Cris Derksen does her job

0:00Cris Derksen is a career artist, a career musician, as in she has made a career for herself as both an artist and musician. And maybe those don’t need distinction, but Cris Derksen says she is just doing her job. And maybe that won’t strike you as odd, but I have a lot of career artist friends who definitely don’t refer to it as just doing their job. Not in the same sense as if they went to work every day as an ER nurse or construction worker doing their job. But that’s definitely how Cris delivered it. Cris Derksen is a two spirit, Juno nominated artist from Treaty 8 Territory in Northern Alberta. The credentials are too long for my typical intro. Known for a truly unique and blended style, she brings classical music and traditional indigenous music together. Making it with her signature electronic fused cello playing and composition. She is an original artist with the groundbreaking orchestral powwow as part of her personal discography, as well as a sought after composer and performer from the chamber orchestras and symphonies across Canada to Carnegie Hall, all just part of the job. My name is Glenn Erickson. This is Almost Famous Enough. Thank you for spending your time with us. This is Cris Derksen.

Glen Erickson: 1:46Uh, thank you, by the way. Um,

cris derksen: 1:48Yeah, I’m Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:53Um, so it’s been a while since you and I have talked. we have our own unique version of history together, which I’m sure we’re going to like cross paths on our conversation about, but, um, yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen you since the love is a battlefield, shows that we’re. Touring around here, I think was 2021, uh, maybe. So. You in my history, I think of you as hailing from Edmonton, although your history is more obviously tied to, uh, northern Alberta, right? And, um, your Treaty 8 heritage. So, um, have you, do you get to come back here very often? Is your mom, Lisa, still in Edmonton?

cris derksen: 2:36Yeah, she’s in Sherwood Park.

Glen Erickson: 2:38Okay. Yeah. Diving into it. I’m really interested, Cris in just digging into your own story, right? The whole arc of your journey as, uh, as an artist and an artist reflecting the person you are and who you’ve become and Um, I think the unique parts of your artistry and how those opportunities showed up would be, I think really interesting and educational for other people who are looking at that. It’s not the typical, even for me, the typical that I have most of my history with are, you know, Bands and people hitting the road and playing bars back and forth and, uh, version of musicianship and you’ve sort of taken a blended approach in your career. And I think blended is maybe a bit of a theme for you. Right? So, I mean, going all the way back, you just. Talked about, know, your mom having this really strong Mennonite, background. If anybody listening doesn’t know what that means, it’s, it’s very homesteady.

cris derksen: 3:38It’s like, my grandparents were so strict, like, Oh, it’s called any midnight. It’s so strict. It’s kind of like the Amish. Um, that’s like the easiest way to describe it. Um, and

Glen Erickson: 3:47Without the colonization picture that I think a lot of people have from the American Amish. Teenagers going wild television shows that you see now, right, but still a very, very, very traditional community based, like, violating of the community was essentially like violating a A law of God kind of thing. So they just, there was that tightly considered and like lives in breeze out of Southern Manitoba seems to be the heartbed of where all of this, and then they spread out across, uh, the country. But, so what’s interesting to me is like, so you have. a mother who has come out of this very strong obviously like Caucasian mother of I’m sure some maybe German descent is an easy assumption if it’s Mennonite. Uh, as far as like Canadians always seem to have to reference which Part of some continent of Canada we came from since we all showed up here. And, and, um, but then you have your, your father’s side as well. And I’m, uh, I’m curious because this is, is gonna play into the blend of who you are, which is amazing. And, uh, I, I’m sort of curious about where did that start? Like how did they. Uh, meet, did they get together? And my story knowing you was only as the child of a single parent, right? So I never met your father. So I don’t know how he plays into the so much. I’m wondering if you could give me a little bit of that background.

cris derksen: 5:19Yeah, so my dad is a Cree, uh, he comes from North Talcrete Reserve. Uh, he comes from like a line of chiefs. So, um, so my grandfather’s chief, my great great grandfather’s chief, there was hereditary chiefs and now they’re voted in. So, uh, currently my Dad is not chief, but my uncle Frank is chief. So it still seems to be like a bit of a family business. Um, I didn’t grow up on the res. Uh, I grew up mostly in Edmonton. Um, and I would spend my summers and winters up, uh, up visiting both sides of the family. And they’re so dichotomous, like they’re so opposite from each other. Um, I grew up like when I was five, we’re getting into some music things. When I was five, my mom, uh, she gave up her car funds. Cause when I was three, I told my mom I wanted to play the flute. And so my mom knew enough that she was like, no, she needs a piano. Piano is a basic. So she gave up her car fund to get me a piano. And at that, that time she also gave up our TV. Um, so I grew up without a TV and. It was like going to the res, um, I remember like so vividly, like watching Harry and the Hendersons for the first time. And when the, like the Sasquatchy guy, like, like jumps in front of the car, I jumped so high. Cause I like, didn’t have a TV. Then I didn’t watch TV. I didn’t know how to watch TV.

Glen Erickson: 6:44You weren’t desensitized from jump scares in

cris derksen: 6:47Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I was,

Glen Erickson: 6:48even though it was a comedy, not a horror.

cris derksen: 6:50yeah. Um, and then, so like, So from this kind of really contemporary, like, like very modern kind of life with on the res, and then going to visit my grandparents, um, on the other side and in which I had to wear the dresses that they make with the puffy sleeves. And like, there’s absolutely no TV and like no radio really. Like it was, uh, They didn’t have running water until I was like seven up there. They’re really, it’s really like, um, kind of like living in the past. And so going between the two communities was super dichotomous and super weird. And like, also very different from my city life too. Um, so

Glen Erickson: 7:36was, was that causing, I guess I’m curious what that was sort of creating in you. in you as those years start, probably you start approaching towards your adolescence and then, you know, forming a lot more self identity. I’m curious what that sort of dichotomous upbringing was creating in you.

cris derksen: 7:55yeah. Okay. I think we have to get a little bit deeper too. Um, on my gram. Parent’s side. So, um, and this plays, oh, sorry about that. This plays into the music a lot. So I, I get questioned a lot being like, where’s your Mennonite side of, of your music? And, uh, to be honest, the Old Colony Mennonites, they didn’t have music. Like that was not part of what they did. So, Yeah,

Glen Erickson: 8:23and music making? Or are you just like

cris derksen: 8:27also like, um, in church, like the men on one side, women on the other, uh, they would like, it would kind of be like these chanty things, but here’s the thing. There’s no, it was not written down. There’s no notes on a page for them. It would just like, whoever was the leader of the day would start on a tone and everyone would find that tone. And then he’d like, recite whatever poetry thing. Um, and, and the audience like follows him, but like,

Glen Erickson: 8:58response kind of?

cris derksen: 8:59but it was like, um, not even like, they would like follow the notes. So when he would change notes, everyone would change notes so much later that it was just like, chaos and very hard for my poor little brain to understand. And then on top of that, we, so we have this like very uncomfortable, you’re like two by fours, women on one side, men on the other. Like, it’s not, not an ideal situation for an eight year old. And then this terrible, terrible music. Um, but also here’s the kicker is that my grandmother was so, so, so racist, uh, against indigenous people. Um, So when I was born and my mom phoned home to be like, you’re a grandparent. I’m the eldest cousin. Uh, My grandma didn’t ask if I was a boy or a girl. They asked if uh, if I was red or white. Um, and my mom said red and so then was immediately excommunicated. So there’s like this This racism that I grew up with, um, against me, um, is definitely does play into how I steer my music and how I steer, um, you know, I always do say I’m half Cree and half Mennonite, and I think, and I like to call myself a Creenonite, it’s a cute little joke, and I always do. I am like, I am half and half and I do need to, I do need to represent half and half, but, uh, I’m not going to bring up a lot of these intense stories to a regular audience. Cause that’s a lot, that’s a lot for regular people to understand. Um, so, uh, a lot of my perception and a lot of my music work making comes from the indigenous perspective. Um,

Glen Erickson: 10:48Um, uh, okay, well, I’m not afraid of the intense stories, uh, or however they play into making you who you are in that Yeah, I think that there’s a lot of interest to me and how somebody gets formed out of both sides and, uh, interesting to hear you speak sort of with a respect and a reverence of wanting to include both of that heritage into who you are right now. I mean, uh, that this is also the end of the 80s, like 80s into the, into the 90s, uh, we, we loosely use this term that was a different time then it probably gets used too much in a, passive way that shouldn’t be used to, to get out of uncomfortable conversations, but it was so drastically, you know. different, right? In that, in that I have to remind myself when I feel shocked that someone was still using colors to talk about race,

cris derksen: 11:45Mm hmm.

Glen Erickson: 11:47That I had to remind myself how common still was only that that long ago in our human history, uh, in this part of the world. Right? So, um, yeah, I find that a little bit shocking, but, uh, at the same time, I have to remind myself what it was like. So, I guess the part I’m really interested in still is, how was that sort of shaping? This like young person in Edmonton you know, where you’re a child. Okay. Let me just put it this way. a single parent household, all those disadvantages that you’re already having to deal with just in that sort of domestic situation. Right? And then what most people might not see is how much you’re wrestling with two very different. opposite senses of heritage and family

cris derksen: 12:36Hello, everyone.

Glen Erickson: 13:05that was, I think, very prevalent, uh, still in the

cris derksen: 13:08Silence.

Glen Erickson: 13:14what that was like for you.

cris derksen: 13:16I mean, I always, it was always just a part of it. It was always just a, it didn’t really feel like a struggle. It was just like what it was. Like, yes, I have a bad dad, but I have amazing aunties and like, I have amazing family. Um, so it wasn’t like, um, yeah, it didn’t really feel like that to me. Cause I was always like, I, I always knew who I was. I guess, so you know, sometimes ignorance is bliss, like

Glen Erickson: 13:44Yeah, I mean, that’s a great statement, Cris, like I met you in your teens.

cris derksen: 13:50yeah.

