Growing up in Owen Sound, I had very little appreciation for its vibrant musical community. Maybe it was because I was rebelling against my musical family – my father and his two siblings have a long history of music in the area. My dad and aunt both played in the Salvation Army Band and the Owen Sound city band. My uncle was a founding member of the Tombstones and plays in many local bands including Sounder and The Bearcats. But despite this family connection, I ignored the local music scene, grew my mullet long and continued listening to Van Halen on my Walkman.