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Rockin' Rhonda: Peter and Dave, they're on the mics. All right, join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.

Peter McCully: Welcome back to the Pulse Community Podcast. I'm Peter McCully, and we're here with more stories from the heart of Vancouver Island.

Dave Graham: And I'm Dave Graham. Well, I have to say, Peter, with the Winter Olympics happening in Italy, I'm experiencing a cultural awakening. I decided it's time to broaden my horizons. I can now speak Italiano.

Peter McCully: You mean you learned the Italian language since last week?

Dave Graham: No, but I can say the word Italian quite well now, I think, and I'm going to expand my knowledge of Italian cooking. I want to make some of those little pasta meat pillows. I guess I need to learn what they're called first.

Peter McCully: Well, good luck with that. Back to the business at hand. We have very exciting news to share. We're announcing a contest, and the prize is quite extraordinary. It's a Nike Super Bowl 60 sweater.

Dave Graham: A sweater. That's funny. I've been thinking of taking up knitting, you know.

Peter McCully: Stay focused, Dave. Stay focused.

Dave Graham: Right. So, yes. The hosts of the F3 podcast, Erin Haluschak Frazier and Chef Jonathan Frazier, picked up this commemorative sweater for us, and they flew it all the way to the island from San Francisco, and it is now ready to be awarded to some lucky listener.

Peter McCully: Visit our Facebook page, the Pulse Community, or our website at thepulsecommunity.ca to enter the contest. The draw is Thursday, February 26th.

Dave Graham: On this week's podcast, we are thrilled to feature some incredible talent. We'll be hearing from Juno-nominated blues artist Crystal Shawanda. She transformed from a gold-selling country star to a powerhouse blues performer, and she'll be bringing it to the island this summer.

Crystal Shawanda: I love country music, and I love all the music I've recorded in country music, but sometimes it felt like I was trying to fit my voice into this little box, and it was like, get in there. You know? I always felt like I was holding back, and so on that first blues record with The Whole Horse Got the Blues, it felt like I was finally free and I could just be myself.

Peter McCully: We'll also speak with Susan Schaefer, who has championed Vancouver Island artists as Curator of Art at the Bayside, the McMillan Art Centre's satellite Gallery at the Bayside Ocean Front Resort in Parksville.

Susan Schaefer: People can come in and search through the kiosk, find all the artists, read up about them, and every art piece has a location so they can go check it out on the third floor or the second floor hallway or whatever, and they can actually have a self-guided tour.

Dave Graham: On a future edition of the podcast, we'll be joined by Colin James. Colin will be on the island this spring with a number of performances.

Peter McCully: We'll be talking soon with award-winning author Monique Grace Smith to discuss her latest book, Sharing the Light: Stories and Reflections. Monique will be at Fireside Books in March.

Dave Graham: And we'll chat with Suzanne Cunningham, chair of the Mid Island Health Alliance. The group is opening the Primrose Medical Centre in Qualicum Beach this September.

Peter McCully: This is a significant development for healthcare in our region, and we're very pleased to be sharing the news in a future edition of the Pulse Community Podcast.

Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate. Ian has received several awards recognizing his exceptional community commitment locally, as well as awards for outstanding performance and achievement from both RE/MAX International and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. You'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

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Dave Graham: So Peter, weeks ago I declared that this would be the year of inspiration, and well, with the Olympics in Italy, aside from learning the language and mastering Italian cuisine, I am inspired to find an Olympic event for older folks. Is it not time that people over 50 were included in the games? Is it not time to cease and desist with the age discrimination? And, oh, I have it—shuffleboard. I mean, if they allow curling, I think we have a shot.

Peter McCully: Well, no offense to all the curlers out there—shuffleboard, huh? Well, I'm looking forward to hearing how that works out for you. Moving right along. Here's Marilyn to introduce our first guest.

Marilyn: Susan Schaeffer is a fine artist, art instructor, and founder of Island Arts Magazine. She's championed Vancouver Island artists through her magazine and is Curator of Art at the Bayside, the McMillan Art Centre's satellite Gallery at the Bayside Oceanfront Resort in Parksville.

