June 28, 2004
by Kerry Doole
TIM LAWSON: A Musician With A Mission
Tim Lawson has received international acclaim for the compelling
and uplifting music he makes. Since releasing his stellar
debut, The Quiet Canadian, in 1997, the prolific B.C.-based
singer/songwriter has delivered four more highly-praised
albums, The Right Way On (1999), Lest We Forget I (2000),
Lest We Forget II (2002) and Please No Talking (2002).
These albums earned him a loyal audience in both Europe
and Canada, but this 50-year-old troubadour is not in it
for the ego gratification or fame. Lawson views his music
partly as a means to an end, a tool to be used for social
good.
Even before embarking upon his musical career, Tim worked
on behalf of charity and various causes close to his heart.
His commitment has deepened in recent years. Lawson is an
artist who puts his money where his microphone is. This
is demonstrated vividly with his new album, So Many Stories.
Its final track, "Why Me," is a poignant and thought-provoking
look at the AIDS crisis in Africa, and Tim has dedicated
the album itself to the fight against this epidemic.
Five dollars from each copy sold of So Many Stories will
be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation to assist in
the HIV/AIDS efforts in Africa. In a recent interview, Lawson
discussed both the origin of the song and his own fundraising
initiative: "Near the end of this past January, I watched
the David Suzuki show, The Nature Of Things. It was an hour-long
profile of Stephen Lewis and his work as the U.N. Special
Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. When the show was over, I
went and grabbed my guitar. I just wanted to find a way
to express what I was feeling."
"I was trying to find the words, and I had tears streaming
down my face as I was trying to translate from an emotional
plane to the verbal plane. 'AFRICA - the words won't come,'
was an obvious line, and the others flowed from that. In
about three hours I had it, and it stayed virtually unchanged.
It just came through as a powerful song. I did the demo
and realized it had a special kind of power, so we added
it to the album at the last moment."
The televised portrait of Stephen Lewis resonated with Lawson.
"I knew of his career, but had not followed him closely
for quite some time. I was so impressed with his demeanour.
As United Nations Special Envoy, he'd go from village to
village, group to group, trying to give hope and encouragement.
He reminded me of my late mother's example, that every person
is as important as everyone else, and deserves to be treated
with respect. He was fully aware of the plight they were
in and the details of how hopeless the situation seemed.
The Stephen Lewis Foundation is dedicated to "easing
the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The situation is so desperate
that even the most basic help will bring solace and hope,"
states its founder.
Tim Lawson quickly determined that this was an organization
completely worthy of his own support. "The Foundation
has a very informed idea of pilot projects in Africa, things
designed to help at a grassroots level," he says. "We
want to help empower them with what I call ‘fiscal
energy’. These, and other projects, can be expanded
by governments and non-governmental organizations.
This fiscal energy is being created by the very significant
figure of a five dollar donation per CD sold. "The
beauty of this plan is that it is a vehicle for average
Canadians to give five bucks to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
The donations then go directly to where they are needed.
For me, it is a convergence that has music at its heart."
So Many Stories is being marketed across Canada through
independent retailers - their generosity in donating their
profits is highlighted on Tim’s website, www.timberholme.com.
Another Lawson-created project is aimed at furthering public
awareness of AIDS in Africa. His publishing company, Timberholme
Books, sponsored a national youth writers competition, entitled
"Why Me”. “We encouraged high school students
across Canada to do research, find out about an AIDS-related
project, and write a 1,000 word essay on it. We will present
43 prizes for a total of $5,000 and publish the collected
essays", Tim explains.
“Philanthropy has always been a key part of our mandate”,
says Lawson”. That philosophy has already been tested
successfully with an earlier Lawson project, Lest We Forget.
This was a two-album collection of songs with the theme
of Remembrance, paying tribute to those who fought for the
freedom we now enjoy. The album is dedicated to veterans
and the celebration of peace. Proceeds from sales have been
donated to The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund, and have
exceeded $75,000.
Another cause dear to Tim Lawson is the battle against Multiple
Sclerosis. He lost a close friend to this degenerative neurological
disease, and has long been an Ambassador for Multiple Sclerosis
in Canada and the United States.
At Timberholme Books, Tim has also gone out of his way to
publish books that have an inspirational component. One
example is Jesse's Journey: A Canadian Story, John Davidson's
account of his walk across Canada in 1998 to raise funds
for genetic research.
Lawson keeps a close watch on their work. "More progress
is made in finding a cure for Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy
in one day now than was made in a whole year, only ten years
ago," he reports. "I love hearing stories like
that."
His natural optimism shines through in both his music and
his commitment to worthy causes. With daily news of global
tensions, terrorism, and natural disasters, it is easy for
us to feel powerless and sink into a resigned apathy. That
is not the Tim Lawson way, and he models an excellent example
of the ways one person can make a difference.
Kerry Doole is a Toronto freelance writer. His articles
have appeared in many major Canadian publications.
