I'm Christie — a born-and-bred, Calgarian with 3 kids, 1 over-sized, over-hairy dog, a fine husband and a large, untamed and loving family (well, a lot of them love me!). I am lucky that music has always been my faithful companion. As a songwriter it's my challenge and delight to write music that speaks to the joys of the mundane and the magical and to the soft underbelly of life. I have been raised among colourful characters, visual artists and writers who knit a lifeline with their words. They, and Alberta — this magnificent province I call home —permeate me and shape my songs.
More specifically I am the forth of five kids. I have three older sisters — a visual artist, a writer and an opera singer — and one younger brother who is highly creative but smart enough to apply his talents to business. When I was growing up my mom made my two oldest sisters play the piano. But it was a battle getting them to practice. By the time I might have been able to heft myself up to the piano on my own, mom had entirely given up. She told the remaining Simmons kids that music lessons were a privilege and we would take them only if we were committed to the idea and if we promised to practice. So, after some begging and pleading, I got a flute for my 12th birthday. My parents made it clear to me that if I didn’t practice (without them bugging me) they’d sell it and call it a day.
We never really looked back. Oh sure, I did occasionally have to be reminded to practice. But I loved how the mixture of notes could say things that I had no other way of saying. Soon I was taking guitar, singing in the choir, studying theory, digging out the old recorder from grade 4 to see how the heck Bach could have written concertos for what seemed like such a clumsy instrument…
When I headed off to university (to study education because my sisters had all the arts covered and my parents, though magically supportive of all we could imagine, figured that would be best) I ventured into renaissance music and got a taste of real recorder playing. I also got to play sackbuts and crumhorns — instruments I’d only ever heard in movies that figured pompous, bejewelled kings and queens. It was seriously cool.
Then between my first and second year of university I got fired from a crappy landscaping job (they hired 2 boys and 2 girls and once the cleanup was done, let us 2 girls go because apparently we weren’t up for running such complicated equipment as lawnmowers! Yikes!). Out of desperation for work I ended up joining the militia. Lord — I barely even knew Canada had a military! Hierarchy, structure, rules, commands?! This is the antithesis of everything I’d grown up with, who I am and what makes me thrive. Nonetheless it was through this experience (as I learned how to strip and assemble an FNC1A1 semi-automatic rifle…) I found out they would PAY me to learn the BAGPIPES!! For me this was a no-brainer.
So, for the next 10 or so years I was immersed in the rumble and hum of bagpipes. Kilted and tuned or simply audacious and willing (like when I piped in the in the new year from a rooftop in Kathmandu and when I piped my long-away man into the Calgary International Airport. Oh my, I can't believe I did that!!) I paraded and frolicked my way through the pipe band scene -- first with the Calgary Highlanders, then on to other pipe bands in Nova Scotia, Ontario and eventually back home in Alberta. It was stupidly fun. Not only did it lead me to getting another degree (so I would have excuse to live in Halifax where bagpipes rule), it was through piping that I met and eventually married a fine lad from Cape Breton. All good stuff!
All the while I continued to play guitar and sing… knew Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John by heart. I had delved fully into traditional and contemporary Celtic and Canadian folk, knew heaps of songs where people died or killed each other… AND, I discovered that it’s not just weirdly talented and magical people who can sing harmony! I found out that in fact even mortals like me can learn to sing harmony. Ha — what a gift that’s been!
Since then, in amongst the delightful mish-mash of having babies, raising kids, making a living and hanging onto my fine Cape Breton lad, I’ve ventured forth into the world of bluegrass and Americana -- fallen in love with Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Roseanne Cash... I've learned some ukulele, have taken a turn with Appalachian claw hammer banjo and have mostly set my pipes down in favour of the delightfully simple, yet deceptively mighty penny whistle. And, I’ve wandered down the road of songwriting — a pilgrimage that encourages me to consider what a Tuesday in July might taste like or how a i, iv, v, v1m chord progression can precipitate so many varied and fine melodies. All of it (including the mish-mash) continues to be brilliantly fun and deeply rewarding!
Beyond writing and playing my own music, I play whistle, guitar, occasionally ukulele and sing lead and harmony vocals with My Son Ted (an updated version of Tir Na N’Og), a local upbeat folk/fusion Celtic and sundry group. I’ve also had the privilege of playing and singing backup for artists such as Cori Brewster, Joanna Drummond, Roger Duncan and Steve Goodchild. I also played and toured with the June Bugs -- an all female (at the time) bluegrass/folk group, and with traditional Celtic band Grafton Street. I continue to teach guitar in a "Tunes and Tea" classes where I get to share the joy of music, singing and picking with some seriously amazing and inspiring women!