Dave Graham: Susan, I'm so grateful to meet you here today and learn more about Art at the Bayside, and it's a pleasure to meet you.

Susan Schaefer: Oh, thank you. It's lovely to be here.

Dave Graham: We are going to talk about Art at the Bayside, which is not a traditional gallery space by any stretch. Can you describe just how you've created this art experience in this unexpected place?

Susan Schaefer: I would say it started about three years ago, coming out of COVID. I was a little disenchanted, and I found a disconnect from the McMillan Art Gallery, and I know they were placing artwork at the Bayside at that time. So one day I walked into the Mac Gallery and said to Jennifer Bate, who's the executive director, can I help you over there? And she's like, oh, yes, please, without hesitation. So I just went in there, looked around, saw what they were doing, and then once I realized sort of the mission—from my time with the Island Arts Magazine, I know a lot of artists. I don't know them all, but I know a lot of fine artists. I'd find a spot and I'd think, oh, I know the perfect artist for that spot, and so we just kept adding art that way.

Dave Graham: Wonderful. This includes a self-guided art tour. There's an interactive kiosk in the lobby. There's a website involved. Can you walk us through what this experience is like?

Susan Schaefer: Once we realized we had a functioning art gallery, we wanted to find a different way that people could connect other than just having to come to the Bayside. So my husband, who is a techie guy, designed a website, you know, with a meeting with the Mac and the Bayside. We decided that an iPad would serve as a kiosk in the front lobby. People can come in and search through the kiosk, find all the artists, read up about them, and every art piece has a location so they can go check it out on the third floor or the second floor hallway or whatever, and they can actually have a self-guided tour. They can know exactly what the art looks like, and that's been working really well because I go over to the Bayside quite often and I see people at the kiosk, so we know it's working. I don't know of any other place that has something like that. So again, we're first on the map.

Dave Graham: Yes. A treat for the visitors, the employees there, and the artists alike.

Susan Schaefer: Exactly. It works for everybody. Yes.

Dave Graham: Are there some truly unusual spots where you found the perfect spot for just the right work?

Susan Schaefer: Just going up and down the stairs. When people go from the first to the second floor, there's great empty spaces there that I was able to fill. Same with the second and third floor, so there's no really bad spaces there. You know, down the hall to the pool, which we call the pool alley, and now they've got a yoga centre there too, so people go up and down that alley all the time. I don't really think there's a bad spot there.

Dave Graham: Are there certain subject matters that you find a little more appealing than any others?

Susan Schaeffer: Our theme there—mine as a curator—I thought would be West Coast themes, things geared towards the tourists who come here for a visit. They might go out to the old growth at Cathedral Grove, they might spend the day at Rathtrevor Beach, or they get that aha moment when they see an eagle flying through the sky, which I still do, even though I've been here like 18 years. So just things like that that they would see and maybe want to take home a memory with them. And those are the types of art that I'm curating over there.

Dave Graham: The collaboration between the Bayside Oceanfront Resort, the McMillan Art Centre, and the Oceanside Community Arts Council creates, I am told, multiple opportunities for artists. Can you explain a little bit how that works?

Susan Schaefer: I believe that started a little bit before my time. The Bayside actually approached the McMillan and wanted to buy paintings and prints for some of their updated rooms. I was part of that grouping—they bought some of my stuff, and we even have a Schaeffer suite over there. We've made a Schaeffer suite. That has my original paintings in it. So from there, I think it sparked that relationship of what else can we do? Let's bring in more art and more artists. It grew from there. So it's been a really great collaboration from all sides.

Dave Graham: A couple of general housekeeping topics—the hours, when can people visit this?

Susan Schaefer: It's in all the public spaces, so you know, when the facilities are open, the coffee shop opens at 8:00 a.m. and the restaurant opens at 8:00 a.m., so you might want to come during that time, after eight, so you can see all that's going on and catch the vibe of it. I sold a painting to a lady last year who, after her dinner—she was staying at the Bayside—did a tour. She did it twice. She just wandered around and it was fun. And then she picked one of my paintings, so she went all the way up to the third floor and wandered around and just looked around and did it again, decided what she was purchasing.

