First, you open what looks like a shrunken pantry door, offset from the kitchen.
Then, ducking one鈥檚 head, you climb carefully down a steep set of stairs into an area just a tad taller than a typical crawl space. It stands in one corner: a welcoming nook decorated with bookshelves to one side and a desk of audio equipment on the other. This is where Dean Reorda retreats to write and record his music.聽
鈥淚 have lots of stuff to say, but I am not very articulate in any other form,鈥� the New Brunswick native notes, explaining his love of the art form.聽
When Reorda was 19 years old, he left his home in Red Deer, Alberta, to pursue his passion in Vancouver. In his 20s, he completed a two-year audio engineering course and his first band, The Escape Goats, recorded an album at Greenhouse Studios. The folk/rock band did well, landing some airtime at the CFox radio station.
It all came to an end when Reorda got married and started a family. It wasn鈥檛 anything to do with his new role and relationship, Reorda says. He just lost interest in music.聽
鈥淔or seven years I didn鈥檛 play or listen to any music,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t just completely fell from my life.鈥�
After living in the Sea to Sky Corridor community for a stint in 2005, Reorda and his family returned to Squamish in 2011. Two years ago, when his parent鈥檚 50th wedding anniversary rolled around, his family asked Reorda to write a song for the event. He picked up a pen and hasn鈥檛 put it down since.
鈥淎ll of a sudden I couldn鈥檛 stop writing,鈥� Reorda says, then smiles.聽
This Saturday, Oct. 24, Reorda will be onstage at the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG). What was originally scheduled as a show for his new band turned into a solo gig. Reorda鈥檚 bandmates 鈥� Garibaldi Highlands Elementary School principal Paul Lorette, North Vancouver鈥檚 Rick vanHeyst and Nino Celella 鈥� had conflicting schedules.聽
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until the poster came out that I realized I was the entertainment for the whole night,鈥� Reorda says, with a laugh, noting the BAG鈥檚 founder Thor Froslev has a way of getting what he wants.聽
Reorda鈥檚 not fazed by the unexpected one-man act. He has been a prolific song writer during his re-invigorated devotion to music. In 2013, he wrote an anthem for Squamish, a song that was promoted during the District of Squamish鈥檚 downtown transformation workshops. Last year, Reorda hit the stage in the second annual Squamish Talent show. Now he鈥檚 just got to sort through his material before Saturday.聽
鈥淚 write a lot of sentimental, family-oriented songs,鈥� he says, noting his sound has veered from the folk/rock genre into more of the folk department.聽
For Reorda it鈥檚 all about the words. It doesn鈥檛 matter how catchy a tune is; the song quickly sours for him if Reorda doesn鈥檛 connect with the subject matter.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 about storytelling. The lyrics have always been the most important part to me,鈥� he says.
The show at the BAG starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the door or downtown at Xoco Chocolate. Reorda says he鈥檚 looking forward to the intimate evening of music.聽
鈥淭he BAG is such a great acoustic venue.鈥澛�
