Manitoba Singer Sheena Legrand will be first up in the Home Routes series of concerts heading to Ponoka and Rimbey.
Her Ponoka performance runs Oct. 19 at the Ponoka United Church, starting at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the church office, or by calling 403-783-4087.
She plays Rimbey on Oct. 20 at the Beatty Heritage House, starting at 7:30 p.m. To reserve seats, call Teri Ormberg at 403-843-6497 or email bhhsociety@gmail.com.
A love for music was sparked early on in Legrand's life, but it wouldn't be the primary focus right off the top. For starters, she was an excellent student, so setting her sites on a career in medicine seemed the right thing to do.
"I had a lot of momentum kind of pushing me into academia," she recalled. "I also enjoyed the sciences, and I studied pre-med in university. When I look back on it, I wanted to do the hardest thing I could possibly think of doing. That was the motivation back then, because I felt it was a responsibility."
Music was a growing passion too, but it wasn't until she started writing her own songs that her gifts truly started surfacing in a distinct way.
"I lost a very close grandparent when I was eight. She was like a third parent - she was just so involved in my upbringing. When she passed, it was like the only thing I could do was create. My grief was wanting to move out of me, but I didn't have the tools to really process it at the time. So my very first song was written about her," she explained.
"Now, as I have moved through my songwriting journey, that is how emotions have moved through me in my life. It's not a surprise, and it's actually really special to me that it was through my connection with her that this process came to be for me," she said.
"I love creating melodies - it's a fascination for me," she added. "I love the freedom, and how natural it is for me, too.
"When I'm creating a song, the words come through almost like sounds, I hear the 'sound' of the words in my head - I'll sing it, and the vowels will come together of what I'm wanting to be singing at different points in the melody. And then the words - it's almost like a sculpture you are carving out. That is how it has been for me since I was very young."
Legrand said there were pivotal opportunities in her youth that also pointed her towards music. At 16, she won an opportunity to record an eight-song demo.
"It's a recording not many people will ever hear," she said with a laugh. "It was also something my mom references as being a very special moment for her. That's when it kind of clicked for her - she had probably heard all the songs before, but here I was recording all eight of them in a studio."
But amidst the growth, challenges were on the horizon. She was eventually diagnosed with MS.
Instead of pursuing studies in medicine, she opted for something that seemed less stressful - education. Graduation came about at the same time her first album was released.
"I think what I was compelled to write about was very connected to my emotions, and what I needed to work through personally. That is true for a lot of artists - we write from emotional places a lot of the time," she said.
"I also recognized that expression was also connected to keeping myself healthy."
She pointed out that for a season, her songs tended to be more of a melancholic nature. It revealed what was going on inside.
But artistic expression is - if nothing else - a dynamic force. Legrand later on became a mom - another profound experience that can't help but affect one's perspective.
"At this point in my life, I feel so much joy and happiness," she said. "I also feel a happiness in some of the new songs I am putting out, too. A hopefulness and a happiness that I didn't (always) hear earlier in my life."
Legrand is now working on new recordings, and there is no question the richness of her talents will continue to shine through.
"I love that 'coming to fruition' feeling after working with a song for sometimes years. And finally, you make some decisions and put it into a form that can be shared.
The journey continues.
"The edge of creativity in me is very much alive as an artist," she said, adding that over the years, her approach to her craft has shifted. She has written solo, but also loves the wonder of collaboration, too.
"Sometimes, there have been decisions made where it felt like this creative box I'd been in as an artist has been totally blown open, and I could do these new things," she said, recalling the experiences of merging her talents with others. "It felt really good, and I had a rejuvenated inspiration."
As to what she is working on now, she is taking the production role in many of the new tunes.The next one will likely be released in November or December.
For Legrand, life is indeed pretty fulfilling these days. Part of that stems from her honest approach to her craft, and her willingness to share it so joyfully with others.
"I think our unique voices and unique expressions in the world are so important and central to who we are," she said.
"I'm so grateful and fortunate I have found a pathway to share my voice, and my thoughts, and my journey in this way. For me, finding a way to stay pure with the expression and to continue giving it out has been so central to my health, my well-being, and my sense of authenticity. I'm very grateful."