in my spare
time, performing in bands and as a solo
act,” the piano-man sighs.
After about 4 years in the corporate
life, he found himself contemplating
quitting. The company had tried to help
Straker lead a more balanced life, creating
a reduced work week, three days in the
office, leaving four days a week for
his musical heaven. “That gig
worked for a few years, but it still
didn’t feel like I was doing what
I was meant to be doing.”
Eventually the music bug, which had
been quietly buzzing around in his heart,
took a big bite. And if you sit back
really quietly, you’d hear Straker’s
musician heart writing his next song.
It actually started humming so loud
he couldn’t ignore it.
“The hardest thing to overcome
was losing the security, money, &
sureness.” However, after visiting
an aging aunt in an old folks’
home, and seeing her in a faded nightgown,
with no recollection of anything around
her, he realized – “this
is how we may all end up anyway.”
And that’s when he made the leap
from his comfy office in Toronto, to
touring across Western Canada.
He recorded a live CD in a Toronto
studio, moved the contents of his house
into a storage unit, and rode West to
start touring his prairie themed album
in January 2006 (Straker was born in
Saskatchewan so this was a great place
to go back to). Along the way, the accolades
started pouring in – he was invited
by the CBC to record his own “Live
at the CBC” show, he was nominated
for Album of the Year at New York City’s
Outmusic awards, and he was taken on
a two week tour in Central America by
the Canadian Embassy in Panama. More
recently, Straker signed a production
deal to record his upcoming 2008 release
with Justin Gray.
Sitting in a café, looking out
at Regina in late 2007, ideas for new
song lyrics swirl up from his Café
Mocha. “You know, I used to come
to this café when I’d fly
back to Regina for the holidays –
and I remember sitting here thinking
– well, dreaming – about
how amazing it would be to be living
my life through music.”
He pauses to jot a thought in a black
leather notebook, the book that serves
as his repertoire for new ideas. “It’s
been a hell of a ride, but the journey
just keeps taking me to new and exciting
places. It sounds a bit cliché,
I guess, but the most important thing
is – I’m happy.” And
in the end, it’s the quest for
happiness that made the leap that much
easier to do.
Interested in learning more about Jeff’s work and touring schedule? Check out: www.jeffstraker.com
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