December 9, 2005
Music: Local
musician's song touch charities
A
local musician is using the gift of music to make a difference
in the world, through four separate causes.
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by Angela Wiebe
awiebe@langleyadvance.com
While most people have one, or perhaps two, causes close
to their heart, Langley musician Tim Lawson's heart goes
out to many.
As an active fundraiser for genetic research through Jesse's
Journey Foundation, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada,
HIV/AIDS relief in Africa through The Stephen Lewis Foundation,
and the Royal Canadian Legion, Lawson said it is the stories
of people, whether loved ones or strangers, that have touched
him and moved him to contribute to each cause.
"I want to hold up the example of living a life well
lived," Lawson said of using his musical career to
help others.
Lawson said he has been inspired by people, such as Canadian
WWI and WWII hero Sir William Stephenson and HIV/AIDS relief
worker Stephen Lewis, who have used their lives to help
shape the world into a better place.
"If each of us do what we can, if we all can contribute
as a team, that's how we'll solve the problem," Lawson
said.
And Lawson feels fortunate to be able to contribute through
his music.
"We're so lucky to work with music," he said
of his band The Tim Lawson Band.
While Lawson, 54, has been enthralled with music since
he was a 10-year-old boy watching the Beatles perform on
The Ed Sullivan Show, he has only been pursuing music as
a career for the past 10 years.
He said that, after playing guitar throughout high school,
his father convinced him to pursue a more stable career
than music, and Lawson entered into the world of business
for the next 20 years.
It wasn't until the early '90s, after receiving some encouragement
from a private music coach, that he decided to leave the
office behind for a life with his guitar.
"We all have a desire to do well," Lawson said, "and
for me, it was to take on the challenge of music and hopefully
make it into a work of art."
Lawson joined up with a number of musicians - including
keyboardist Richard Sera and guitarist Ray Harvey - to
form The Tim Lawson Band.
And though Lawson said they "stumbled and fumbled
along [their] way at the beginning," 10 years later,
the band has put out seven albums, including the recent
At A Loss For Words, which was released Nov. 29.
"I never thought it would get as far as it has gotten," Lawson
said.
Lawson knew from the beginning that he wanted to use his
music to tell other people's stories.
"Lyrics are something that come very naturally from
him," said Sera.
Lawson's musical catalogue is filled with many different
stories - songs about wartime love, his parents' marriage,
the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and Princess Diana of Wales.
But, Lawson decided to take it a step further and use
his career as a constant fundraiser for all of the causes
that he sings about.
So far, The Tim Lawson Band has raised more than $75,000
for the Royal Canadian Legion and over $50,000 for The
Stephen Lewis Foundation.
"It's still a drop in the bucket of what is needed," he
said.
Lawson will continue to raise funds through his latest
non-profit project, in which he will give $10 from the
sale of each of four CDS - At A Loss For Words, Love Songs,
So Many Stories, and Lest We Forget II.
Sera said the band's goal, if nothing else, is to reach "everybody
with an awareness factor" of the causes they are backing.
"To hear about somebody doing something is a chance
to inspire," Lawson added. "The bottom line is
inspiration."
To donate to one or more of Lawson's causes, visit www.jessesjourney.com,
www.mssociety.ca, www.stephenlewisfoundation.org, and www.legion.ca.
Visit www.timlawson.com or in Langley, check out McBurney
Junction Furniture and Design Centre, 20528 Fraser Hwy.,
Doris' European Delicacies, 105-22575 Fraser Hwy., Cedar
Rim Nursery, 7024 Glover Rd., or Township 7 Vineyards and
Winery, 21152 - 16th Ave., to purchase music by The Tim
Lawson Band.
© Copyright 2005 Langley Advance