Glen Erickson: 13:51I guess right off the bat, I’ll echo that I always felt like you had a really strong sense of who you were that was apparent in your, in your teens. And that’s not a gift, uh, very many adolescents or have. And most of the ones I was meeting and working with, like, did not have that sense. It was, if I can be completely honest, it was even probably a little intimidating. Right for an adult to meet, uh, a young person who had a strong sense of identity and, I was not in a place at that time where I was prepared to deal with it Um, I mean, this is sort of a new podcast for me. I don’t expect everybody to know story. I’m not ashamed of it. The story is not about me. It’s about you, but, um, background is I worked at a church and I worked with teens and it was a very upper middle class church on the west side of Edmonton in northern Alberta, that was built on a lot of affluence and I was given a lot of freedom and opportunity. And, We’ve only briefly ever talked about this, but, you know, for me, like an indigenous young person in a single home was not average kid in that group. Right. And, um, I was only in my mid to late twenties and despite how cocksure and ridiculously arrogant I was, I, I literally did not know what I was doing. And, um, so that for me was. You know, I was so blind to so many things, right? So, uh, so hearing you talk about that and say, like, I knew who I was, it immediately connects to me. Cause that’s, that was my sense of you at that time.

cris derksen: 15:39Yeah, and I think that’s also like what’s given me this career is that I’ve always known who I am. And I’ve always like had a strong, I feel like I have a strong moral compass, but I know the stories that I want to tell and, and, um, I think they’re important and folks want to listen to them. And that’s really cool. It’s

Glen Erickson: 15:59when did the transition for you, if you were very, very young, because you had an interest, you get a piano in your house, you’re learning music theory. Uh, you don’t have a TV, so maybe you’re not getting inundated with pop culture. Um, so how does the transition to, you know, this instrument that’s carried you around the world, the cello, when does that happen for you?

cris derksen: 16:23Yeah, that was in grade four. Edmonton had a public school string program, so it was completely accessible. It was completely affordable for my single parent mother to put me into cello. Uh, the story is I came home with a piece of paper saying, does your son or daughter want to play violin, viola, cello, or bass? I wanted to play the bass. I thought the cool kids played the bass, but my mom’s car was too small. Uh, she drove a little high end pony. And so This is how we got stuck with the cello. Um, and I’m so fortunate because the cello just has such a giant range and can be so many different things. And, uh, you know, it’s really relatable. It’s the same range as a human voice. You know, I’ve only met one person. This is, this is recently in Japan and he was like, I hate the cello, but I like the way you play it. And I was like, who hates the cello? I’ve never heard. Or anybody hate the cello. So, um, yeah,

Glen Erickson: 17:19So it was pretty early on that that became your instrument, right? Okay.

cris derksen: 17:24totally. And like in junior high and like when I knew you, um, like I’d be playing along to Nirvana and like, What was it? Pop, like, rock, Cristian rock groups. I just like play along to albums. Um, and that was like the beginning of me. Uh, that was like, yeah, maybe me like exploring what I wanted to do. Um, I was like,

Glen Erickson: 17:49training, right? Like your

cris derksen: 17:51totally.

Glen Erickson: 17:51of ear training,

cris derksen: 17:52Yeah. Um,

Glen Erickson: 17:54adjacent to like most guitar players who end up in bands.

cris derksen: 17:59totally.

Glen Erickson: 18:00same experience, right?

cris derksen: 18:01Yeah, totally. And, uh, I knew that I, I knew a lot of things like, like I knew in grade 11, I went to a performing arts school in Edmonton, Vic, uh, and, uh, I was like in a class of like, you know, a thousand wannabe actors and I was the only cellist and I was like, Oh, if I want to be in the arts, um, this is the way I want to go, um, to get into university, uh, I had to take a year off, uh, cause I wasn’t good enough yet. Because there’s group lessons, right? Um, so, uh, I didn’t get private lessons until grade 12, um, halfway through the school year. Um, so I took a year off and did, uh, two lessons a week and then got into university. And again, I, Knowing who I was, I didn’t want to be like a desk musician, like an orchestra musician. I wanted to be a rock star. I wanted to play the folk fests. That was like my main goal. but I was like, I would need to play the cello good enough to play my own music so I can go play, uh, the folk fest circuit. Cause that was, you know, my goal at the time. So I come to the cello from like kind of a sideways positioning of like not Like I love classical music. I work in it now. Uh, and it’s always been a part of me, but it’s also like the classism of classical music was something I had a hard time with same with our church. Like the classism of our church was crazy. so I think. You know, as much as like my, I guess like ancestry develops me. So did the, you know, sort of poverty and so did like my perception of like how folks should be treated.

Glen Erickson: 19:38Well, I have some questions there. I mean, there’s two things I’m going to try to make sure I can remember to get to them about your path related to what you just said. So you first of all, I mean, you have this opportunity of going to the only performing art school at the time and for a long time in Edmonton, right? So there was only one opportunity for any student to have that which is in a sense an advantage, even though you’re right. It was massively possible populated by students, right? Like theater kids, not as much music. Um, and that’s the reason a lot of young people were going there or asking to go there, even if they weren’t in the area or that, you know, but so you sort of have that advantage. I think was what you’re identifying. But was there also the disadvantage, which maybe you’re. Sort of suggesting in between the lines of, probably couldn’t afford to go get private lessons that maybe a lot of other developing cellists or traditional, you know, orchestral instruments have, you know, get on that track pretty early, right? For private.

cris derksen: 20:40Totally, totally. It’s so early, like, uh, you know, I only taught for one year, but the, you know, the youngest kid was like, I think four and like the mother. was like, do you think this kid has a chance? And I’m like, they are four. Sure. They can do whatever they want. There’s like, what? Um, so yeah, the, the, the world is quite, the classical world is quite strict, you know, similar to religion. Um, I think that’s up to the human. I think that’s

Glen Erickson: 21:11you’re probably feeling a little late in some way. So that was one, I think, point of interest, because what are the, I mean, even someone, a parent asking that question, I’m interested to know, like, what are, when someone’s training like that, what are the opportunities? That are ahead of them. Like if somebody has been in some version of an instrument, classically trained, from time they’re four or six or eight, like what’s the trajectory of possibility for them? Or maybe you can say, what was it then versus what it is now?

cris derksen: 21:48who’s like behind the instrument and like where they want to take it, you know? Cause like, there’s a bunch of trumpet players that are amazing jazz trumpeters. There’s like, there’s, there’s so many different things you can do within music within that one thing. So like I had to go to classical music school because that’s how I got, that’s how you could get the training. There wasn’t, there’s not really jazz cello schools. I mean, there are jazz cellists, but there’s not really jazz cello schools. Uh, and there’s no like rock and roll school for cello. Um, which I probably would have taken. But I probably wouldn’t have been as good, you know? so I think like the normal trajectory is that, yeah. And the other thing they don’t teach you in music school is business. and they don’t teach you like about, you know, now we hear about branding and being your own brand and blah, blah, blah, but like, they don’t teach you that you just like, I’ve, my hat’s been my brand, you know, for the last 20 years. And like, I took those extra business courses. I learned how to write grants. I knew that I wanted to, where I wanted to go and I knew that that path wasn’t the regular path. Um,

Glen Erickson: 22:57figure that out? When did you figure out like you needed to take courses or figure out the business part? Like how old, where was that in the,

cris derksen: 23:03um, I did, okay, I did a couple of years at U of A, but, um, I was not very, I was a terrible student. I was like more of a bar star. I didn’t relate to my classmates. Uh, most of them still lived at home. I was on my own by that point. and like their parents would like make their lunches and pick them up after orchestra. And I was like, what the heck? I’ve been living on my own for like two years. So it just wasn’t the right space for me, wasn’t the right place for me. I wasn’t in the right place. Uh, so I took a year off and I did Canada World Youth, um, which brought me to Brazil and then, uh, to Vancouver again, and I had been spending some summers in Vancouver and, uh, It was like after Candleworld’s Youth, I was like, no, I really want to be a cellist, and I really want to play the footfest. And, then I got into UBC, and then I cared. Um, but I had to like, kind of go through my own, um, Yeah. My own mistakes to get to the place of like wanting it really bad. Um, and like, yeah, I wanted it real bad. Like that was the only thing I wanted. And I couldn’t for the life of me get a damn job, like a regular job. so I busked for like six months in Vancouver, um, which is like so hard. Like, it’s so, it’s hard on the soul. Um, and then, But then I did get back into university. I got into UBC. And that’s when I was like, I want to play the folk fest. This is why I’m here. I’m going to get it really, really good. So I worked my ass off and got really, really good.

Glen Erickson: 24:38So busking paid the bills? Like, how hard did you have to, like, how long did you have to sit out there? And, uh,

cris derksen: 24:47I mean, yeah,

Glen Erickson: 24:51of the art museum? Is it on Granville? Like, where’s, where was the best spot to earn the best,

cris derksen: 24:58yeah, the most, the most money I made, I think it was Canada day morning. I went to English Bay. Um, and like. All the old people and I just like played Bach and played some dirts and things and like the, the birds would all come swim around and watch. And I think I made like 500 bucks that day, which is pretty good.

Glen Erickson: 25:20pretty good. That’s a

cris derksen: 25:21That’s a pretty good day. And I was like, also like, that was like 20, what? 22, 23, 23

Glen Erickson: 25:27Yeah,

cris derksen: 25:27years ago.

Glen Erickson: 25:28it.

cris derksen: 25:28Yeah. Yeah. So I was like in my twenties and like, I lived in a big punk house and my rent was super affordable. and. Yeah, it was good times.