Dave Graham: An unusual shopping experience in itself.

Susan Schaeffer: Yes, exactly. Exactly. Yes.

Dave Graham: So everything's for sale. How does that work? There are QR codes involved.

Susan Schaefer: Through the kiosk and the website, we print a price tag, has a QR code. It has phone numbers for both the McMillan Art Gallery and for me, and they have to purchase through either the Mac or me. Most times they just give me a call and I'll run over there. I only live a few minutes away. I had a gentleman last week who was having lunch there with his daughter and he wanted to buy a painting as a gift for her, so I facilitated the sale, gave him his painting before his lunch even arrived.

Dave Graham: And do you have a work ready to fill the hole?

Susan Schaefer: I contact the artist, so that's the fun part to say, oh, I sold a painting. And they're like, oh, I'm so excited. When can I bring another? Yes, that's the pressure on the artist now.

Dave Graham: Art at the Bayside has been described as giving artists who might otherwise struggle to find a platform, a beautiful stage to share their work with visitors to the area. How has this concept impacted the visibility for artists?

Susan Schaefer: First of all, I can't imagine a more beautiful place to display the art. You know, it is just gorgeous every corner. So that's one thing. And artists always have extra paintings in their bedroom or in their closet, so they love to get them out, and art is meant to be seen. So putting them in the Bayside has been really important for us as artists, and then also the kiosk. The kiosk—people can tour the art personally. They can go home and take a look at something. I had a gentleman and his wife last year who wanted to buy a painting. Well, she wanted to buy it, so they went home. They didn't buy the painting, but he was able to look at it and measure up the spot. And then a couple months later, he sent me a message to say, I'm coming back. I want to buy that painting, but don't tell my wife because it's going to be a birthday present for her. So when he arrived, the painting was wrapped and ready for him. How romantic is that? Yes. And every story is different. I love that.

Dave Graham: Do you have room for more partners or other businesses to participate?

Susan Schaefer: I'd like to get a few more people in there. I've got 25 artists now and about a hundred pieces. I try to get at least three or four pieces from each artist.

Dave Graham: How long do they hang for? Is there a schedule you go by?

Susan Schaefer: No, I ask them to commit to at least six months because I know sometimes it takes a while. I like to move things around a bit. The same art doesn't want to be in the same place because people who come to dinner at the Bayside, they don't want to see the same art every few months. I move it around.

Dave Graham: Not everybody's going to wander up to the second floor.

Susan Schaefer: Everybody's wandering down the halls in the middle of the night looking at art.

Dave Graham: Have you dared to think about where this could go or if you want to take it somewhere else?

Susan Schaefer: Oh, I don't know. I'm always thinking of ideas. It's really been a great relationship for me too, with the Bayside. Those guys are amazing. The management, the staff—they get just as excited as I do when I sell a painting and when I bring new stuff in. They've been so accommodating.

Dave Graham: We've listed some partners in all of this. Are there any other supporters of this initiative to mention?

Susan Schaefer: Nobody does it like the Bayside Resort. Our local community has really embraced it as a destination for art, which I find really interesting. Last spring I had a group of—I think 18 ladies from Royston area came down and I gave them a tour. After an hour, I said, okay, that's it ladies, let's go have lunch. And I felt like I was a tour operator, holding—I should be holding one of those little flags. So people come there as a destination, and at least once or twice a week somebody would say to me, oh, I'm taking so-and-so over to the Bayside and we're going to look at the art and have lunch. So it really has enhanced everybody—the Mac, the artists, and the Bayside as well. So how great is that?

Dave Graham: Thank you so much. This has been a pleasure.

Peter McCully: Thanks to Susan Schaeffer for sharing her passion for Vancouver Island art with us. The work she's doing to showcase local artists is making art more accessible to everyone.

