More dirty det's on Ronley - August 5, 2001
Born September 5th 1974, in Pretoria, South Africa
Family immigrated to Canada 1976.
Youngest of four children.
Parents very persistent at keeping music, theatre, and sports a part of the family's routine - CBC on 24 hours a day.
Grew up in a suburb of Toronto, North York Everything was fine until...
Had a hard time in Junior High
the token victim of 1988 austracize a classmate ritual.
Lost in a place as a thirteen year old I couldn't have imagined.
Realizing that I had done this evilness to other kids too.
Guilt, Anger, Hurt, Fear, Alone. My only friend was the notebook the psychologist recommended I write in. Every little detail. What was She wearing yesterday? What was I? What did she say? Who threatened next? What would I have done to them if I hadn't been writing in the book my psychologist recommended?
Made it through.
Empathy grew
Made new friends in high school
All into the Grateful Dead-"blues for allah" and the rituals that go with the stereotype
Lots of smoking in suburban lots, in moms cars
lots of ravine markings on shoes and knees,
Lots of parties, lots of different scenes, but
graduated on time and in fine standing.
Last year of high school, Ron finally gets the guitar she had been begging for.
Sigma, still travel with her today.
Couldn't play. Thank goodness most songs are only three chords. Frustrated trying to play, a voice always hid the notes going astray.
Voice developing, the constant yearning to write down something.
Always feeling better after. On and on.
Meet a boy, change schools, drop out, boy eats me alive.
Half dead, never will I let myself get like this again.
Back to school. Anthropology becomes my next
tool. To finally describe, to have the words I have so tried to portray in the twelve journals my psychologist recommended me. Numbers of variables, time, space, mobility, chance, syncronicity, spirituality all live within everyone; yet each see's to their own perceptions. My music has become (finally) the thirteenth journal my psychologist recommended I write in.
Travelling, dreaming, hoping, free-willing, but a tad bit cynical on the subject. How can that be?
Played for two years with the pop band "Hummingfish" known for their performances at Edgefest and Promag compilations, and CFNY New Music Search.
Graduated Uni and headed to the Middle East.
Lots of thinking. Lots of soaking in the Sinai.
Wanting so desperately for my life to be happy.
What brings me happiness? I wondered for months as I wrote nine new tunes on my guitar.
What will my parents recommend for me on my return? Their worries for me become my own worries. I did not want to come home. What brings me happiness? What was in front of me was so easy to see, yet my social upbringing pushed me closer to going to do my Masters or for heaven sakes law school. I hate day jobs. I work the best around midnight. I don't want to sit back in forty years and wonder what if. I invested so much time, energy and money into University, which I loved. Why not invest in the only thing that makes me truly happy? I finally worked up the courage to come home and face this realization. Yes, I will pursue my music and I may ultimately be poor for the rest of my life, but I will be happy. Is that not richness? About six months ago, I went away with a girlfriend for a week. The airline didn't let me carry my guitar on board.
When we arrived I waited until everything was off the plane. No guitar. I started freaking. There was no way I didn't have my guitar for a week of sun and sanity. No way. It turned out it was in the plane. I had to make the whole bus wait for me. But I was not leaving without the guitar. I'm not sure if I was more upset that I lost a guitar, even though insurance would have gotten me a better one, or that for that half an hour at the airport I really felt alone. Thank goodness for wooden acoustic objects.
Heh?
So it's been a year and half since I've been back. I will not look back, only forward. I am closely finishing off a cd that I, my greatest critic, is actually happy with. I have met incredible people that strive and create for the same reasons I do. And this struggle is one of nakedness. I am showing my sores, but they keep healing. And I can feel myself constantly learning.
Always working on a variety of projects, including at the moment, a rock opera, a triphop/dancemix experiment, performs solo, duo, trio---bring 'em on. And of course recording a debut cd. I've appeared on a number of college radio stations. There are so many ways of being. Lets celebrate them all. Enough of this googy cosmic stuff anyways.
Thank you so much for supporting the journey thus far.
Ron
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Three Ways To Help Ronley
i. From time to time turn on your local college or Public funded radio station, and listen to the programming. These stations or programs support independent and eclectic sounding artist's much more than commercial radio. So email and/or call and request Ron's music in your city or town area at:
CIUT 89.5 (416) 946-7000 www.ciut.fm :University of Toronto
CKLN 88.1 (416) 595-1655 Ryerson Univ. Radio Toronto
CBC This Morning: www.thismorning@toronto.cbc.ca
CBC Richards Roundup: www.roundup@vancouver.cbc.ca
CBC Bandwidth: www.bandwidth@cbc.ca (613) 562-8570
CBC Radio Escapade (604) 662-6732 in Vancouver
CKMS Radio requests: (519) 884-2567 Waterloo, Ont.
CKCU Radio requests: (613) 520-2528 Carlton U. Ottawa
CHOU Radio requests: (613) 562-5967 U.of Ottawa
CFRU Radio requests: (519) 837-2378 Guelph University
U.of Southern California Requests:(213) 740-1483 CA
KSCU Radio requests: (408) 554-5728 Santa Clara, Calif.