Glen Erickson: 25:37of all of that is super punk. I mean, you know what I mean? Like,

cris derksen: 25:41Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 25:42age.

cris derksen: 25:42Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 25:43the age for it, which I think is fantastic and hilarious at the same time. So you’re obviously starting to progress through what your options might be. And, uh, I was curious where that stage and you just identified was where you sort of really decided to pursue it, whether that was happening high school, like when I knew you, but I didn’t know all of that about your life or whether that sort of happened, um, a little bit later, which I think it does for a lot of people to get to that point where it’s like, really, when you say like, I want it bad enough. I think it’s important. You hear that a lot, right? About musicians, like you can watch every season of American Idol and they all seem to want it like nothing else, but we all know from experience. Once you get into it, like, are you willing to busk months and do whatever you have to do? Are you willing to sacrifice every other thing

cris derksen: 26:37Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 26:37for this? Uh, just what it takes, right?

cris derksen: 26:41Yeah. And like, yeah. The, to be a touring musician and like, to be gone from your family, like so, so much is wild. Like, you know, I’d like hanging out. I, uh, I was so lucky though. Like, so, uh, in university, a friend, I had already played the Vancouver Folk Fest and this friend who hired me for that was like, Hey, Cris, who do you want to play with next? And I was like, Tanya Tagak, and she’s an Inuit Tutsi girl, and my, my friend made it happen. My friend made, brought Tanya to Vancouver. We did like a gig with a bunch of different folks. Um, and me and Tanya caught on like house on fire. Um, and then I started touring with her. So like before, when I did my grad recital, the next day I went. To, I came to Toronto to record, no, to Ottawa to record, uh, at the NAC. And then we went to Spain like the next day. I like, I was,

Glen Erickson: 27:39like her, like supporting her music, like playing

cris derksen: 27:43yeah.

Glen Erickson: 27:43if you’re okay.

cris derksen: 27:44Yeah. And like, I don’t know if folks know Tanya’s music at all, but Tanya is a thousand percent only, she only improvises. I think I’ve had like, maybe like two rehearsals with her ever in life. Um, Uh, so it’s like just complete improvisation and complete like balls to the wall you’re thrown in. Uh, you know, I learned how to listen really good. I learned a lot from Tanya. I learned how to not tour. I learned how to, um, I learned how to pay people properly. Um, cause I was just a side musician and you know, it’s a struggle man to getting like three 50, a gig and, but, and like 50 bucks per DM or something. And, but you’re in Europe, right? Like, so you’re like, it’s kind of spending as much as you’re making at that point. Um,

Glen Erickson: 28:32Well, I think it’s interesting. You can probably shed a little more light on this too. cause I think a question a lot of people will often have about music when they hear people telling their story I don’t know if you’ve sat through, you know, like keynotes or they bring musicians up and they get interviewed and I’m often, my brain is. Going always between the lines of like, okay, so that’s an awesome story, but how do you get that? Right. So you just say like you got a chance to meet Tanya who you really wanted to and side note, Uh, I find that super impressive because balls to the wall is a great way to describe her because she’s fierce Like i’ve always used the word fierce

cris derksen: 29:10yeah.

Glen Erickson: 29:11I would be it would be intimidating Even more so now realizing how much would be Improvised that to be that fierce improvisation is it’s just another level. So tagging around with that, it would be, um, very intimidating. Uh, your self confidence, obviously that we talked about earlier, let’s do a play through in, in, you know, in your twenties, being able to pull that off. But let me back that up even a little more. Cause you said while you’re at UBC studying, you get a chance to play. At the Vancouver Folk Fest. So how do you get that gig at that age in still a very much development phase? How do you get that gig?

cris derksen: 29:53Um, you know, I, I’m a big believer in like putting things out there and like being like, I want more of this. Like, I don’t do a five year plan. I find that too esoteric. Um, but I, I am definitely like, I want to do more of that. So like, currently my, my things are like, I want to write more symphonies. So like just putting that out in the wall, into the world and into your mind. And it’s like, kind of amazing how that happens, how things help for me. Like that’s really worked for me is like, knowing that I’ve always wanted to do that, you know, getting my name out there. I also, when I was graduating from university, Cirque du Soleil came knocking at my door and being like, Hey, do you want to go to China to work on this cello project? Um, and I was like, that sounds nice Cirque du Soleil, but no, I need to make my name, uh, here in Canada. I need to make my name at home first. So I, Worked on making my name, you know, you play this.

Glen Erickson: 30:51you said, no,

cris derksen: 30:53I said no to Cirque du Soleil. Yeah, so I could run around with Tanya

Glen Erickson: 30:58that’s pretty ballsy, Cris. That’s, that’s pretty incredible.

cris derksen: 31:01Yeah,

Glen Erickson: 31:02So,

cris derksen: 31:02yeah,

Glen Erickson: 31:03while you’re with UBC, you end up a chair position with the symphony in Vancouver. So how, where, where did that sort of happen and land? Cause that’s a pretty significant thing

cris derksen: 31:17yeah,

Glen Erickson: 31:18think as well. Right.

cris derksen: 31:19yeah, like I like I said, I worked my I got, I got real good. I wish I was that good still. Um, but, uh, the, yeah, to get it, it was just, you know, they have subs. So profs will bring kids in and bring folks in that are capable of doing the work. Um, do you know, what’s interesting about symphonies now is that like, You learn those symphonies in university. So when you are subbing in or like symphony players in Vancouver, they’ve been playing the same music since university, like in generally, you know, like Beethoven’s ninth, like we all played it in first year.

Glen Erickson: 31:57Yeah,

cris derksen: 31:57So yeah.

Glen Erickson: 31:59that makes a lot of sense. So I guess, uh, yeah. So part of my interest then, because what you’re like, you said, like, lately, you’ve been in the classical world, it’s employing you, it’s paying a lot of bills, but and I want to sort of pull that apart a little bit as we go. But, um, maybe this is a part of, and we’re already sort of Digging into the question I asked earlier about sort of how you get into, like, what are the options for people who are classically trained? Um, because there’s a certain set of options that I think

cris derksen: 32:32Okay. Okay.

Glen Erickson: 32:56I don’t, I don’t know what the careers are, but. It feels like they’re a lot smaller in the of composition.

cris derksen: 33:06Yeah, I mean, it’s a composition is a pretty competitive field. I think like what’s the problem is, is there’s. No, there’s not the same kind of funding for composition as there is for like, it’s up to the orchestra. And so like everyone’s short on dollar bills. and the commissions are the first thing to go. And so it’s like a super competitive field. It’s also like pretty niche. There’s no, there’s not, you know, there’s not a,

Glen Erickson: 33:38things here, right? Like there’s compositions of like commissioned, I think. And like, how big a part is that in, in the world of, you know, symphonies around the different cities or, or just the classical community that’s obviously so distinct from the pop or even indie world, right? So how big a part does that play? Cause you’ve. Like, if I read your bio list and your Wikipedia, right, like, it’s littered with things that, you know, you were either commissioned to play or a lot of composition, a lot of writing and full transparency, like. I’m going to try to let you name them. Uh, I’d be so embarrassed to butcher some of the words and the names here,

cris derksen: 34:26yeah.

Glen Erickson: 34:26so yeah, tell me a little bit about that world of either commissions and compositions in the classical world

cris derksen: 34:32Um, They are, like I said, like symphony ones are just so hard to get. I call them a unicorn gigs because they, there’s just not a lot of opportunities for them. There’s just not a lot of money for it. Um, so every time I get one, it’s like, I’m doing real good.

Glen Erickson: 34:48was love is about a field. One of those.

cris derksen: 34:51yep. Love is a battlefield. I’ve, there’s a piece called Parkdale that’s just three minutes that TSO commissioned, Rebellion, the Thunder Bay Symphony. That was like a collab between Thunder Bay Symphony and, uh, DCMF, which is, uh, the, it’s a high school in Thunder Bay that brings in, uh, Indigenous kids. remote communities that don’t have high schools. So it’s like the fly in school. Um, so that’s like pretty, pretty rough, uh, rough and tumble school. And, uh, they brought me in for four days and I hung out with some. Very angsty teenagers, and, and their guitars. And we wrote, um, a little symphony piece called Rebellion. It’s so cute. It’s, it is like, it’s so angsty. It is so 16 year old. Um,

Glen Erickson: 35:40Nirvana ear training came in handy for you.

cris derksen: 35:44totally. And then, uh, then the big one, which is Control Burn, um, commissioned by Yannick, and it’s against, um, All right, zits again. Uh, and then I have a new one, TSO for 2026. I start writing it In 25.

Glen Erickson: 36:03that’s part of a question I wanted to ask there. Without you, I’m not asking you to divulge numbers, but I think lot of people would be curious. So if you land one of these unicorn pieces, how big a chunk is that taking out of your life? To, to, to do it, um, and how long does it usually span and how, I guess an easier way to put it is like how big a part of what you’re, for lack of a better term, annual income or what you pull together, where does that sit? Is that a big piece? Is it not as big as people would think? Okay.

cris derksen: 36:41league of composers has, uh, uh, recommended things. Yeah. they have like a recommended number. So it’s like about a thousand bucks a minute that you get paid for symphony, symphony gigs, and then it like goes down. So like chamber music is less, it goes out. Like how many, how many parts do you have to write is kind of how you get paid. so, and. You know, pieces they come for me. The actual writing is faster than the concept. I think I like spend a lot of time being like, what am I going to say? What is my concept? What is like, what am I trying to say? What’s the story here? I’m not, I’m not just sitting down and, you know, making things pretty.

Glen Erickson: 37:23speak speaks to artistry, right?

cris derksen: 37:25yeah, yeah, like, uh, and I, I need the story to know where I’m going to go with the piece too. So that part takes a long time, but then like the actual sitting down with it, it’s like, that can be like two weeks or something, three weeks. if I work at it like every day and I kind of like for that kind of work, I do like concentrated time on it. So like where it’s like, I, this month is only this, um, which is like rare in my world. Cause I’m. I do film and, uh, documentary, I do a lot of documentaries, um, and then like podcasts and like random things come up. Um, so I’m often working on more than one thing at once, which can get confusing for my brain, I guess, um, to be like, where’s my focus? I prefer to like work on something like three, like for a month or three weeks and then move on.

Glen Erickson: 38:16okay. Let me, uh, I’m going to jump back because I like going back and staying on a timeline. So would I, uh, pull a couple of things together? So you’re great. Finishing up at UBC, you’re actually getting your degree. You’ve spent a few years in this. I’m all in, this is the most important thing phase, but you want to be a rock star, you’re putting it out there in the universe, you’re getting opportunities like touring with Tanya Taggart, um, and you’re developing your own thing. And this is really what you’re known for. Right. And, uh, What I

cris derksen: 38:53Okay.

