
Canadian Artist and Singer-Songwriter
Who is Rebecca Reid?
Canadian artist Rebecca Reid is an alternative-pop/modern-Motown singer-songwriter who was born in Vancouver, but came of age in the tiny haven of Rossland nestled amongst the stunning mountains of southern British Columbia. She entered the world of music at the age of four when she started playing piano, which was encouraged by her parents and facilitated by an old, twangy, upright piano that was at the heart of her home growing up. The piano was the foundation for the expression of joy, a hearth to dance around, and a punching bag upon which to take out frustrations and work through heartbreaks. Over the years she explored other orchestral instruments such as clarinet and saxophone, and as a teenager she trained as a classical vocalist.
When she left home at the age of 17 to train in Canmore, Alberta as an elite cross-country ski racer, she struggled with depression, bulimia, and numerous chronic physical injuries. It was at this point in her life that her mother bought her a Yamaha electric piano as a way to bring music back into her life, correctly identifying that part of what was driving her psychological and spiritual turmoil was her inability to express her emotion through music.
It was her younger brother who introduced her to songwriting. A musician in his own right, he composed a simple chorus from the emotions of a teenage heartbreak but got stuck finding the verses. Rebecca brought the chorus back to her piano and out flowed the rest of the verses and musical composition. After that the music didn’t stop flowing. Armed with her piano, a MIDI cable, and cheap USB microphone she experimented with home recording but didn’t get further than some clunky recordings that she shared with friends and family.
Fast forward several years and music once again made a resurgence in her life when she began studying medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. In medical school there were numerous opportunities to perform live including seasonal showcases, open mic nights, and with the medical school choir. Inspired by her incredibly talented classmates and fueled by the joy she received by performing live, the stress of several intense life events, and a breakup with a partner, she turned to song writing once again as a way to process her emotions.
Wanting to move the resulting music beyond the dead-end ears of her basement walls, she partnered up with the incredible Juno nominated producers Brad Simons and Randor Lin at Velveteen Audio. She set out to make a dream a reality and become a recording artist. What About Us is her debut single, set to release in Spring 2020, which will be closely followed up by a second single in summer 2020.
Rebecca continues to pursue her medical education; however, her studies have been disrupted since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Keeping an eye keenly focused on the bright side, she is capitalizing on the unforeseen gift of space and time to return to the studio once again to finish recording an EP that is anticipated to be released in Fall 2020.