The Hopeful Romantic

Donn Tarris – The Hopeful Romantic
I first met Donn Tarris working in a recording studio out in Vancouver in 1980. Donn was teaching sound engineering, and I was learning to engineer sound. Donn doesn’t teach sound engineering anymore but he is still teaching, and I’m still learning! Donn is, first and foremost, a musician and a songwriter. Through his songs, intentionally or... unwittingly, Donn teaches. He teaches about life, passion and compassion... about affairs of the heart – loves lost... and found. In Donn's on stage banter, Donn used to refer to himself as the Hopeless Romantic, later, he put a positive spin on that and is now known as the Hopeful Romantic.

The following are some of Donn’s writings, some of his songs and even some of his ramblings! If you enjoy any of this or something strikes a chord with you, you can follow the links at the bottom of the page to hear some of Donn's songs or find out where Donn is playing. Enjoy!

There is no middle ground for a true artist... they’re either very off, or very on. The beauty is in catching them at the right moment. Only by continually pushing the limits can the artist find those places that would never expose themselves in the comfortable middle ground.

To become a true artist, you can’t worry about, or be embarrassed by, those times when you’re very off...

This could make it very hard for true artists to perform live and give a consistently “good” show, would the audience forgive the glimpse of unfortunate offness in light of the fact that they’re at least allowed to witness a part of the real creative process?

“... and before I catch myself I’m smilin’ while you do your elephant dance...”

It had been dry what seemed an endless time
I longed for rain, but it didn’t come
Then like a cloud on the horizon
You took me by surprise
I wasn’t searching for anyone

Unsuspecting mother nature
You held the key inside
You didn’t feel me
I took you by surprise
Cautiously exploring
When I showed you my desires
Love was growing
As a rising tide

Music has been proven to increase one’s mathematical abilities. Its effectiveness in relaxing or moving people is evident throughout the course of a day. Accompanied by lyrics, a song can cause you to consider new ideas or remember old times. Surrounded almost constantly by music, it’s easy to take it for granted sometimes.

My own belief is that music is one of the positive methods to move humanity forward. Learning music at an early age helps a person develop inherent rhythm and teaches them the importance of listening – not just to musical notes, but how things fit together. Playing music together, or even getting together to appreciate it, has strong social implications. While we have the internet and computers isolating us, we also have venues where we can spend time with other people, listening to live musical performances – effectively bring us together to share thoughts and ideas, not to mention the fun of an evening out! Open stages and jams allow adults to stretch their limits of communication by getting up on stage in safe surroundings to share their talents with peers. I’ve witnessed great personal growth in a number of people over the past couple of years, spurred on through continued sojourns to center stage – and not just growth in their musical abilities. Their overall confidence level is increased. They belong to that community. The biggest advantages to live music venues are found when there are no age limits. Any performance that can be shared by tots through to seniors offers more than just a shared musical event. It also allows the different generations to spend a night talking with each other, and permits the energy, particularly that of children openly “getting into the groove”, to pass from one generation to the next. In short, it breaks down barriers. Friends who have grown up in Europe often speak of how alcoholism is much less a problem with the openness of drinking establishments. They are more a place for families to socialize rather than somewhere to “get loaded and find a date...”. Without the fears of rejection or failure that teens and adults have developed, small children will participate in musical events without a second thought. The more venues we can get to offer music to all ages, the better off our communities will be. Live music is best because you get the experience of watching someone perform their craft as well. You can learn a lot about playing a musical instrument just by getting the opportunity to watch a pro up close, or talking with them between songs. The coffee house (or ice cream bar) is great for singer songwriters like myself to share views of the world through song.

Any event that draws families out of their homes in groups will have a positive affect on the community. With musical events, everyone is already prepared to have a good time!

Congratulations to Rosie’s Jazzy Ice Cream Bar (located in Maple Ridge, B.C.) on their first year anniversary – a perfect place to find great live music and community spirit!

Donn Tarris "Two Rivers" - Donn has self produced, recorded and performed a CD that is both fresh and infectious. This CD is full of tunes that once in your head - they ain't comin' out! "Two Rivers... an appealing collection that shows off both (Donn's) flair for turning out a tune that would make George Harrison happy and his softer, folk-pop acoustic side..." Tom Harrison, The Province / May 13, 1999

Donn also helps promote other original songwriters by booking events that feature them. He can also be found at various open stages and jams on Salt Spring Island and occasionally around Maple Ridge, B.C..

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All illustrations on this page by Donn Tarris