Glen Erickson: 39:06training yourself to Nirvana and others. Um, and the desire to sort of compose your own version, blending electronic instruments, looping a cello, which the first time I heard you do that. I was so blown away. And, and I think a lot of people now should continue to go and check out all your works and be blown away because they just don’t see it anywhere else in any practice. So when did that start developing? Like when did this version of your own artistic expression start to develop

cris derksen: 39:42Yeah, I had a roommate, Bronwyn, in university at UBC, and she had a loop station and I borrowed it and never gave it back. and it, like, I took to it like, it was so fast, it was so easy. I could like, write my own like, symphonies by myself, I, I just, I fully understood it. and again, like wanting to take the cello and myself out of this like high class stuffy, rule based world to, I wanted to bring the cello to street level to, you know, make it relatable. So yeah, it was like, uh, like 20 years, 20, 22 years ago, I think when I first got my first loop, or when I stole my first loop station.

Glen Erickson: 40:27your first loop station?

cris derksen: 40:29Yeah. And then, uh, and then the, the other pedals came pretty quick after it. Like I, By the time I did that gig with Tanya, I had already moved loop and multi effect pad um, with the cello. And that’s still like my basic setup is like the loop, the multi effect, the multi effect pad, and then like a drum machine or something, some percussion.

Glen Erickson: 40:50would imagine some people would maybe ask, or you’ve been asked the question of whether like just the desire to use that sort of technical equipment to sort of just, expand what you could create. Was the complete sort of modus operandi or was there any influence of electronic music, which uses these tools, obviously, was there any of that coming in or were the tools just a part of, um, An ends to a means or means to an end. I should say.

cris derksen: 41:23Yeah. I mean, there’s a, there’s a few folks like Joran, she’s Quebec, uh, cellist. She was using some stuff, uh, on the cello that I really liked. And then, you know, Apoctalyptica is like, they’re like a heavy metal cello band, uh, that were influential. And then, but, uh, It was like me just finding the things and then finding people afterwards. So like, I, I was already looping and then I, you know, heard about Owen Pellett and, uh, Final Fantasy at the time. And like,

Glen Erickson: 41:54Yeah.

cris derksen: 41:54yeah. Uh, so it was like, I was already doing it and then I was seeking out other folks that were also doing it, I guess. Um, but I, I now famously do not listen to music, uh, anymore. Cause it’s like, you know, my nine to five. Um, is

Glen Erickson: 42:14Yeah. I mean, that’s pretty common, right? So, well, let me just before I jump back to something else, just sidebar that comment. I think that’s an interesting comment that people would be curious about, where. Your inspirations now come from. I think it’s very common. All of us, regardless of which discipline in music, you know, our teens to our twenties, we’re trying to recreate everything that meant something so deeply and passionately to us. Right. And we just want to, we want nothing more than two things to recreate one of those things and make somebody else feel it. The way we felt it. Right. And we want to be kind of part of the fabric of

cris derksen: 42:52mm-hmm

Glen Erickson: 42:53that were big stars to us were. Well, now. So now you’re Cris Derksen, you know, 20 years later, who’s part of the fabric. So what, what’s inspiring you influencing if you’re not listening to music the same way, which is completely normal. I

cris derksen: 43:09I always look at it as like, I am a jeweler. Like, um, so I take little bits and pieces of, of things I like. I like. It’s impossible not to listen to music, you know, it’s impossible to close our ears. So, you know, my wife listens to lots of music and I therefore listen to whatever she is listening to. Um, and I just try to not get overly influenced, but, I’ll take little bits and pieces of, of sounds that I like and blend it together to make my own bracelet. You know, it’s like, I, Often I’m like, it’s like braiding for me, like braiding the past and the present and the future together. braiding things that I like into the work that I’m doing. bringing in my indigenous heritage along with like the classical training, but adding a little bit of hip hop beats. Cause I like the 808, you know? yeah,

Glen Erickson: 44:03talked about this to someone recently as well, um, because I’m somebody who even at my age, I only really to new music still. I, I never go back and dig up old things. I have my classic rock, like everybody, uh, of what I will keep playing. That meant something to me for 30 years, but, but I have a friend who like, Is a musician who said the same, essentially the same thing, right? Like I don’t really listen to anything. So of course I’m curious and I ask, and they similarly, but the way they sort of described it, it was like all those soundtracks are playing in my head. It’s just math. I’ve got years of soundtracks. I don’t need to, you know,

cris derksen: 44:44Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 44:45have room for more, or I’ve got so many things to pull from the way you

cris derksen: 44:50Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 44:50Rating or making a bracelet,

cris derksen: 44:52Mm hmm. Mm

Glen Erickson: 45:10music between 2010 and 2015. So. What was happening during that phase was your mind, looking back on it now, do you feel like there was sort of a very narrow, like blinders of what you wanted to come out of that in releasing original music and CDs like that and, developing a very great performance, I think at the time, right, which was, I’m sure you were experiencing people’s, I don’t want to say shock or awe, but a lot of people hadn’t seen what you were doing, period. Yeah.

cris derksen: 45:44hmm.

Glen Erickson: 45:45So you had to have been feeling that even in the moment on the stage or when you talk to people after. So what, what’s happening in that phase of making CDs like a rock star or a regular aspiring median

cris derksen: 45:58Canadian. Canadian, India artist. Um, you know, like, yeah, I’ve. I think the goal back then, like I said before, the goal only was just folk fest. I just, I just wanted to like party. Like I want to party all summer long. Um, and I want to get paid. I, I love the folk fest because they also have that improvisation, uh, moment with the, this shared stages of when all these different artists are just thrown on the same stage and You never know what’s going to happen. I love those moments. Those are like, I live for those moments. Those like moments of connecting with somebody that you don’t know at all, or maybe don’t even speak the same language with, and like creating something together. I think that’s so beautiful and so magical. And like, And such a gift to be able to do it. I think like, yeah, the first two albums were very similar and, um, it’s great. Like, and I was definitely like defining my own sound, I think is how they say it. Um, um,

Glen Erickson: 47:01sure. It’s very obvious.

cris derksen: 47:02yeah. And. And, you know, those, those two albums still get licensed so much. Like, I can’t even tell you how many requests we get to license the first two, or the first album. Like, it just, it’s wild. and it’s amazing that it’s lived that long too, like 20, 10,

Glen Erickson: 47:22do you mean? Are it like various or are you talking to

cris derksen: 47:26like TV shows.

Glen Erickson: 47:27in productions and TV and

cris derksen: 47:29Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 47:29music things? Yeah. Okay.

cris derksen: 47:31Yeah. Yeah. TV shows.

Glen Erickson: 47:32kind of sync stuff that’s

cris derksen: 47:33Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um,

Glen Erickson: 47:36powwow is a different step. You were trying something very intentional with

cris derksen: 47:40yeah.

Glen Erickson: 47:41that develop for you?

cris derksen: 47:42Well, that came out of like sitting on so many different art juries and, uh, realizing there’s so much classical music that was quasi indigenous, but they didn’t have an indigenous lead in it. They didn’t have an indigenous composer. The story was indigenous, but like, like there’s like this one going homestead that the. It’s a ballet, and the ballet, the choreographer wasn’t Indigenous, and like, it turns out that the storyteller, Joseph Boyden, was also non Indigenous. So like, uh, I was sitting, and there’s like all these huge projects going through, and like, getting white men to, To compose it. And I’m like, no, man, like we can, we can do that. I can do that. Let, let me do that. And so that’s how Orchestral Powwow came to be. And, um, I was like friends with the Hulus Nation tribe called Red Boys. Um, so, um, I met the, so I’m using the same for that project. I was using the same library as a tribe called Red. And instead of cutting it all up as they do, uh, I kept those, uh, powwow pieces. intact and then wrote symphonic music around it. And that was, it was always like, um, meant to be, it was just meant to be like a, a concept project. but we do tour it now. It’s crazy. It does get toured. Um, Um, but it’s, yeah, for me that it was just about like, no, it’s like lay off, hands off indigenous stories, like let the indigenous people tell their own stories. So,

Glen Erickson: 49:19timely. I think in Canada, don’t you think like 2015 and then 2016, if you start touring it, you gave it legs, right? It got a lot more life than just a normal album release cycle, quote unquote,

cris derksen: 49:32yeah. Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 49:34after that, that you have Gordon Downey trying to like publicly shed some more light on you What you talked about before, like the water situation that was still happening on reserves around Canada, that ridiculousness the way the government had ignored promises. So I felt like a lot of that was blowing up in Canada. Were you feeling you were getting pulled up in to that based on what you were trying to do?

cris derksen: 50:04definitely. I definitely like, you know, I’ve known Jeremy Dutcher since before Jeremy Dutcher was Jeremy Dutcher, you know, there’s like a,

Glen Erickson: 50:12Okay. You’ve already, you’ve dropped two Polaris winners now already in the interview. So

cris derksen: 50:17Yeah. Like, like the indigenous community is small, right? Like we know, we kind of know everybody, uh, that’s in the arts. And so I think all of us, um, got busy. Got busier and then, uh, with the release of the Orchestral Pow Wow, that’s, that led me back to classical music. So it was like that thing that proved that I could compose nice things, that led me back into getting commissions.

Glen Erickson: 50:45Yeah. I mean, and yeah, so I, I’m glad you said that, uh, my outside again, observation, right, is that you had this timeline of you were creating your own sound and you, you took a pretty standard Canadian indie artist route for somebody who wanted to be a rock star of. Recording albums and releasing them. And in a sense, trying some version of a touring cycle and performance cycle and album cycles. And then that’s the last album released technically like that, that you’ve had. Right. So, um, but in that time, you’re making those aspirations, coming at it from a different way than the typical Canadian indie artist, uh, who’s, you know, uh, I, you talking to people or thinking in your mind, I need to get a manager and then I need to get a, a booking agent like the typical way and, and land a publicist and is there a label that puts this out and I have to secure all these and then do I need a lawyer? Are you going through those same typical Canadian indie artist

cris derksen: 51:46Yeah, a little, yeah, a little bit, um, but not really see. Um, I had, I was just working with one manager for, um, I think we worked here for like 12 years, um, and she got Parkinson’s and had to retire. so I, I am. I’ve been always just kind of like insular in that way. Um, I don’t F with labels, because I own all of my music a hundred percent on both sides and I really value that. I am I am the producer of the album. It is my, it is my baby. It is nobody else’s baby. Um, I want all of the pie. So, uh, I have, I’ve always stepped away from label conversations. I now currently have, I have two people now. This is kind of funny. Like I’ve got one person, uh, Kim, uh, from high priestess, um, publishing. And so she does all of my, all my TV and licensing things. So, uh, this year, I’ve done one feature film score, a Nat Geo documentary, and I’m about to start another documentary. So she takes. All of those contracts, like all of the TV film contracts, as well as all of the sync stuff. And then I’ve got Nikki from AIM, agency as my person, like my, my performer agent. And then she’s, but she’s also doing the commissions, which I’m basically telling her what to do. Yeah, yeah,

Glen Erickson: 53:15all your performance bookings

cris derksen: 53:17yeah,

Glen Erickson: 53:18touring and doing arrangements and all that kind of stuff. So yeah, so at this point you sort of have a bit of a team and you’ve figured out

cris derksen: 53:25yeah.