Dave Graham: I applaud every effort to share the goodness of art. We could always use more art. And here at the Pulse Community, we always appreciate hearing from you. If you have someone in mind you think we should be talking to, then please speak to us. You can reach us and leave a voice or text message. Head to our website and click on the contact link. You'll find us at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Peter McCully: We've added Vancouver Island webcam links to thepulsecommunity.ca website. Not only will you find links to all our podcasts, but events and contests too.

Dave Graham: A reminder that you can find us on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

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Peter McCully: The Pulse Community has welcomed another partner to the network. Cindy Thompson of Parksville hosts A Resilience Project. Through guest stories, listeners can discover key elements that can move us from surviving to thriving.

Dave Graham: What a wonderful concept—from surviving to thriving. Life, after all, is not a dress rehearsal. On this week's episode of A Resilience Project, New York Times bestseller Bob Goff shares how small acts of kindness create resilience.

Peter McCully: Parksville Councillor Sean Wood and Joel Grenz host Non-Partisan Hacks, a behind-the-scenes look at municipal advocacy that directly impacts Vancouver Island taxpayers.

Dave Graham: Our Skookum Kids Stories follow the fun with Peter and Gracie, the Eskimo dog, and with the crew aboard the Mellow submarine. This week, Captain Dave and his first mate, Larry the Lobster, get involved in a bottle drive.

Peter McCully: It's an underwater adventure involving environmental responsibility. Now that's good storytelling, and our stories are accompanied by colouring pages for each episode.

Dave Graham: Then we have our historical component. We call it our Radio Archeology Series, and in it we feature Dragnet with Sergeant Joe Friday and Gunsmoke, featuring the calm, cool, and collected Marshall Matt Dillon.

Peter McCully: The place to go for all of this and more is thepulsecommunity.ca. Now to bring on our next guest, here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: In the Green Room is Juno-nominated blues artist Crystal Shawanda. From her First Nations roots to Nashville stages, Crystal transformed from a gold-selling country star to a powerhouse blues performer. Crystal has an incredible voice that bridges genres and cultures.

Peter McCully: Well, thanks for joining us on the podcast today, Crystal.

Crystal Shawanda: Oh, thank you so much for squeezing me in.

Peter McCully: Dave Graham and I tried to catch up to you last summer when you were playing a gig in Bowser just down the road. That guy who was running after the van waving the microphone was Dave. We didn't catch up with you that day, but we're really glad we've caught up with you today.

Crystal Shawanda: Oh, thank you so much. I'm glad to.

Peter McCully: You're well known all throughout the country and on the west coast in both blues and country circles. Growing up in a First Nations community in Northern Ontario, what were some of the musical influences that first shaped your sound, got you interested in playing music?

Crystal Shawanda: My influences are so diverse and wide. I was very blessed that I grew up in a home where we didn't listen to one style of music. There was just good music and bad music. So my parents listened to a lot of old country music like Hank Williams, Luke the Drifter, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn. And then my oldest brother listened to a lot of blues music like Elmore James and B.B. King and Muddy Waters and Etta James, and then my other brother listened to like Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, and AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne. And so it was this wide array and I learned from all of them. They were all of my teachers and I connected with all of these different songs and all of these different styles of music. They taught me something different about my voice and they taught me how to control my voice because I've always had a raspy voice since I was a kid. And so some people used to tell my parents like, oh, you should just set her on a different path because radio won't like the raspy voice. So I started listening to other people with raspy voices to teach me how to control it and make it more listenable.

Peter McCully: Well, you've had remarkable success in both country and blues. What was the moment that you realized blues was calling you away from country, and was that a difficult decision to make?

