Douglas music student Christian Bideau releases first album
By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor
Committing to a program and following through with that career choice can be a very long, arduous process (completing a program is difficult enough). But if your heart is where your pencil (or pen or laptop) is, it makes surviving the experience worth every moment. One very passionate department at Douglas, the Music department, is consistently full of students who aren’t just focusing on their GPA; they’re focusing on where they’ll go in life soon after. Music graduate Christian Bideau was one of those students in 2012, and now he’s released his first album, Sketches, tied the knot with another Douglas student, and been interviewed by The Other Press!
Before album talk though, Bideau filled us in on how life has been since completing the program:
“I think it’s great,” Bideau chimes, “it is very well structured and has excellent instructors who are very committed. I had a really good time at Douglas and learned valuable things that helped me develop professionally.
“I got a wonderful teaching job that makes me feel really fortunate. I have been teaching piano with Resound School of Music for the past year, and privately as well. When it comes to performing, I have been doing shows regularly with my band Whiskas (funk/hip-hop) and a few small shows as a soloist playing classical repertory.
“I also got married! My wife, Melissa, was also a music student at Douglas.”
In that time, Bideau also took on creating his ambitious 19-track album, Sketches. He goes on to explain that while it wasn’t the easiest of projects, it made life that much more meaningful.
“Working on my first album was a very enjoyable experience. I composed all the music at night after school and work. It helped me escape from my stressful routine and helped me place myself in a state of mind where creativity is what matters.
“I worked with one piece at a time; once one piece was finished, I practiced and recorded it and then would move on to the next one. This was significant because I stayed with each piece (creatively and artistically) for a few days, sometimes a week or two, and each one of them became like a story on it’s own that accompanied me everywhere I went.”
The appropriately titled Sketches is made up ‘miniatures,’ one to two-minute tracks that, although brief, contain intense bursts of artistic energy.
“[Sketches combines] my classical music education and my passion for modern styles, such as contemporary jazz and progressive rock. The tracks follow different composition parameters. For instance, some tracks are based on geometric patterns previously laid out on the keyboard. Others are based on the juxtaposition of numeric patterns that determine rhythms and structures. You can also find reflections that are inspired by the Canadian winter and its colours.
“The album means a lot to me because it is the beginning of a new persona. After several years of training, I had not attempted anything like this because something was holding me back. I suppose I was being too cautious. However, as soon as I started writing the music, it just flowed out of me. It was almost like it was being repressed, and now I feel that I can accomplish a lot more.”
Bideau wrapped up the interview with a quick look into his plans for the near and distant future, showing that he doesn’t intend on slowing down any time soon:
“My plans for the near future are to perform back in my home country, Mexico, with Melissa during the summer. We have been working hard, polishing the repertoire and trying to book concerts. My further out future plans are to start my own music school and to compose larger musical works.”
If you’re an artistic students or artist of any sort, feel free to contact us at arts@theotherpress.ca. Whether you’ve got a show coming up or just want to get your name out there, we’re eager to from you!