Glen Erickson: 53:26need along the way. Obviously, I think that’s a big part of it. I think it’s interesting you mentioned earlier, early on, you know, nobody teaches the business. of it. Like it’s not until 14, I’m in a role with Alberta music. The, the provincial industry associations in Canada are figuring out that they need to step in and fill this gap of development of artists. Cause there is none of that kind of stuff. So we’re building programs that do that kind of thing. But you in your self confidence and self awareness all along have probably just decided to. Take those reigns and figure them out yourself, for

cris derksen: 54:11it’s, it’s all relationships, right? It’s all about making friends and like, I don’t, it’s not,

Glen Erickson: 54:16sure.

cris derksen: 54:17it is not networking. It is making friends. You actually have to make friends and it’s about that, like building those relationships that are like, you know, and keeping them and keeping them and like, don’t not burning any, any bridges, like, you know, All right.

Glen Erickson: 54:39I I’ll be really honest with you. So the reason I’m doing a podcast is because I’m sitting on 20 plus years of touching every part of the music business. I’ve had people say, well, you should. Or I’m like, I don’t read books, so why would I do that or write a blog and nobody reads blogs? But, but I, I would love to. So that’s why I’m here, right? I’m like, I, I would

cris derksen: 55:02Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Glen Erickson: 55:28then I want to try to translate it for myself. So that development part. You had to become, know, the business manager of Of your business and figure out how to kind of do these things. What were to you personally, what were the hardest aspects of the music business to figure out, like to learn?

cris derksen: 55:51I think like, the actual, like not over touring and not. Overhanging out with your bandmates is so important. And I think like, and it’s like about how do you, how do we have these like beautiful relationships with those that we play music with without it getting too personal and too intense and too volatile, um, I think, you know, like, Especially when you’re starting and you’re going, you’re just going so hard. You’re just like saying yes to like absolutely everything that comes your way. And like, that can be dangerous. You get like, I hung out with Tanya too much, man. She’s like my sister, like, no, like I, like

Glen Erickson: 56:30Yeah.

cris derksen: 56:31you know, I think for me, like, it was like those lessons were the harder ones to figure out is like the, How to tour properly, how to like, maybe I can only do three weeks on the road without losing my mind. So maybe I can’t do six weeks on the road. Like let’s go home. Um, and so like, and trying to keep that practice, you know, going, I mean, after the pandy, my things definitely shifted for me. So I’m doing so much more composition, which is great. so I’m not having to like, Fight anyone to stay home for, or go home after three weeks. But I think that’s really important. I think that we forget that we do have to go home.

Glen Erickson: 57:12Well, I, that’s a great point. I mean, I mean, that’s a great example of self awareness as well that I think most people learn the hard way over a much longer span of time in this business of feeling like I can’t say no to any opportunities, right? Or you don’t know or believe the next one might be around the corner. Um, and so people will burn themselves out. People burn themselves out on the industry side and getting jaded. And I don’t know how you personally feel. You don’t. And you’ve never come across as jaded, despite how much, uh, you’ve had to learn and be a part of the business, like even reading a little bit about you, Cris, and, and of you’ve stepped into for leadership things where you’ve sat on boards, or you’ve been the advisory person to Philharmonic, right, in Calgary, or the, the things you’ve created with the BAMF, uh, Arts Centre, um, Like those leadership things mean that you’re now having to mingle with people who look like me, probably most of the time. Right? And people of privilege who don’t understand it all where you’ve come from, where the boardroom, although I don’t feel comfortable in boardrooms, but feel more comfortable them to maybe what you do. You know, because if the golden rule, know, if the first chapter of the book, if I ever wrote it in the music businesses, don’t be a dick,

cris derksen: 58:34Yeah,

Glen Erickson: 58:35which you’ve sort of already hinted that, that you’ve, you’ve figured out and you’ve,

cris derksen: 58:39Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 58:40rule and it’s part of your success. Um, I guess I’m curious because you’ve done a lot of things and stepped into a lot of roles like that with everything you’ve learned. What’s that part of the experience been like you, were you treated like, you know, you get 15 years past high school, 20 years past high school and you start doing these things. I guess I have to ask, were you made to feel like the other,

cris derksen: 59:07Um,

Glen Erickson: 59:08in those situations ever or was that not?

cris derksen: 59:12Not really, not really. One thing about the tokenism thing that my perception of it is that it has only allowed me to have a wider audience. so like, People be like, Oh, but you don’t fit in the box. And I’m like, no, but I fit in every box. Like, so I, it allows me to like perform in so many more areas and even newer, uh, invited to perform in. I think me being in, in all of these different boxes allows me to. my career to be so varied and so wide. And so it’s always been like a positive for me. I think like, yeah, for sure. I get awkward in, in boardrooms and like at schmoozy things. And like, I also, to be honest, I don’t really feel like I’m like necessarily like, A part of the industry, quote unquote, um, I know that I work in the industry, but I’m like, I’m doing my own, I’m on my own path, man. I got my own stuff. I’m like, you know,

Glen Erickson: 1:00:10Almost every artist I know feels that way, interestingly, I

cris derksen: 1:00:15Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:00:16they, they always feel like they’re, I mean, and to some people, maybe it’s because they express more desire to get a seat at the table than others,

cris derksen: 1:00:26Yeah. And I feel like, you know what, if, if I’m the one getting the seat at the table, cause I’m indigenous right now, then great. Then hallelujah. You know, like, let’s, Open up those doors. Let’s keep those doors open. Let’s like for the, for the classical world. I’m like, all right, like, how do you, how do we make orchestras look and sound more like Canada? How do we make this open? How do we make this a warm and accepting place? Cause it’s kind of not,

Glen Erickson: 1:00:57Yeah,

cris derksen: 1:00:58yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:00:59that’s really interesting. I think, yeah, just being able to express that confidently has to be, I don’t know if you look at it this way, but part of the secret of your success, I think so many opportunities along the way to take. The glass half empty of those things I, and I guess I partly bring that up or maybe it’s a question underneath this because, um, I, I mean, I’ve talked to people. I’m in a position now where I’ve done hiring. you know, this. version that is a very generic version of diversity and collusion in corporate, in workplace, in the music industry, uh, in, in how grants are handed out or, you know, so it’s part of that. And there’s a generic version, which sometimes feels off, but I feel unqualified to say that because I’m a person of privilege, but it feels like that versus what you hope would be a more authentic version. version of that and, you know, full transparency. Like I, I need to hear what your side of that looks like to understand. Cause I wouldn’t understand otherwise.

cris derksen: 1:02:13Yeah. Like for me, I’m like, I think it’s amazing that Canada Council has its own Indigenous fun that I go to, you know, I think that’s so great. and I hope they never take it away. And like, for me, it’s like, we all have an important story to tell. We all have important stories to tell. and I feel like just very, I feel privileged to To be able to tell the stories, like, I don’t, I don’t know how to get half the gigs I get. And like, some of them are like mind blowingly difficult and some of them are just gorgeous. And like, I, I, yeah, it’s like, kind of like

Glen Erickson: 1:02:53with talent, right? Like, it starts and ends with like, you don’t get that foot in the door just because you check a box,

cris derksen: 1:03:04you have to be good.

Glen Erickson: 1:03:04to believe, they have to believe you’re not going to shit the bed.

cris derksen: 1:03:07Yeah. You have to be good and you have to like, yeah, you have to give a good track record. You have to get your things in on time. Um, you know, you have to.

Glen Erickson: 1:03:16along the way. Yeah.

cris derksen: 1:03:17Don’t be a dick, um, do your job, uh, yeah. you know, make people feel that they are also loved and welcome. Like, I think,

Glen Erickson: 1:03:28gigs or any of these along the way where you were like, Oh, I think I just shit the bed there and I’m never going to get a call again. Did you have any of those happen along

cris derksen: 1:03:41I mean, for sure. I recently, like I brought up Nat Geo. Um, and, uh, so I just scored a 90 minute documentary for Nat National Geographic and, uh, Holy cow. It was so hard. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Like, because, um, Nat Geo has this beautiful library of music, symphonic music that they are, that the director is allowed to use whenever they want. Um, I don’t know why, but he was like, no, I want Cris Derksen. And, uh, the music that I was like, the temp music that I was listening to, to try and compose against, I was like, Oh my God, this is brilliant. What do you want me to do? Like, I don’t, I don’t know. I don’t know what to do here. he was very kind. He was very kind. Um, but yeah, for that one, I like, And it was also summer and so hot up here. I’m on the third floor, in Toronto. And, uh, so to record, you know, I have to turn all my fans off and it was like plus 40 and like, it was, yeah, I was like, I definitely, that gig, I was like, I am never going to get called by Nat Geo and that might be okay. I might be also done. Um, but we got it done.