Yup, all good!
More specifically I am the forth of five kids. I have three older sisters — a visual artist, a writer and an opera singer — and one younger brother who is highly creative but smart enough to apply his talents to business. When I was growing up my mom made my two oldest sisters play the piano. But it was a battle getting them to practice. By the time I might have been able to heft myself up to the piano on my own, mom had entirely given up. She told the remaining Simmons kids that music lessons were a privilege and we would take them only if we were committed to the idea and if we promised to practice. So, after some begging and pleading, I got a flute for my 12th birthday. My parents made it clear to me that if I didn’t practice (without them bugging me) they’d sell it and call it a day.
We never really looked back. Oh sure, I did occasionally have to be reminded to practice. But I loved how the mixture of notes could say things that I had no other way of saying. Soon I was taking guitar, singing in the choir, studying theory, digging out the old recorder from grade 4 to see how the heck Bach could have written concertos for what seemed like such a clumsy instrument…
When I headed off to university (to study education because my sisters had all the arts covered and my parents, though magically supportive of all we could imagine, figured that would be best) I ventured into renaissance music and got a taste of real recorder playing. I also got to play sackbuts and crumhorns — instruments I’d only ever heard in movies that figured pompous, bejewelled kings and queens. It was seriously cool.
Then between my first and second year of university I got fired from a crappy landscaping job (they hired 2 boys and 2 girls and once the cleanup was done, let us 2 girls go because apparently we weren’t up for running such complicated equipment as lawnmowers! Yikes!). Out of desperation for work I ended up joining the militia. Lord — I barely even knew Canada had a military! Hierarchy, structure, rules, commands?! This is the antithesis of everything I’d grown up with, who I am and what makes me thrive. Nonetheless it was through this experience (as I learned how to strip and assemble an FNC1A1 semi-automatic rifle…) I found out they would PAY me to learn the BAGPIPES!! For me this was a no-brainer.
So, for the next 10 or so years I was immersed in the rumble and hum of bagpipes. Kilted and tuned or simply audacious and willing (like when I piped in the in the new year from a rooftop in Kathmandu and when I piped my long-away man into the Calgary International Airport. Oh my, I can't believe I did that!!) I paraded and frolicked my way through the pipe band scene -- first with the Calgary Highlanders, then on to other pipe bands in Nova Scotia, Ontario and eventually back home in Alberta. It was stupidly fun. Not only did it lead me to getting another degree (so I would have excuse to live in Halifax where bagpipes rule), it was through piping that I met and eventually married a fine lad from Cape Breton. All good stuff!
All the while I continued to play guitar and sing… knew Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John by heart. I had delved fully into traditional and contemporary Celtic and Canadian folk, knew heaps of songs where people died or killed each other… AND, I discovered that it’s not just weirdly talented and magical people who can sing harmony! I found out that in fact even mortals like me can learn to sing harmony. Ha — what a gift that’s been!
Since then, in amongst the delightful mish-mash of having babies, raising kids, making a living and hanging onto my fine Cape Breton lad, I’ve ventured forth into the world of bluegrass and Americana -- fallen in love with Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Roseanne Cash... I've learned some ukulele, have taken a turn with Appalachian claw hammer banjo and have mostly set my pipes down in favour of the delightfully simple, yet deceptively mighty penny whistle. And, I’ve wandered down the road of songwriting — a pilgrimage that encourages me to consider what a Tuesday in July might taste like or how a i, iv, v, v1m chord progression can precipitate so many varied and fine melodies. All of it (including the mish-mash) continues to be brilliantly fun and deeply rewarding!
Beyond writing and playing my own music, I play whistle, guitar, occasionally ukulele and sing lead and harmony vocals with My Son Ted (an updated version of Tir Na N’Og), a local upbeat folk/fusion Celtic and sundry group. I’ve also had the privilege of playing and singing backup for artists such as Cori Brewster, Joanna Drummond, Roger Duncan and Steve Goodchild. I also played and toured with the June Bugs -- an all female (at the time) bluegrass/folk group, and with traditional Celtic band Grafton Street. I continue to teach guitar in a "Tunes and Tea" classes where I get to share the joy of music, singing and picking with some seriously amazing and inspiring women!
Yup, all good!