Crystal Shawanda: I believe it was after my second country album. I had just won a Juno award for it, and we were working on the third album, so we were writing songs for it. And all the songs I kept writing kept coming out sounding very bluesy. I didn't know where it was coming from, but it felt really good. And at that time we had just left RCA Records and I had just started my own record company called New Sun Music. I was writing all these songs that sounded like blues songs. We were like, what do we do with these? And so I said to my husband, well, we started our own record company, so let's put out a blues record and just experiment artistically. Because at that time in my life, I was trying to remember who I was, because after being at RCA I was surrounded by such amazing mentors and amazing people who gave me this incredible opportunity. And I so wanted to live up to it that I lost my voice along the way, kind of became a yes person. And so I was trying to find my own voice, my own path, my own point of view. And so I said, let's put out this blues record and then we'll come back to country. But we released a blues record, and it felt like letting a bird out of a cage. It felt like all of a sudden I didn't have to hold back anymore. I didn't have to restrain myself because I love country music and I love all the music I've recorded in country music. But sometimes it felt like I was trying to fit my voice into this little box and it was like, get in there. You know? I always felt like I was holding back. And so on that first blues record, The Whole Horse Got the Blues, it felt like I was finally free and I could just be myself and I didn't have to hide certain parts of my voice. Because when I recorded my first country record, that's what I was told. Hold back, don't hit too many high notes. Don't get too many trills here. Hold your rasp back because I can turn it on and off when I want to. And I just felt like I was home, so I just stayed in blues music, and it was a very difficult decision. I angered a lot of my fans. I lost a lot of my fans. The difference in money as far as getting paid at gigs and festivals, it's a big difference between country and blues, and people warned me about all these things. And then when I came to the blues world, some people were like, you're not blues. Go back to country music. So it was very difficult, but I knew in my heart this is where I belonged. And so I just kept following my heart and now it feels like it's all working out. I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Peter McCully: During those country years, CMT documented you in a six-part series. I think it was called Crystal: Living the Dream, was it not?

Crystal Shawanda: Yes. Yes.

Peter McCully: And that goes back to 2008. How did you like being followed around by cameras day and night?

Crystal Shawanda: In the beginning it was very weird, but it's amazing what you get used to. I was always having people messing with my hair, messing with my clothes, some guy putting a mic on me. At that point in my life, some stranger could have come up off the street and started adjusting my pants or the back of my shirt to put a battery pack on, and I wouldn't have even questioned it. I would've been like, hey, the schedule was demanding and gruelling, and sometimes it was awkward. You know? It's like, oh, I didn't want them to see that. And it feels like a million years ago. Like when I see footage of it, I watch it and I'm like, wow. I was so naïve. I was so green. I thought I was pretty wise at that point. But no, I was very naïve. But it was fun though. It was really exciting to capture that part of my life because I call that part of my life a beautiful blur because it went so fast. Like when I went out to do my radio tour, we went to visit over 200 radio stations within a month and a half. I was doing TV appearances and then I was still writing. I had four writing appointments a day, every day. It was very demanding, but I learned a lot. I learned how strong I was and what I could withstand, and I really got my chops up. I have crazy memories of that time. I remember I got food poisoning. I had to pull over on the side of the road and I had to get sick, and my radio guy was like, hey Crystal, are you going to be good to sing at the radio station in 10 minutes? I'm like, wiping my face off. Let's do this. You know, I'm glad that I did it. When I watch it again, I'm like, oh yes, I did that, eh. It is pretty cool.

Peter McCully: So Crystal, what did you learn through those country music years that serves you well in your blues career today?

Crystal Shawanda: The biggest things that I learned was discipline, how to stay committed when things get really difficult, you know, when the schedule is so demanding like that, to always rise up and be appreciative and be grateful for where I'm at. No matter how tired I am, I always remember I could always be worse. I could have nothing to do. So I always remind myself of that and my work ethic with my vocals, working in the studio, when I recorded that first album, I worked with Scott Hendricks, who is notorious for being very strict in the studio, but I loved it. I was like the kid who sits in the front desk in class. Like everything he said, I wanted to rise to the occasion. I wanted to show him I can do this. I wanted him to be proud of me because he's so good at what he does. And he was actually my first pick of producers to work with and some of my first trips to Nashville when I was 13 years old. I remember reading my favourite albums, Faith Hill and Alan Jackson, and looking at the album and they're in bold letters saying, produced by Scott Hendricks. And then I got to have that producer who I loved to work on my album, and I just tried to be a sponge. I tried to absorb as much as I could. He would get me in to sing a vocal on a song, and he would have me sing it like 50 times. And then after I was done, he'd be like, I think I like the first take. He was trying to build up my endurance and also he wanted me to become that kind of disciplined artist who, you know, if they say we need it one more time, then I'll just say, you got it. And because every opportunity is so precious, because there's so many artists out there, so many amazing artists. You know, when you get an opportunity, it's such a blessing and you just can't take it for granted.

