Some amazing people in my life who have helped me in so many ways, and I want to pay tribute to them. In some cases, they have a business or a website, so click on through and check out what they have to offer. This is a page I hope to update and add to frequently. Honestly, I believe in helping to promote great people and what they do.

JJ

Amy Sky-Singer, Songwriter, Spokeswoman, Producer, Mentor
I met Amy at a SAC conference in Winnipeg and was blown away by her talent, charisma and wisdom. She has since become a mentor and friend. Amy has too many credits to mention, and so many projects on the go that are worth your attention. Please visit her at www.amysky.com.

Ariel Posen-Musician, Songwriter
Ariel is one of the guitar players I've had the good fortune of working with. He can play anything, and goes the extra mile to make gigs and rehearsals run smoothly...He's very professional, always prepared, can work with anyone and is fun to be around. He has a few projects running, but keeps his MySpace page update quite regularly. He's seen most often gigging around Winnipeg with LeDuo or Groovy Moustache, and has also been penning some of his own tunes...Check out his stuff here.

Arun Chaturvedi-Producer, Songwriter, Musician
I met Arun through Chris Burke-Gaffney and found we had great writing chemistry. Arun is a top notch musician, with really musical ideas. In addition to producing the bulk of the song Grow on "Happiness", he also cowrote "My Bliss" with me. I'm hoping Arun will one day produce his own record and release some of the other great tunes we've co-written! He keeps his MySpace page updated fairly frequently with songs his produced or co-written: Arun's MySpace page.

Bananatoons: Dane Deviller and Sean Hossein-Songwriters, Producers, Musicians
I had the chance to work with Dane and Sean in 2007 at their studio in Vancouver. I had this quirky chorus, and it made us all laugh, so we ran with it and came up with, "Fickle Love", now a bonus track on "Happiness". Dane did a fabulous demo of it, complete with tuba lines and lots of great oompahs, but ultimately I opted for a jazzy-ish piano vocal version for the record. Hope they like it! www.bananatoons.com

Brandon Friesen-Producer
Quite a while back, Brandon approached me about working on some songs. We did an EP together...What a super talented person. On "Happiness", the following tracks are his handiwork: Just Be, Falling Star, Happiness, No Matter How Hard We Try and China Dolls. He also lended a hand with Grow, and set me up with distribution via his label Arbor Records, which is distributed by EMI. The project would not have happened without his initiative, generosity and encouragement. For more information about Arbor Records, check out www.arborrecords.com.

Chris Burke-Gaffney-Producer, Talent Development, Songwriter
I met Chris in 2005, and started writing with him the following year. Writing with him has taught me a lot about pop songs, and about how much fun songwriting can be! He has a knack for drawing out a person's strengths, and connecting talented people. He's also able to work with strong personalities, like mine! His artist development website can be viewed by clicking here!

Darren Johnston-Producer, Mixing and Mastering Guru, Graphic Designer, Website Builder, Programmer, Musician, Virtual Genius etc...
When not booking, managing, producing, sound mixing et al for his lovely and talented wife, Cat Jahnke, Darren has his hands in oodles of other music industry pies. He is a jack of all trades and a master of many, and is so far the only person I've ever met who can explain technical things to me without my brain exploding. As the mixer of half and masterer of all of "Happiness", he more than deserves a mention on the Wall of Fame! www.gritmultimedia.com

David Browning-Producer, Musician, Songwriter
David and I started working together in 2006, and I became fast friends with him, his beautiful wife Renee and his adorable son. We've cowritten a few songs, and one of them, Just Be, is the first track on "Happiness". He works with a variety of artists in Nashville, and was actually one of the people who helped get Katy Perry off the ground! He's got a list of credits a mile long...Check 'em out here!

Deana Sumanac-CBC Producer and News reporter, Journalist
The talented Deana interviewed me for a piece included in the enhanced portion of my CD. She is a masterful journalist, articulate, beautiful and insightful. She's definitely "one to watch" and I predict she'll be around on the Canadian news scene for years to come.

JJ and David Heller-Performing Songwriters
I met David and JJ at their home in Nashville through my wonderful friend and fellow artist, Jill Paquette. They write, record and tour together to support JJ as an artist, and have recorded a couple of songs we've written together, Grow and Keep You Safe. I also happened to record my own version of the song, Grow, which was placed in CBC's new show, "Being Ericka". www.jjheller.com

Jonathan Alexiuk-Musician, Arranger
Jon is one of those pianists who can play any song, in any key, and in any style. He is basically self-learned and an adventurer much like those we read about in books. I was honoured to have him do the string arrangement for the song "Happiness" and to arrange and play the piano accomaniment for the bonus track, "Fickle Love"...A super talented person and a great friend!

