Kevin
 Born in Vernon, B.C. on July 12, 1960, I was diagnosed with my heart condition (Tricuspid, Atresia, Atrial & Ventricular Septal Defects) when I was 3 months old. My condition was not operable, and I had regular visits to the Children's Hospital throughout my youth.
When I was a teenager, the visits occurred less frequently, and for the last 10 years I have only seen a specialist every few years. In July '96, I visited a Congenital Heart Clinic, and the doctors there were quite pleased with my status.
I started grade one in 1966 and continued regular school until grade 5, when I became prone to infections and spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital. From that time until grade 12, I received home schooling. When I reached the 11th grade, my health seemed to stabilize and I attended one class a day at the senior high school.
I started playing music in 1975, first learning the organ. In 1980, I joined the North Okanagan Old-time Fiddlers. I played guitar with them, and eventually the fiddle. In 1990, I was asked to join The Velvet Rodeo Band and performed with them for two years. For the last 5 years I have been entertaining with a duo, and as a single act. In addition to these activities, I have been performing for the last fifteen years throughout the Okanagan Valley, with numerous other groups and individuals.
The instruments I play are; fiddle, guitar, organ, tenor banjo, accordion, piano, pedal steel guitar, dobro, mandolin, bass, and drums. I have an eight track studio where I produce demo recordings for other artists. I also operate an instrument repair shop working primarily on violins and repairing violin bows. I plan to build my own violins.
Of my many musical performances, some memorable ones have been: The Woods Lake Country Music and Bluegrass Jamboree, Armstrong's Big Cheese Festival, The Vernon Winter Carnival Jopo House, The BX Stage Stopover, Vernon's Centennial Celebrations and O'keefe Ranch. I was also musical director of Vernon's Centennial Celebrations. I have entered more than fifty fiddle contests in which I placed in the top 5 contestants. I won the 1987 B.C. Limited Old-time Fiddle Championship and the song writing competition for Vernon's One Hundredth Birthday in 1992.
Many of my fiddle compositions have been published in three music books: 2 editions of "Canadian Fiddle Tunes" by Mr. Ed Witcomb of Ontario and "140 Brand New Old-time Fiddle Tunes", edited by Voyager Recordings and Publications of Seattle Washington. At present, my goals are to have my music reach the public on a larger scale, to have my songs and fiddle compositions played and recorded by other artists, and to perform at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville Tennessee.
I have many other interests including Amateur (Ham) Radio, call sign "VE7EGD", postage stamp collecting, fly-fishing, reading, computers;,visual arts (drawing, painting, etc.), singing with the local Barbershop Chorus,Toastmasters, and involvement with my church
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