Howard Lee Naylor

I moved back from Penticton last year and ready to play some gigs here in the Lower Mainland.  I'd been doing my part and staying at home because of the Coronavirus but it's giving me the time now to work on my new CD Songs from Isolation and a lot of different styles of cover songs like this one here, You don't know me Ray Charles really? lol. 

I've written 10 new songs for my next adventure and for the first time a Christmas song:)

When  I was a child I never dreamed I could play an instrument. I was born without most of my fingers on my hands and most of my toes on my left foot. But nowadays I perform my own music sing and play a keyboard and a little harmonica.

I just did an interview with American Pride Magazine, the headline for the article was “Working around your hurdles.” That may well be the headline of my life.

At a very early age I was told I had a very good singing vice but I was too shy to sing in front of people. I knew I looked different and I was self-conscious.

As an adult I’d listen to people perform Karaoke. One day I got the courage to jump on stage. The feedback I got convinced me that music was worth pursuing.

After taking some time to develop my music skills I started to write lyrics and learned all the chords to the piano, I had to to use both hands to play some of the difficult chords, damn 7ths.

I collaborated on six song demo when living in LA and ended up winning a singing contest singing on of my original songs. So went to New York and performed 3 songs and on the way back to LA I stopped in Nashville and loved the vibe so I ended living there for 10 years learning the craft of writing and learning the studio. 

I started writing songs and performing as a duo called Partners in Rhyme. We recorded an albums worth of music and not just country, we both are Beatle fans so we always throw a few Beatle riffs in some of our songs and today there always seems to be a little of that in the I write to this day. 

Ultimately I found myself wanting to take on more responsibility in creating more of the music including instrumentation and yes I knew that it was a big challenge because of my disability.

The workstation keyboard where the band play with chord changes with different style to choose from. This is how I write song and developed my own style with of course influences from my musical tastes. 

It’s taken years to be able to play along with my original and cover songs but now I perform live with my keyboard with backing tracks and with other musicians which I love.

I had to have surgery related from left foot and moved back to Vancouver where I continued writing songs and performing. I finally recorded my first album a few years ago called “Possibilities” I wrote all 12 songs and was able to have a influence on every art of recordings from vocals, harmonies, keyboards, harmonica, arrangements, mixing, editing and producing. 

As I write this I have just completed my new album called “Songs from Isolation” which I put ogether from my home studio and finished off at my producers studio in Vancouver. It seems we all had a little extra down time this summer it kept me very busy and stressed it was a very different way to record an album but I’m very proud how it turned out. 

So here we are a new Album to release and hopefully sell because I have already written my next album this one will have a little country flavour to it. 

So yes I worked around my hurdles and looking back it has been very difficult but it’s so enjoyable to be able to play sing and write music I’m excited now for my next journey and Album. 

I've spent the last year on arrangement and studio work creating and learning my sound. I was never very good at doing harmonies now it's part of my sound. Sometimes it take determination and hard work for good results. Who knew?