Glen Erickson: 1:04:56Geo, National Geographic we’re talking about. Yeah.

cris derksen: 1:05:00Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:05:01Just in case anybody listening doesn’t know what Nat Geo is.

cris derksen: 1:05:04Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,

Glen Erickson: 1:05:22and culture. Um, you, you bump around in those discovery years after high school, land at UBC in Vancouver, which gives you a lot of opportunity. You get connections to Vancouver, Folk Festival and then Tanya, and you start down this trajectory of recording albums, making your own creative music. And you’ll, you end up in Toronto, which, you know, in the Canadian music. landscape, right? There’s could if you keep backing out far enough, you’ll start to look at it and see it’s Toronto. And then it’s the rest of the country. And it’s Toronto telling everybody you need to move to Toronto and everyone else trying to decide part of their career, whether they need to do that or not. That’s what Canadian music looks like, you know, like in the States, you have it. Nashville or you have L. A,

cris derksen: 1:06:13LA, yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:06:16the world. But, you know, Canadian population and everything being down on the trans Canada. What it is, um, that’s sort of what it often looks like at the 500 ft view. So was that a part of your choice to Toronto? Was it an industry choice? And what? When did that happen?

cris derksen: 1:06:32Um, it was not an industry choice. It was a bad love choice. Um, I, I moved here for a girl and then she broke up with me. I think like two months after I moved. Um, but. There’s also a, there was a bit of an industry to it. So Toronto has a beautiful Indigenous art scene. and I found like most of my friends in Vancouver, uh, you know, most of them are like harm reduction workers and, and, and doing the good work. You know, doing the hard, hard and dirty work. Um, of, of Indigenous art. keeping people safe. but not a lot of my friends were musicians or artists. and here in Toronto, you know, the majority of my friends are artists and are musicians and are not musicians, but like are in indigenous arts. and I, I think that support is really important. yeah, so, I originally moved here for love and then It worked out. Um,

Glen Erickson: 1:07:27Has Toronto contributed since then? Do you feel

cris derksen: 1:07:32yeah,

Glen Erickson: 1:07:32able to like two things, I guess one is just, is that we’re closer vicinity to a lot of these opportunities for either these unicorn requests, you know, and those sorts of things being centric to Toronto, as well as access to other musicians and things like that, that you cross with, is that been a part of shaping? Probably since

cris derksen: 1:07:54Yeah. Like Toronto has given me like so many opportunities, so many great opportunities that are like pretty wild. Like, you know, like being the band leader for the cavalcade of lights or for new year’s being the band leader for like the new year’s thing at Nathan Phillips square for like, you know, 80, 000, whatever people, those are big Huge opportunities. and like being the musicians here are fantastic. So like when I, you know, when I dropped orchestral powwow, we did it at the WestJet stage at the Harborfront center. it’s outside, outside free stage, beautiful. And I had like, I think I had like 30 players on stage with me. Like, it was just like, it has given me so much and it’s given me so much responsibility that I’ve had to like, stand up to, you know? so I, it was definitely the right move. and like, yeah, it’s true. Like being close to Ottawa and Montreal is in New York is like actually really good. Yeah. And, and BC, I felt like. And near the end of my time there that I was, I hit that glass ceiling and it was just like, you know, there’s only enough room for like three weird cellists in Vancouver, you know, like there just like, wasn’t enough.

Glen Erickson: 1:09:06more than one.

cris derksen: 1:09:07Yeah. Um, so it just, it didn’t really feel like it was, I felt stagnant there. So I did move for love, but I also moved because I needed to get out of Vancouver. It was like

Glen Erickson: 1:09:18What year was that?

cris derksen: 1:09:1910 years ago now.

Glen Erickson: 1:09:21Yeah. Okay.

cris derksen: 1:09:22Yeah. Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:09:23did you meet your now wife in Toronto?

cris derksen: 1:09:26Yeah. Totally.

Glen Erickson: 1:09:27Was that through music scene connections? Cause you brought her out on that. Love is a battlefield. She got to stay, which was

cris derksen: 1:09:35Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:09:35by the way. And I can’t imagine how great and wonderful that for you to probably blend those things. But yeah. So did you meet through. Music or was it just, uh,

cris derksen: 1:09:47Yeah. She came.

Glen Erickson: 1:09:49Was it? I don’t know.

cris derksen: 1:09:50No, no, no. I’ve never rapped. Um, it was, I’m a rock star. What do you mean? Yeah. It was at a show that I played. Um, Is when I first met her and I introduced myself.

Glen Erickson: 1:10:02She attended your show. Okay, this is a perfect rock star story.

cris derksen: 1:10:05Yeah. And I, I introduced myself and I was like, Hey, I’m Cris. And she’s like, I know. And she turned around and walked away. I was like, who’s that? And then I chased her. Yeah. And then I chased her for like months.

Glen Erickson: 1:10:17And so how long have you been together now?

cris derksen: 1:10:19uh, it’ll be like. Eight years, we’re going on nine years. Yeah. We’re we’re the 21st is our seven year wedding anniversary.

Glen Erickson: 1:10:29Oh, that’s great. That’s great.

cris derksen: 1:10:31Yeah. It’s the copper year.

Glen Erickson: 1:10:34it’s the copper year. There you go. So In this like trajectory of your career, and I just first off, I want to say, I really appreciate to lot of the little insights are what I hope to pull out of our conversation, which is, uh, you didn’t take a normal path, right? Like you, you had normal aspirations that I think a lot of people had, but you had I think what a lot of people on the outside would consider like a whole bunch of roadblocks and setbacks to that normal or those set of aspirations, which you’ve clearly overcome with a lot of enthusiasm, which is amazing. And so when I look back at it.

cris derksen: 1:11:16Okay,

Glen Erickson: 1:11:16over that timeline, like getting to where you are right now. what do you feel has been the thing that’s really been able to give you a career

cris derksen: 1:11:25I think like, because I am so there’s only one Derksen, you know, like there’s, there’s only one of me, like, I think my perception of the world around me is, um, and I think the way that I creatively do that with the cello and all of the different things that I add to it, you know, I think. I am unique, and I think people like that want more of that, I’m guessing, kind of. But like, yeah, I think it’s like my perception of the world is what they want.

Glen Erickson: 1:11:55Yeah. Do you think, um, do you feel like as an artist, do you feel Uh, how do I want to phrase this? I don’t like the current word, but I’ll say it because everyone uses it and knows what I mean. Do you feel seen for all the parts of yourself that you want to be seen for? Like, a lot of artists feel like I mean, there’s different versions of this where they don’t, right? It’s either like, I made that one song 15 years ago and that’s all people want to hear, or that’s all they think I do, or maybe they got involved in some other way. Thing or some advocacy and they only become known for one thing or or they were in a band and they can’t seem to break out of a thing. I’m curious what because of all these different things you’ve touched on like, your Juno nominated, like you, like your compositions, your soundtracking, your personal, your own versions of like creative original. You’re bringing your culture to the front and collaborating with so many people, like all these different things. Do you feel like that has scratched whatever that itches inside of like Cris? or do you, do you feel like it’s just the way it out?

cris derksen: 1:13:10I mean, half the time I’m like, I just have a weird job. But I am so grateful to have this weird job. do I feel seen? Yeah, I’m, I’m way too busy all the time. For sure. I feel, uh, privileged. And I also like going back to like, don’t be a dick thing. the other day I posted, cause, Calgary, I’m doing a performance with Calgary Phil and they, Put my show as like, buy this gift and it was like a photo of me and I was like, look, literal gift and like got all these great compliments, but like the best compliment in there was like, yeah, I was talking to somebody the other day and saying that I knew you and they responded. Yeah, Cris knows everybody. And I think that’s cool. Like, I think I’m like, I like, I work in so many different worlds that I do meet so many, so many people across our country. And I’m like, I’m very based out of here, you know, like I do tour internationally, but it’s I’m, my work is here and I, that’s important to me, you know? Um, yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:14:13great. I feel like is, Is a version of advocacy ingrained in you think everything you do? I think when we’re young, there’s a version of it that’s just really a little unbridled passion, right? Like the way we think that we are, have something to say, which is very different than when we get a little bit older and we decide that. Or we just see that somebody’s maybe gonna, because of our experience and time, give us opportunities to sit at desks and around tables where we get to have a voice. Uh, I’m wondering what that plays for you, because you have so many things you could be an advocate

cris derksen: 1:14:56Yeah, I definitely like, Because I’m doing so much in the classical world right now and definitely I run, the indigenous classical gathering and that is a, a beautiful thing that like, What I was finding is I knew so many indigenous musicians across Canada, but, and I knew that there was like indigenous composers, but I just didn’t know them. I didn’t have that relationship with them. And so I realized like classical music gets so styled and you’re, you’re, you know, you’re just with your orchestra or you’re just with your people. More often than not, you’re the only indigenous person. So, it was, I was like, we need to build that community and we need to build that relationship because once we build that, build those networks, we can open the doors for so many more people. It’s about, yeah. Like always, you know, building up people around you. So everyone is successful, you know?

Glen Erickson: 1:15:45you made a reference at the very start of our conversation about and again, this, this goes back to this obviously good self awareness and awareness of your spaces that you’re in and people, which I think is a fantastic point. personal trait of you said, you know, I don’t, I don’t, you know, people don’t all sign up to hear the real intense stories that you could tell. Right. Um, and I get that awareness like personally, since we know each other, right. when I stopped working in a church and, and went away from that with my own personal. unraveling of everything I needed to unravel there. Um, I learned very quickly how to start to pick and choose my words because I was acting in the sense of protecting others for a long time of like, I don’t need to blow their world up because I’m changing. And that was specifically related to religion and and religious upbringing and all the things that go with that and, um, but learned that sense. And I, and I’m wondering in your own evolution of having such a strong sense of, um. You know, what room I in, what, what people am I, you know, entertaining with these stories right now are, you know, the act of picking and choosing is that feel burdensome or does it all is just still very natural to you at this stage of life to, to, to tell the stories at the time and, and just sort of improvise.

cris derksen: 1:17:17Yeah, it feels like, um, it’s just part of my job, just kind of like what I do. Yeah. Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:17:23Well, that’s a pretty, like, Cris, that’s a really positive, like, I mean, don’t get me wrong. Like I’m going to walk away from this conversation and feel very impacted by the level of positivity. you have for the whole thing and where you are and what you’ve been able to do because I just I can’t help but assume that there’s a underside to the coin of lot of closed doors and a lot of opposition, a lot of challenges that you’ve probably had to also work through and face and industry is two things. You’ve said one of them already. It’s relationship. It’s not business. Most of the time. it’s also, pretty cleanly split between jaded people and optimistic. I don’t know if you agree with that, but you are clearly on the optimistic side. Is,

cris derksen: 1:18:16I think, I just,

Glen Erickson: 1:18:17that been a choice? Is that

cris derksen: 1:18:19I,

Glen Erickson: 1:18:19you made?

