I was born in Prince Rupert BC and grew up mostly in the northern towns of British Columbia like Vanderhoof, Williams Lake.... Places you would have a hard time finding if you didn't know where they were. I come from a very musical family. In fact, unless you played an instrument or sang you wouldn't even be considered for the part.
I played as a drummer in various rock bands through high school but never thought of myself in the role of a singer/songwriter. I never even played guitar back then. That came after high school when I was working in the timber camps of central BC. In the winters we would be stationed in logging camps deep in the forests about 150 km from the nearest town. I picked up guitar then for the first time because I had nothing else to do in the evenings.
That was how it all started. 21 years old sitting in my bunkroom with the smell of pine sawdust and chainsaw oil in my nose and the sounds of James Taylor, Mark heard and Paul Simon in my ears (via my cassette player.) I would try to figure out what they were doing and try to mimic the picking on my $400 Yamaha acoustic. I spent almost 3 years doing that.
I started writing songs soon after when I moved down to Kelowna to explore the 'big city'. I was amazed when people would actually sit through the songs. Eventually I recorded my first project (for the tidy sum of $150.00 on Malcolm Petch's home stereo system). Malcolm had figured out how to bounce tracks between two cassettes and thereby create multi-tracking. I sold 500 copies that summer and was introduced into the world of making music to pay rent. I have been doing more or less the same thing since then.
I have been happily married now for 23 years. We have 4 kids almost all grown up now. We still live in Kelowna and as the slogan say's "We love it here."
A veteran concert/recording artist who has toured extensively in Canada, Europe and parts of the USA, Norm is an engaging storyteller and powerful performer who has been delighting fans of authentic music for years. He has recorded 14 full-length solo recording projects and appeared on 8 compilation and live compilation projects released both here in Canada and Europe. As a touring artist, Norm tours as a solo act or with band and has also toured with the popular Canadian folk trio known as Smith Funk and Strauss. He has written hundreds of songs some which have been published internationally and recorded by numerous artists in numerous languages.
Norm is also a seminar speaker and record producer and has a touring schedule that takes him all over the place. If you are not familiar with Norm's brand of eclectic roots/americana/blues style music you owe it to yourself to listen in to the conversation.
Don't read this if you have attention deficit.
That was how it all started. 21 years old sitting in my bunkroom with the smell of pine sawdust and chainsaw oil in my nose and the sounds of James Taylor, Mark heard and Paul Simon in my ears (via my cassette player.) I would try to figure out what they were doing and try to mimic the picking on my $400 Yamaha acoustic. I spent almost 3 years doing that.
I started writing songs soon after when I moved down to Kelowna to explore the 'big city'. I was amazed when people would actually sit through the songs. Eventually I recorded my first project (for the tidy sum of $150.00 on Malcolm Petch's home stereo system). Malcolm had figured out how to bounce tracks between two cassettes and thereby create multi-tracking. I sold 500 copies that summer and was introduced into the world of making music to pay rent. I have been doing more or less the same thing since then.
A veteran concert/recording artist who has toured extensively in Canada, Europe and parts of the USA, Norm is an engaging storyteller and powerful performer who has been delighting fans of authentic music for years. He has recorded 14 full-length solo recording projects and appeared on 8 compilation and live compilation projects released both here in Canada and Europe. As a touring artist, Norm tours as a solo act or with band and has also toured with the popular Canadian folk trio known as Smith Funk and Strauss. He has written hundreds of songs some which have been published internationally and recorded by numerous artists in numerous languages.