Peter McCully: Now, music is storytelling and writing songs, of course, is storytelling. What kind of stories do you tell in your live shows, and what stories resonate most with the audience?

Crystal Shawanda: I share a lot of personal stories. I'm a very open book ever since that was my introduction to everybody was a TV show, so I've remained the same, an open book, and I wear my heart on my sleeve and it's just whatever I'm going through at the time. It could be anything from my own struggles with my identity, like as far as where I fit in musically because I'm a blues singer now, but sometimes people still say, you know, you kind of sound country. And I'm like, good, thank you. I would hope I would hold onto a little bit of that just spending all that time there. And then sometimes I share stories about my family struggles that we're having, addiction within my family, mental health, depression, that sort of thing. And then I share stories about my own family, my husband and my daughter, and our experiences together. And what I hope for us as a family to stay close together on the road, even if we're out there playing music and staying busy, that we slow down to enjoy each other. And I try to express my point of view to the audience because I think these are important messages that everybody could benefit from. When there's so much out there that we can't control, what we can control is what we think, what we feel, and what's within our little bubble, our little family. And I think when families stay close together, they're stronger. That's what my parents taught me. And so that's what I'm trying to do with my family and that's what I try to share with people out there. I just try to have a good time. I share fun stories. Sometimes I do covers of my favourite blues singers. You know, after I get people crying, I want to get people dancing so they could feel good. You know, it's all about a release—let out the bad and the good. Because the blues is not just wham-wham blues, it's a celebration of our emotions. And when we get the blues out of the way, it feels so good, and then we can celebrate together.

Peter McCully: Now you write or co-write many of your own songs, and I understand you've been writing since your teens.

Crystal Shawanda: Yes, I actually started writing even younger than that. I started writing poetry when I was like 10 years old and I was always making up songs in my head. My mom would ask me, where did you get that song from you're singing? And I would say, I don't know. I think I made it up, and she'd be like, I think you're writing a song. So she would get a piece of paper and a pencil and she would tell me to sing it to her and she would write it down and she would show it to me and say, look, you are writing a song. And I was like, wow, I didn't know that. So we started doing that together, like all the songs, because I started playing on stage when I was six years old. And I started getting paid to do live shows in the local scene when I was 10 years old. Every song that I would learn, my mom taught me that it would help me memorize the lyrics if I write them down. So I would write them down. And then she would also encourage me to look at the way the song is laid out, the structure, and there's a verse, a chorus, another verse, another chorus. And my mom wasn't a musician or anything like that. She just tried to do her best, common sense, look at the song she likes, and tried to relay that to me. And then, so I just ran with it, and then my parents gave me my first guitar when I was 11. Once I got that guitar, it was wide open. Every time I got home from school, I'd pick that guitar up and I would just start writing and creating and expressing myself. And then I got a piano. So I would sit at the piano and write songs, and I really struggled with bullying in school because singing country music back then, this is way before Taylor Swift, so it was the uncoolest thing in the world to sing country music. So if I was on TV or on the radio, I'd come to school the next day and either people wouldn't talk to me or they would make fun of me or they would beat me up. And some days I'd get all three of those. So coming home and, you know, finding refuge in my guitar and songwriting and singing, that was how I coped. That was how I got through it and that's what kept me inspired and encouraged. And that's when I started planning and plotting my escape to Nashville, Tennessee.

Peter McCully: And that's where we're speaking to you from today, is in Nashville. And I wonder, you're thriving there as a blues artist, but it's the home of country music. So how has the city's music community, which is huge, embraced your blues journey so far?

Crystal Shawanda: Nashville is amazing. It's known for country music, but the music scene is wide open here and there's actually a very rich blues music scene here. When we're off the road, we sometimes like to play at a local club here called Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, and a lot of blues acts when they're touring and if they're passing through, they'll book shows and play there, and it's a lot of fun. There's a lot of great local artists here, so I found myself a really nice community and I settled into it. There's all different kinds of music in Nashville. There's even a pop scene and a rock scene. They have rock clubs, and it's becoming very diverse.