cris derksen: 1:18:20I think it’s also like, yeah, like, I just try and keep my nose clean, you know, like just try and keep, keep to my path and like, not, um, Like put blinders a little bit on to like the noise going around in me because it’s like, everyone has their own version of success and success also changes and it’s, it’s a movable thing. And like, I can’t be worried about, you know, the competition around me. I just, I have to just try and do my best job

Glen Erickson: 1:18:53Yeah.

cris derksen: 1:18:53and like keep it to me, you know, it’s about,

Glen Erickson: 1:18:57Yeah, I agree. Uh, well, I mean, that’s refreshing also to hear and, uh, definitely goes along with the incredible positivity that you put out just when you talk about. your experiences and your opportunities, that have gone along the way. And, you know, I think underlying, like, this is why, this is what, go ahead.

cris derksen: 1:19:18Yeah. I mean, it’s also like, it’s, it’s a heartbreaking industry and like, for sure you gotta have like thick skin, um, to a degree. But, uh, I feel like if I got jaded, that would affect the music, you know? Yeah. Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:19:34I mean, you listen to people who will sit and go over an artist’s discography and you can start to pick apart their personal life based on the albums at a long timeline. Right. When we know, when we know what was going on in retrospect quite often, and you can see how that affect it. So I think that’s also refreshing to hear. What are the things right now, like you said, you’re mostly, you know, working in classical music. So what are the things that you’re working on? I know you mentioned one of them that you’re going to be working on through 2025 2026. Are there other sort of opportunities on the horizon that feel like a highlight

cris derksen: 1:20:13Yeah. Um, I mean, this whole, this whole year has been a highlight, like playing Carnegie Hall was a highlight. I did my first ballet. Nat Geo was a highlight. Um, I’m the composer. This is so weird. Uh, I am the composer for the Canadian Pavilion for the World Expo. So, uh, the World Expo happens every two years. I was in fact the Canadian composer. for the last one as well, in Dubai. so, but in this one, it’s, this one’s more of an installation piece. Uh, so when you walk through the building, you’ll hear cello, you’ll hear, and like, also a lot of other noises, but like, you’ll hear, um, it’ll be me that you’ll hear as you walk through the building. So that’s pretty cool. Um, and then the TSO thing is working with CAMH, which is a mental health and addictions, uh, hospital here in Toronto. Um, so working with, clients that, want to join for two months, uh, eight, Eight sessions, like every Monday, and creating a piece together and we have no idea what that looks like yet because we don’t know who’s going to be there. But, um, I am so stoked for that one. yeah. And then also my summer’s kind of shaping up. I have this album that I’ve been sitting on for like way too long. Um,

Glen Erickson: 1:21:32that’s

cris derksen: 1:21:32That’s gotta come out. Um, yeah, I’ve, every day it’s, it’s basically done. I just need to do now. I mean the mastering and the artwork and stuff, but, um,

Glen Erickson: 1:21:43space where it’s like taking up a whole bunch of room in your head and you’re like, let’s, we need to get this thing finished and done.

cris derksen: 1:21:50No, I think that’s the problem. I think I’ve forgotten about it. And then every time, every time I’m like, Oh yeah. And then I got to get that thing done. But there’s like, I’m currently in like the end of year kind of vibe where I’m trying to write like five pieces really fast. cause somehow things got shifted and moved and. Now we got three weeks left and I’m like, okay, go

Glen Erickson: 1:22:15Has anyone used the word prolific with you before?

cris derksen: 1:22:20Yeah. Yeah. Amen.

Glen Erickson: 1:22:23an amazing amount of volume that you’re, you’re pushing out. Um, well, I want to say, Cris, first of all, I super appreciate you taking the time to just talk about your story, like walk, walk through your history I, I’m interested in that with every artist. I’m particularly interested with you because we have some history

cris derksen: 1:22:45Mm-hmm

Glen Erickson: 1:22:48and I guess when I said earlier, I think one of the most

cris derksen: 1:22:50Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:23:04uh, all these pieces together and you call it your job is, amazing. And in the middle of it all, not only are you not a dick, you’re to people like me who got it wrong for so long, who didn’t see you for who you were. And, uh, I mean, personally. Uh, that’s why I love you so much because you showed me grace when I was not the person I should be. So, I am so excited and proud. Isn’t the right word? Cause I don’t have any stakes in your career, but proud because I feel some version of stakes for

cris derksen: 1:23:41Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:23:42you matter me, you’re part of my life and history. So I just wanted to communicate to you that like,

cris derksen: 1:23:49Uh,

Glen Erickson: 1:23:55the better version that you taught me in my life, and I think an impact I think you’re probably having around the world. And I hope, I don’t know whether that resonates, whether you feel that

cris derksen: 1:24:06know

Glen Erickson: 1:24:06your efforts in your career.

cris derksen: 1:24:07I think like the, the takeaway for me, like when I left the church and like, Y’all aren’t acting with love, I guess. And I’m like, that’s the opposite. Like, and our church was very snotty too, like very, very snotty. And I’m like, you, you don’t have, like, you are not acting like, like Jesus would, you know, you, there’s no love here. Um, and yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:24:33catchphrase when I left was, they’re more concerned with being right than there are with being good.

cris derksen: 1:24:39Mm, mm-hmm

Glen Erickson: 1:24:40that can’t change, it’s not what it says it is. And,

cris derksen: 1:24:44Exactly. Mm-hmm

Glen Erickson: 1:24:45and I’ve found, and I just said that and 24 years later, I still hang my hat on that

cris derksen: 1:24:53Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:24:53said

cris derksen: 1:24:54Totally.

Glen Erickson: 1:24:54time, which is exactly what you’re saying. Uh, your resiliency, though, despite things that a lot of other people might treat as roadblocks or, or things that are preventing them is, is incredible. And I’m so happy that you’d be willing to sort of tell the whole story

cris derksen: 1:25:14Mm-hmm

Glen Erickson: 1:25:14with me here. So, um, just want to say, thank you so much for being a guest and, and telling your story and talking about it. And I look forward to seeing and hearing what comes next.

cris derksen: 1:25:25Totally.

Glen Erickson: 1:25:27and if you bring another touring show Edmonton, I sure hope that you’ll let us know in advance like you did before. Okay.

cris derksen: 1:25:36come to Calgary. I’m going to do the Carnegie piece in Calgary, the Carnegie piece in Calgary in March. I’ll send you the deets.

Glen Erickson: 1:25:45ask you like is playing Carnegie Hall like up at the top of for you like was that like

cris derksen: 1:25:52I mean, it wasn’t even on my list, man. It was too, it was too high for me to be on my list. Um, yeah, it was really, really cool. Like the, The conductor, Yannick, he’s like, he taught Bradley Cooper how to conduct. He’s like famous. Like

Glen Erickson: 1:26:06wow.

cris derksen: 1:26:07one of the top five in the world. So for him to like, for him to even know who I was to commission me, that blew my mind. and then the Carnegie bit on top of that, it was just like

Glen Erickson: 1:26:18Yeah.

cris derksen: 1:26:19super mind blowing. I did have a freak out like two weeks before I had a full melty and being like, I didn’t, I didn’t ask for this. I don’t deserve this. Like,

Glen Erickson: 1:26:28Oh

cris derksen: 1:26:28this is too much. And, uh, but then it was just glorious. And my mom

Glen Erickson: 1:26:34That’s incredible.

cris derksen: 1:26:36got a cut. It was very cute.

Glen Erickson: 1:26:37Oh really. Oh, that’s great. Oh, that’s beautiful. Well, what a great wrap up. We started talking about your mom. So,

cris derksen: 1:26:44Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:26:45okay, well, I really appreciate you, Cris and thanks for giving me your time and opening yourself up and uh I look forward to what’s coming out and I wish you all the best.

cris derksen: 1:26:55Awesome. Say hi to Arlene for me.

Glen Erickson: 1:26:57Bye bye. I don’t know why every time it’s like the worst connection of all of our guests is you and me being in the same house or something. So, that’s okay. We’ll figure it out. Episode five. Cris Derksen. Um,

alexi: 1:27:18Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:27:19this is a really old friend who, Yeah. A name I’ve heard lots in passing. yeah, let’s talk about, Cris and that episode for me, it was interesting to have Cris, obviously a really old connection, which I mean, most of the old connections I would have on the podcast would be ones, you know, that were sort of either connected while doing music or in growing music or in some. Version of that if I’m bringing on an old friend, but this wasn’t like that Like this was a connection that I never ever knew would end up in the place now uh, you know the two careers and the two paths and Being able to have a chance to talk to her about all the things that she’s done in her life and career uh, and I know like you said you’ve heard the name before but what um, you know, what sort of things Stood out like

alexi: 1:28:14There was a lot, like, there were so many things that weren’t, like, resounding, but were just like, it was just new information. Like when she went into, like, the whole symphony, um, I don’t know, it’s just like a section of, like, the music scene. That I’ve just never even given thought to, because, like, I don’t know, kind of, why would I?

Glen Erickson: 1:28:41Well, me too, yeah,

alexi: 1:28:44even, like, pinpoint. It was, like, everything that was said was, like, Oh, like just like new like it was just new and cool information, especially from someone like that’s in her shoes and then like additionally when she was saying how like Uh, and it’s a point i’ll get to in a second is like the main thing But when she said no to the sector soleil when she was still quite young, I just thought that was like, I’m just like, what are like, what are interesting? Like, Oh yeah. I said no to the Cirque du Soleil. Cause I wanted to like work on my own things and like do the symphony and did it, and I was just like, what a life, like to live, like that’s just so unique to her, I think.