Jordan Jackiew-Musician, Producer, Engineer
Jordan is a brilliant mind in the field of music. He produces everything to an exceedingly high quality, and has great chops too. His new company is Resosound: www.resosound.com. I was lucky enough to be able to include one of the songs Jordan produced for me as a bonus track on "Happiness". It's called "No You",

Joshua Bedry-Producer, Musician
Josh is a member of the quickly rising rock band, Domenica, and was hugely helping in laying down some initial tracks on Is It Me, Up and Away, Superhero, Fairytale and My Bliss. He's great to work with and has a kickin' rehearsal space. www.domenica.ca

Joshua Schroeder-Singer/Songwriter
I met Josh on a writing trip to LA and had a blast. We wrote Is It Me together and had a magical time. His stellar work can be heard here!

Lee Charles Garinger and Mark Sawatzky-Musicians and members of "The Harlots"
With Charles on bass and Mark on drums, a person could not ask for a more solid rhythm section. These two have played together for years, first in "The Ballroom Zombies", then in the Rock/Pop group, "The Harlots". I'm lucky to have them as part of my band!

Link Tipton-Musician, Artist, Songwriter, Entrepreneur
I met Link and his lovely wife Maria through a friend who set Link and I up to cowrite in Franklin, TN. Link is one of those uber talented people who can pretty much do anything he sets his mind to, and he does it all with integrity, fun and optimism. he and I wrote Falling Star together. His latest venture is a company that he and Maria have started called Blue Nova Designs, a staging and merch display company. They have some really cool and affordable ideas that could enhance any merch set-up or trade show displays, and have also done major staging pieces for some pro touring artists and churches. www.bluenovadesigns.com

Manitoba Film and Music-Funding organization
Many of us artists could not do what we do except for the help of the fine and committed people at Manitoba Film and Music. Their support is very, very appreciated by me!! www.mbfilmmusic.ca

Manitoba Music-Manitoba Music Association
Ok, not a person, but PEOPLE. And these people are great. Whether you are a music artist just starting your journey, or someone who's been in the industry for a long time, this is an organization that aims to support you and does a great job of it. I currently sit on the board, and can tell you that the people behind the operation are dedicated and passionate. Visit their awesome website at www.manitobamusic.com.

Michael Petkau-Producer, Engineer, Musician
I've had the pleasure of working on a few sessions with Mike. He laid down the initial tracks and string tracks for the title track of "Happiness", and we recently recorded some more jazzy numbers live-off-the-floor. He's best known of late for his innovative project: The Record of the Week Club.

Phil Deschambault-Producer, songwriter, artist
Phil helped me out with the second half of the record, and his work can be heard on Up and Away, Is It Me, Fairytale, Superhero and My Bliss. He is one of the most creative people I have ever met, and one of the most musical. Working with him was a real pleasure, and I know his work is going to make a huge impact. His work with Ash Koley is exceptional...They've recently signed some bigtime contracts with people who aim to help them make a splash internationally. I was blessed to work with him! Check out his and Ash's work here.

SA Trackworks: Steve Smith and Anthony Andrews-Songwriters, Producers, Musicians
I got to work with this dynamic duo in Vancouver and together we created "Up and Away", based around the theme of superheros. These guys are true pros, and keep producing great music! www.satrackworks.com

Samara Janzen-Graphic Designer, Violinist
Not only did this fabulously talented person play violin for the title track of my new record, she also did all of the beautiful graphic work. When we got together to talk about a concept, I was all over the map...I wanted organic, yet contemporary, ethereal but down-to-earth etc, etc...And she delivered. Sam has an amazing eye for detail, and a terrific imagination. She also took press photos for me, many of which I now use. If you're looking for a photographer or a graphic artist, send me an email and I'll connect you.

Simon Wilcox-Songwriter, Artist, Performer, Inspirer
One of the writers that I have had the most fun writing with is Simon Wilcox. She is filled with great ideas, and an endless capacity to build rhyme and rhythm in meaningful yet quirky ways. She writes a lot with all kinds of different artists, and will continue to find success because she is stunningly gifted. She also produces her own music. Check it out at www.simonwilcox.com.

Stephen J Rendall
Steve and his family became a good friends when he produced my sophomore album, "Finding Beautiful". We chat regularly about life and the music industry and his insights have been invaluable. In fact, I'm not sure I know a person more passionate about or well-read on the industry. One thing I learned from him is that at the end of the day, an artist can have all kinds of terrific things in place, but it's great songs that sustain a career over the long term. If you've been looking for a management consultant, contact me and I'll connect you!

Stuart Cameron-Musician, Producer, Songwriter
Here is another artist with a bunch of credits to his name. The song we wrote together, Fairytale, flowed naturally out of a great conversation on his deck. He knows how to put a person at ease and is one of the most proficient and talented musicians I've worked with to date. He's loaded with cool ideas! Here's a video of him playing guitar with the infamous fiddling fiend, Ashley McIsaac at You Tube.