Peter McCully: Now, as an indigenous woman succeeding in multiple genres of music, you're breaking barriers, obviously, but I wonder how important that representation is to you and what responsibility you might feel to other indigenous artists who are coming up.

Crystal Shawanda: It's definitely very important. Representation has always mattered to me very much, and it's actually why I got this far. It became a mission of mine when I was a little girl. I noticed there was nobody that looked like me who was singing the songs on my radio, and it bothered me. I noticed it. So it became a personal mission of mine to be a part of changing that. I wanted to be one of the first. Both of my parents always taught me, you have to understand that you will be one of the first in a lot of the spaces you're going to take up. You need to carry yourself in a good way and represent your people, your community, and your family in a respectful way and honour them. These are our teachings as indigenous people. I took that role on, and sometimes when I tell people that, they're like, wow, that's a huge responsibility for a kid to take on. This seems almost unfair. But I loved it. If I didn't take that role on, I honestly, I don't know if I'd still be alive. You know? It was a goal for me to aim for, so I didn't get into trouble. I didn't slip into the partying that was happening with my friends back on the reservation. It gave me a reason to leave and to stay sober and to chase a dream and to do something positive and productive. And so that's how it started for me. And so everywhere I go, I try to carry that with me. When I moved to Nashville at 16, I was one of two indigenous people in Nashville. People looked at me like I was an alien and people didn't know if I was Mexican or if I was Hawaiian or Brazilian. And people would talk to me in all different languages. I would tell them I'm indigenous, and they're like, what's that? I'm like, Native American. It's amazing how much people didn't know that because I had that conversation like a lot. When I was 17 years old, I was too naïve to be scared, right? So I would walk up and down Music Row, which is where all the record labels are, the publishers, the managers, and I would knock on doors I had no right to knock on, and I'd be like, hey, I'm Crystal Shawanda. I'm the country music singer from Canada. One day I was knocking and this guy was about to go in the back hallway, and I saw him stop and I could tell he was listening to what I was saying to the receptionist. And he turned around and he said, hey, I got a few minutes. Come on in, play some songs. So I played him some songs and he said, wow, you have this big, amazing voice, but I wouldn't know what to do with you. Native Americans and country music, I don't think the fan base would accept you, and I wouldn't know how to market you. And I tried not to cry because there's no crying in baseball. I tried to carry on with my routine of busking and playing at songwriting clubs, and then all of a sudden it hit me. If he didn't like my voice, I could go get voice lessons. If he didn't like my hair, I could get a new hairdo, but there was nothing I could do about the colour of my skin. All of a sudden, my whole reason for living was just gone. Everything I lived for since I was a little girl, I said, I guess I should just give up and go home. So I quit and I went home back to my reservation, and I went on a very fast downward spiral, self-destructive path. I guess in my mind I felt if I kill my dream, no one can ever take it away from me again. It's my choice. I'm walking away from it. But people in my community, they didn't give up on me, my family, they're like, go back and try again. And no matter what I did, I kept ending up back in front of a stage with a guitar on my lap or karaoke night, and finally I said, you know what? I'm going to go back to Nashville. And this time it's not for a record deal. This time it's not because I'm trying to get on the radio or be famous. I'm going back to Nashville because I'm a singer. That's what I do, and if the rest of my life I end up on a bar stool singing in some little bar for tips, then it's been a good ride, and that's how I got here.

Peter McCully: And that good ride includes a nomination for the upcoming Juno Awards for Sing Pretty Blues. Tell us about that.

