On Tuesday, March 12 the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and Celebrating Abilities are proud to welcome Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Hines to the Fox Cities stage. Hines’ latest album, “Days to Recall,”
marks his American debut. His music is uplifting and heartfelt,
overflowing with natural optimism, although he is no stranger to
challenges.
Hines has Larsen Syndrome, a joint dislocation condition
that requires him to permanently use a wheelchair. He jokes, “I’ll never
be a guy who relies on choreography,” but his live performances are
delivered with honest emotion and a passion for music that shines
through every song.
Hines Embodies Celebrating Abilities Celebrating Abilities is a local Fox Cities nonprofit that raises awareness about the incredible abilities of individuals in the community, regardless of any apparent disability.
Since 2003, the organization has raised awareness of the contributions people with disabilities make in our community and the people who help make those contributions possible. Each year, Celebrating Abilities presents "A-bilities Awards" which recognize the individuals, organizations and businesses who make a positive difference in the way people with disabilities can develop and celebrate their abilities.
This week, watch our Facebook Page and join us in celebrating abilities!
There’s a moment in every artist’s life when he knows
that music is not only his path, but his destiny.
For Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Hineswho will perform next month at the Fox Cities P.A.C., his moment of realization came at the most unlikely
of places – a Toronto Raptors’ basketball game in his hometown 15 years ago.
A then14-year-old Hines won a vocal competition to
sing the National Anthem – both the Canadian and American – at the game and his
world opened up before him. “In that moment, it all seemed possible,” he
recalls. “The performance eliminated any stage fright.” Thrown in the deep end, Hines, who has
performed professionally ever since, realized he could not only survive, but
thrive.
But then again, Hines has thrived all his life
against odds that would daunt someone with a less indomitable spirit. Hines has
Larsen Syndrome, a joint dislocation condition that confines him to a
wheelchair. “The reality is I don’t really look at my situation as that big a
deal,” he says. “We all have our things that challenge us, just some people’s
are a little more visible in the forefront. Mine is very apparent, whereas
others wear it on the inside.”
Hines has performed across the globe, throughout
Europe, China, the Middle East and North America. Although he admits his condition has provided challenges, he primarily
sees the good it has brought him and the inspiration he can provide others. “There
have been so many blessings. It’s afforded me so many other opportunities. It’s
a bit of an attention grabber,” he says. “But then my job is to keep people
interested and keep their attention with my music.”
That natural optimism permeates much of his American
debut, “Days to Recall,” the singer/songwriter’s collection of heartfelt songs
about life and love. “I don’t want to pretend that dark times don’t exist, but
I have a hard time leaving things negative,” he says. “I think every
challenging situation leads to something better. When I’m writing I don’t do it
consciously in the songs, it’s just how they evolve.”
The album’s 2011
release coincided with a PBS special of Hines in concert taped at Toronto’s
Royal Cinema with special guests Ron Sexsmith, Natalie MacMaster, Donnell
Leahy, Sierra Noble and the Canadian Tenors. The special has had over 400 airings across North America to date.Hines also appeared in a CBS Sunday Morning feature,
which aired December 18 and received an abundance of positive responses
nationwide.
Music has always been a big part of Hines’ life. His
parents had a jukebox— well stocked with tunes from the ’60s and ’70s that
provided their son with a music education from an early age. “I really listened
to such an eclectic mix,” he says. “What I most resonated with was James
Taylor. He’s definitely one of my heroes.”
Though Hines doesn’t remember it, his mom tells him
he wrote his first song when he was seven. “My grandmother still has the
lyrics,” he says. In his late teens, Hines
decided to teach himself how to play piano as a way to better express
himself, despite the obstacles Larsen
Syndrome provided. “I’d done a lot of writing with other people. The most
frustrating thing was I could hear the song in my head, but I was relying on
other people to write chords since I didn’t play anything,” he says. “I decided
for just about a year to focus on playing piano. I had to figure out my own
method of how to make it work. My fingers are unique. Sometimes I use up to
seven fingers. For a lot of songs I can get by with three.”
Hines recorded “Days to Recall,” his fourth album
overall, during a six month period in Toronto. The first single, lilting, instantly
catchy “Tell Me I’m Wrong,” tackles the fears that plague everyone and our desire
for reassurance. The music video for the
single was shot in Joplin, Missouri following the devastating 2011 tornado. To
support the American Red Cross, the music video displays a community coming
together to rebuild, following tragedy. The song climbed to #21 on the
Billboard AC Charts and the video has garnered hundreds of thousands of hits.
The second single from the album is “Say What You
Will,” an uplifting song that initially appeared on Hines’ second album. The
first video released for the song was filmed in Toronto’s Dundas Square and
showed everyday people writing personal messages on whiteboards and showing
them to the world. The whiteboard concept traveled to South Africa, where a new
video was filmed, featuring the Most Rev. Desmond Tutu and was partially filmed
at Oprah’s Seven Fountain School. The song took on a life of its own and was
used as part of a campaign to refurbish 20 schools in 11 days. Hines performed in South Africa spring 2011
and saw the schools that will educate more than 22,000 students. “It’s so
beyond an honor knowing that a song we did was part of this, that we get to be
part of that beauty,” he says. At the time of his visit, the song had hit
number one on South African commercial radio.
Following the success of “Tell Me I’m Wrong,” American fans quickly
fell in love with “Say What You Will” and began posting their own whiteboard
messages online, which inspired a U.S version of the music video to be
released. The new video was filmed from the east to west coast and features
appearances by athletes, as well as everyday people, each writing their own
messages of love and hope. Decca/Universal released the video in February.
“Say What You Will” was also highlighted in concerts
across the U.S. recently as The Tenors and National Symphony Orchestra joined
Justin to perform it in Boston, Portland, Minnesota, Cerritos and four nights
at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
“I get transformed to a different place when I
perform. I hope it just makes people feel something,” he says, adding that he
especially enjoys singing ballads. “Hopefully, that helps form an intimate
connection with the audience. I embrace those moments because it feels like
you’re having a unique conversation with people.”
That conversation begins anew with “Days to Recall.”
You can see Justin HinesWednesday, March 14 at the