Glen Erickson: 1:29:21yeah, I mean, it really is like who I guess first reaction is everybody would be like, who would do that, particularly for somebody who’s still up and coming,

alexi: 1:29:32Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:29:33I guess it sort of speaks to what I felt was the underlying story for her, which is she’s always just followed exactly what she thinks she wants to do and needs to do. And there’s no version of. Being persuaded either by something glamorous or whatever it is, you know, the things that she wanted. Yeah. I think that was pretty cool Yeah,

alexi: 1:30:01pickup is like, usually when I listen to the episodes, there’s a couple of things, um, kind of like unrelated. All, all the points I put down were the same. And it was that she was like talking about like, I mean, like to quote her, she had like no five year plan. Like she didn’t believe in creating a five year plan for herself. and like, kind of, as you just said, it was more about like putting herself out there. And it was like exactly as she phrased it was like, Yeah, I just like put myself out there, put myself out there like in the world and also like those kind of affirmations like into my own mind, and like, that’s how she kind of planned on getting her name out there. And I just think it’s so interesting because like, you’re doing the podcast to see all these different perspectives of people who are in and around, like the music industry and scene and cetera, et cetera. and I feel like a lot of stories. Although so unique, have like, of foundational factors that are similar. And one is kind of like, that you plan and like, you know, everyone that you’ve talked to like, has had like a plan and followed this plan and worked really hard. And she’s done the working really hard, but the like, foundational, just like solid planning of like, this is the point I want to get to, and this is how I get there, like, that’s not for her. And it isn’t for everybody, but you just don’t hear that often from people like that. It’s like when you’re trying to be successful in something that you don’t just like create a like plan and a goal and like try to reach it. That she just wants kind of take it as

Glen Erickson: 1:31:26yeah

alexi: 1:31:26I just thought that was super interesting.

Glen Erickson: 1:31:28so I like that observation cause that’s exactly how I felt. And to be completely honest, that’s quite really, I guess that’s the underlying Parsh, part Parsh. That’s the underlying part of, The story that I hoped would come out when I want, when I knew I wanted to interview her on the podcast because, well, not that I knew all of that, but just, it was a different path. Like, it would be easy for me to get people and their story, as you sort of said, might sound familiar or predictable about how they make those plans and follow them through and, and hers is a different thing. So she’s. symphony cello

alexi: 1:32:09Yeah,

Glen Erickson: 1:32:10She’s really as much a rock star in every way as anybody I can think of that I would get on the show. So, I mean, that’s a pretty bad ass choice to turn down Cirque du Soleil. So,

alexi: 1:32:22especially when you want to like so many people would see that as like, oh, this is my chance to like break through like that’s the term I always use is like when you’re up and coming in her position, it’s like that’s the breakthrough. Like that’s like

Glen Erickson: 1:32:33yeah.

alexi: 1:32:34how to get yourself out there. And she was just like, this is a breakthrough, but not mine pass. I

Glen Erickson: 1:32:40That’s the thing.

alexi: 1:32:42so cool.

Glen Erickson: 1:32:42Yeah, it’s punk rock for sure. yeah, so that is, I’m glad you brought that up because I felt it’s the same for me while I was talking to her and even doing the edits, doing, doing the edits right now, um, that I’m just sort of struck by, primarily her optimism all the way through, both that things were going to work out for her and that the way they worked out weren’t, Some version of like you said, breakthrough that fit some model, but she’s so optimistic and she’s so pleasantly well pleased with a lot of the things she’s got to do and the opportunities she have and she just treats it like her job and it’s her job. And so, um, the, uh, one of the things. About the podcast. The only thing I was going to say was what was a little unfortunate is I had two, uh, audio glitches in pieces that, having to edit them out, like take little sections out like small, but,

alexi: 1:33:43Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:33:43uh, one of them, you would never know, like the conversation ends up being seamless without the way I had to remove it,

alexi: 1:33:50Silence.

Glen Erickson: 1:33:58it was a little bit more, it felt like it was a little more conversation for her and I, so it’s probably not the worst part to have lost, but it also, it also had a couple of glitches and I wasn’t sure how that is going to seem together. Cause then we reference that conversation later about her mom. And I always hate it if a podcast sat and then I’m like, I don’t remember them talking about that. So. We’ll see. We’ll see. Right.

alexi: 1:34:23Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:34:29Uh, but I’m really happy that she was on. I was really happy. We could talk about somebody really from a different life and a different path

alexi: 1:34:37Mm

Glen Erickson: 1:34:41talk about it with so much optimism, like I said, and, um, just a lot of gratitude and pride in what she’s been able to do in her life. was very refreshing and encouraging. So pretty special for me. She’s so great. Yeah. So I also quickly, uh, wanted to just talk to you about some music things, um, as we always like to do. But in particular I was just going to ask you about you get to go to a show in Vancouver, I guess next week. It’s right at the end of the month, right? So I guess that’s the end.

alexi: 1:35:14a week.

Glen Erickson: 1:35:15Very soon end of February.

alexi: 1:35:17Mm hmm. Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:35:25because the story is and I was talking to you about this earlier And I don’t know why when I bought you those tickets on ticket master I hadn’t even thought about the connection to when I took you and your brother to day in vegas, which was I think 2019 2019. Yeah, it was pre pandemic. It was

alexi: 1:35:44like grade nine ish? Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:35:49in like April of that and the Vegas, there was two days and we went to one day and we weren’t going the day that Tyler, the creator was supposed to be there, but all you wanted to do was stand in the ridiculous line to buy his merch. Anyhow, so we stood for over an hour.

alexi: 1:36:06yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:36:07the

alexi: 1:36:07Like,

Glen Erickson: 1:36:07line.

alexi: 1:36:08shows too, like, got there early.

Glen Erickson: 1:36:10Yeah,

alexi: 1:36:11didn’t know who, like, other artists or merch would be there, or if there was gonna be guest artists or not. I was like, seen him or not, like, I need to get in that line

Glen Erickson: 1:36:21but you

alexi: 1:36:22shirts.

Glen Erickson: 1:36:23got the shirt. Did you get one or did you get two things, but

alexi: 1:36:26got two, I have two now.

Glen Erickson: 1:36:27you didn’t get the posters there. You ordered those online, right? The ones that you have, yeah.

alexi: 1:36:33No, I ordered that online. Yeah,

Glen Erickson: 1:36:36but you got the shirts.

alexi: 1:36:37got the

Glen Erickson: 1:36:38of them, which is a great story of a mustard stain. And a shirtless boy. So we won’t tell that story here, but it’s, it’s, uh, it’s a great story. Yeah. So that, that all came back to me when we were talking about you going to Tyler, the creator next week. Uh, and I thought it’d be a funny, quick story to tell because, uh, that day in Vegas is maybe, The first time I was going to a show where I had no business being at, it was like two days,

alexi: 1:37:07said.

Glen Erickson: 1:37:08it was two days of hip hop and wasn’t even as much old. I mean, there was a bit of that, but,

alexi: 1:37:15Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:37:16I, I don’t, I just don’t usually feel irrelevant in any music scene that I’m around until I’m at the point where I knew two names, I knew Doja Cat and, and Post Malone and who a huge fan of, so that was. And the Doja Cat show was absolutely, I said, then it looked like a Grammy performance and that was 19. And I did discover some people there that was really cool, but the most fun for me was actually going to a show where it wasn’t for me anymore. And, um, and you and your brother, having an incredible time on this massive fairgrounds and you were

alexi: 1:38:00Mm hmm.

Glen Erickson: 1:38:02from one end to the other because they were eating the main artists from one stage to the other. And so finally your cousin and I just plopped in the middle and

alexi: 1:38:11You guys were

Glen Erickson: 1:38:12got drinks and watched you go back and forth running to each

alexi: 1:38:16Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:38:17which was pretty cool. But the, the other fun tie in for you and I to that is when we started playing Spottle. A little while ago, right? When we started playing Spottle last fall, and your brother And you couldn’t realize why I could get a bunch of the answers that I shouldn’t I think it’s that’s where it all started I think from that moment on I started being more familiar and paying attention to

alexi: 1:38:45hmm.

Glen Erickson: 1:38:46What was going on in hip hop and stuff? Uh,

alexi: 1:38:49That’s so funny.

Glen Erickson: 1:38:50not actively but a little bit any all these little tie ins for me, but what are you? Uh, are you looking for you said you maybe aren’t going to get in the merch line What are you most excited for the show

alexi: 1:39:03I think if it was in Edmonton, I’d definitely be tempted for a merch line. Mm hmm. I mean, when am I not, but I think because, um, my friend and I one backpack each for two days and plan on hitting up the Granville market and whatnot. yeah, I don’t know if I want to spend like 120 plus on a

Glen Erickson: 1:39:30price?

alexi: 1:39:31for

Glen Erickson: 1:39:31Yeah,

alexi: 1:39:31up half of my backpack and be a struggle. Um,

Glen Erickson: 1:39:36that’s a good point. And it’s already an extra investment to be going overnight on a plane to Vancouver to see the show. So I totally can respect that. And I didn’t know you were going to hit up Granville market, but that’s mostly, you’ll probably just eat a bunch of fresh food and enjoy it.

alexi: 1:39:55yeah, this is true,

Glen Erickson: 1:39:57hopefully the weather will be great.

alexi: 1:39:59things to buy. We know this.

Glen Erickson: 1:40:02We do know this. Well, my light just went out. The battery finally died. This is a funny episode.

alexi: 1:40:09that would happen to one of us.

Glen Erickson: 1:40:11That’s fine. It doesn’t really matter. Um, I haven’t used any video for clips yet. Anyhow, um, all these things I’m going to have to decide what to keep or not. Anyhow, um, that’s all. That’s all I had to chat about today. Is that all we have to chat about?

alexi: 1:40:27I feel like sometimes we just spend so much time with each other that we chat

Glen Erickson: 1:40:31Ramble

alexi: 1:40:32Yeah. Well, no, we just, we chat in the car and we chat in the house and then we come to here and we’re like.

Glen Erickson: 1:40:37what’s left.

alexi: 1:40:38our list, yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:40:40So, okay. I’ll have to start saving things. I’m going to start saving something in my head and that’ll be hard, but it’ll be fine. It

alexi: 1:40:48Write

Glen Erickson: 1:40:48doesn’t matter. Okay. Well, I really enjoyed Cris and as always, I really enjoyed talking to you. So thank you.

alexi: 1:40:57Yeah.

Glen Erickson: 1:40:58bye.

alexi: 1:40:59Bye.