Crystal Shawanda: I'm so excited. I'm so grateful for this. When I found out I was actually sleeping and my husband woke me up and said, wake up, you were just nominated for a Juno award. I just started crying because it's been very difficult the past couple years. To be perfectly honest, my longtime manager and agent Rob Pattie passed away recently. We were together for 14 years. That's a lifetime in the music business. He was our manager, our agent, and our dear friend. After he passed, at times we felt rudderless in the water and we felt alone. We were just about to release this album. The head of True North Records, who I was with for the past three albums—we did amazing work on those past three albums—decided to retire. And I was like, oh my God, I'm sitting here with this album ready to go, and he is retiring. What do we do? So we decided to put it out on my own label, New Sun Music, and it was like learning how to walk again. Several years ago, Jeff Kitich approached me and he was like, hey, I really like this Voodoo Woman album you put out. And when we put that album out, we didn't promote it or anything, I just threw it out there. It was just an album of covers. Hope people like it. And he said, I would like to sign you and re-release it. And that was how our relationship began. And I jumped at the opportunity because I was tired of wearing so many hats while working with True North Records. I got very comfortable letting other people do the marketing, and we had to learn how to do all that again. All this time we've been promoting this album. We're like, I don't know if we're doing it right. I don't know if we're doing a good job. I think we are. And then we ended up getting three Canadian Blues Music Awards and then a Juno nomination. It's like running through an invisible finish line. Okay. We did it and we did a good job. I'm so grateful.

Peter McCully: Looking back at teenage Crystal who was just starting to dream about a music career, what would surprise her most about where you've ended up?

Crystal Shawanda: Oh my God. All of it. All of it would surprise her. I never expected to be able to do all the things that I've done—playing the Grand Ole Opry several times and touring every major festival, playing arenas and stadiums with some of my favourite country music stars, meeting my heroes, being impressed by them, being disappointed by some of them, making so many amazing fans and friends. And Juno Awards. I used to watch them growing up just to be nominated or all of it just would blow teenage Crystal away. She probably wouldn't be so sad if she knew.

Peter McCully: So what's next for Crystal Shawanda? Are there other musical territories you're going to be exploring or are you at home in the blues for the long haul now?

Crystal Shawanda: I am at home in the blues. I might experiment around with some other stuff, but I'm a blues music singer. Absolutely. I am working on a children's album with my daughter. I am working on some language music, like a few songs that are in my Nishnaabemwin language. I'm also working on a concept album, but most importantly, we're already working on a new blues album. That's what we've been doing the past couple weeks, is in the studio and building and writing and pre-production, and I'm getting excited. The album is starting to take shape. I already can't wait to get it out to everyone.

Peter McCully: Good luck at the Junos and we'll look forward to seeing you back here on Vancouver Island soon.

Crystal Shawanda: Thank you so much. I appreciate you. I love the West Coast. The West Coast supported me through a very difficult time during my transition from country music to blues music, so it'll always be one of my favourite places in the world.

Dave Graham: Thanks to Crystal for joining us on the Pulse Podcast and for sharing the inspiring story of her journey from country to blues. It takes courage to step away from the comfort of the familiar, but when it feels right, you've got to follow your heart.

Peter McCully: Before we go, don't forget about our new contest.

Dave Graham: Now you see, if you got our newsletter, you'd probably know about this already. We are giving away a commemorative Super Bowl 60 sweater.

Peter McCully: The draw is Thursday, February 26th. Don't miss out and good luck.

Dave Graham: May I wish you buona fortuna. That's good luck in Italian and formaggio per favore, oh no wait. That's asking for more cheese.

Peter McCully: Enter through our Facebook page, the Pulse Community, or our website, thepulsecommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: So Peter, about the shuffleboard team I want to enter into the Olympics, what position do you play?

Peter McCully: I don't think that's a thing, Dave.

Dave Graham: Okay. How are you at lawn bowling or bocce? Are you any good at croquet? Are you, are you walking away from me right now? How about we get horseshoes entered into Senior Olympics? Cornhole? Are you familiar with garden skittles? Peter, have you ever played Nerf tennis or how about low-contact Lawn darts? Maybe tetherball's more your speed. Hello, Peter?

Rockin' Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Here comes Peter, here comes Dave, oh listen. Bringing stories, making waves. No missing. Spinning tales in the podcast cave. So to speak. Laughs and insights everywhere. What a treat. Peter and Dave, they're on the mics, all right. Join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.