Biography

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The Band

The inception of the David Andrew Wiebe Band was nothing short of serendipitous. While each member was aware of the other, none of them had the foresight to know how they would come together.

Violinist Joshua Park responded to an ad in FFWD many years ago, when Wiebe was looking for members to join his band along with drummer Adam Burwash. Although this did not lead to any long-term engagements for Park, he did contribute his talents to Wiebe's first solo album, Shipwrecked... My Sentiments. It was not until 2011 that Wiebe and Park reconnected in a meaningful way.

Wiebe had met guitarist and keyboardist Patrick Zelinski about a year after the release of Shipwrecked..., when he went to take guitar lessons to further his understanding of Jazz. Zelinski had to fill in for Wiebe's former teacher who went AWOL, and that's where their camaraderie started to grow. However, it was not until several years later that they reconnected and started playing music together again.

Wiebe had also met Anna Mae Alexander around the same time, but they were unaware of each other's passion for music. Over time, their friendship grew and they started collaborating and working together on projects. Anna brought some ideas to the table for Wiebe's upcoming release, Back on Solid Ground, and came on board as a vocalist.

The band is still very much in the process of growing, as they continue to search for a bassist and a percussionist/drummer. As you may have guessed, a band is a living, breathing organism that continues to change over time. Joshua Park's spot is currently filled by Karen Ann Sim, a Juilliard graduate. However, their chemistry is tight, and their sound is distinct and memorable.

David Andrew Wiebe was born in Camrose, Alberta. However, you shouldn't confuse him for a run-of-the-mill Albertan prairie boy. In actuality, he spent most of his childhood and early youth in Takarazuka, Japan, where he learned to read and write Japanese, imitate Anime (cartoon) characters, and developed an encyclopedic knowledge of 8 and 16 bit video game music.

Wiebe has been a part of the Calgary music arena for 9 years. He has had the pleasure of performing with a number of bands including Lightly Toasted Touché, Angels Breaking Silence, and the Friendly Fire with Jonathan Ferguson. He has even been known to perform Jazz and Country from time to time. This versatile singer and guitarist released his first solo album in 2006, entitled Shipwrecked... My Sentiments. He is currently working on a cohesive follow-up to be called Back on Solid Ground.

Photo Courtesy: Keith Skrastins

Patrick has been passionately pursuing music for the last 20 years. He started playing guitar in High School while co-writing with the band Noriyah, who garnered success in Northwestern Ontario. He received targeted training in Classical, Jazz, and Rock guitar as well as vocal and harmony theory coaching upon his arrival to Calgary. Patrick is affectionately called "Zombie Pat" by his band mates, because of his propensity to create outlandish and atmospheric sounds on his keyboards and many outboard effects.

And we're not kidding when we say many! See below.

Born in a bar (during her Daddy's gig), Anna has been around music her whole life. She grew up on a steady diet of Rock N' Roll and decided to try at an early rebellion in her teens with Jazz music. Discovering that rebellion would take more than Jazz, she joined a church and got involved with Classical music with the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus and Firebird Chamber singers. Her Dad doesn't really get it but still supports it.

Photo Courtesy: Andy Letch, SpecopsPhoto

The latest addition to the band, this Juilliard graduate knows how to rock a violin! The violin brings a unique and undeniable depth to the music otherwise not easily achieved.