KSJS 90.5 FM requests: (408) 294-5757 San Jose, Calif.
KZSU 90.1 FM requests: (650) 725-4868 Palo Alto, Calif.
KUCI 88.9 FM requests: (949) 824-5824 Irvine, California.
KPFA 94.1 FM requests: (510) 848-4425 Berkeley, Calif.
KALX Radio requests: (510) 642-KALX Berkeley, Calif.
KAZU 90.3 FM requests:(831) 375-7275 Pacific Grove, Calif.
KFJC 91.3 FM requests: (650) 941-2500 Los Altos Hills,CA
KUSF Radio requests: (415) 751-KUSF Fulton, California
Do you know of a place Ron's should send her music?
ii. Join her monthly and/or in your area email newsletters -that let you know when she's playing next, and news and information. Coming out to see a live show is best of all.
iii. If you have any recommedations as to how to help further develop this musical journey, or if you want to volunteer some time to FLY BUTTA RECORDS, please email Ron at: info@ronleyteper.com
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Recommended Albums
Ricky Lee Jones "Ricky Lee Jones"
Cassandra Wilson "New Moon Daughter"
Beth Orton "Central Reservations"
Jeff Buckley "Grace"
Tom Waits -The Whole Collection
Keith Jarrett "Expectations"
Spiritualized "Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space"
Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"
The Rebirth of Cool Series, all the volumes are amazing
Lhasa "La Lllorona" - instant goosebumps
Ethopiques, a four cd compilation of incredible jazz from Ethiopia
Cake "Motorcade of Generosity"
The Rev. Horton Heat "Holy Roller"
Django Reinhardt "Swing 39"
Mercury Records Songbook - 100 Jazz Vocal Classics
J.S. Bach "Suites for Cello" Pablo Casals
Miles Davis - The Whole Collection
Freeworm "Vegetation=fuel" an mix of electronica-trance-world music from Montreal
The Henrys "Desert Cure" lovely Sunday music with mood and gorgeous guitar sounds
Nina Simone "Sings Nina"
Ali Farka Toure "radio mali"
Steve Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life" Vol. 1 & 2
Gilbreto Gil "Acoustic"
Maria Joao "Lor"
Lamb "Fear of Fours"
The Very Best of Edith Piaf "The Voice of the Sparrow"
Mukta Indian sitar & World Jazz- acoustic and remixed tracks
Sheila Chandra "Sheila Chandra"
Meredith Monk a variety of collections, interdisciplinary and
voice experimentation.
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Recommended Reading
and Listening
J. Krishnamurti "Total Freedom"
Rohinton Mistry "A Fine Balance"
Granta, The Magazine of New Writing
Sufi Inayat Khan "Music"
Nega Mezlekia "Notes form the Hyena's Belly"
Larry "Ratso" Sloman "Reefer Madness" A history
of Marijuana
Neal Donald Walsh "A Conversation with God"
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Independent Artists in
Toronto
Andrew Downing's Attention Span -
Like swimming with dolphins www.andrewdowning.com
Kevin Quain & The Mad Bastards - intimate, satirical cabaret
Lori Cullen's "Garden Path" - www.loricullen.combeautiful
songwriting
Do Say Make Think - cool, psychedelic, rock
Frank Atom- sounds like Sloan meets the Beatles
Grindig - www.grindig.com
-these guys are a blast. Reverand H.Heat - hanging with Elvis
Costello like.
Kitchenmusik - www.kitchenmusik.com
Ember Swift - www.emberswift.com
thought provoking lyrics, with rhythm and jumpy vocals. Genre
hopping from punk, to folk,to jazz, to...Fantastic independent
record label and incredible band with Lyndll Montgomery on violin
and bass.
Karen Kosowski - www.karenkosowski.com
pop/alternative. Piano and guitar. A cross between Tori Amos,
meets Alanis Morrisette, with super site showcasing some great
independent women in music.
www.estrogenmusic.com
Melissa Stylianou www.melissastylianou.com
beautiful jazz from an amazing vocalist in T.O.
Erin Smith Band www.erinsmithband.com
funks the word for this trio
Nicole Dueck, Countryesk-young up and coming. Dark snippets woven
into bluesy-grassy-country territory.
David Celia www.davidcelia.com
- great songwriter and guitarist. The music is upbeat, full of
colour, beautiful harmonies and production.
Kathy Phippard - Originally from Newfoundland,
now makes T.O. home, a mix between Tory Amos, and Tracy Bohnham,
piano based, great band, currently recording her second cd.
www.kathyphippard.com
Carey West - This lady does it all, jazz, pop, ska, country,
bluegrass, and the blues. A multitalented and driven wide ranged
singer. Check her site at www.careywest.com
Nick Ali - winner of the 2001 Montreal Jazz Festival upcoming
artist for his band Cruzao. Nick is an incredible trumpet player,
composer and arranger. Multi-genres from swing to acid jazz,
and hip hop. www.brownman.com
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