Opry North

Name: Christina Doyle

Age: “Young enough to have fun and old enough to remember the Beatles!”

Birth date: August 17th

Birth place: Toronto Ontario

Home town: Toronto Ontario

Resides in: Richmond Hill Ontario

Most memorable performance:  “Ottawa Stadium, you could have heard a pin drop - 1500 people (cancer event).”

What do you do to relax: What do you do to relax:  “Read, sing, watch funny movies.”

Finished CD's: 2

Cd's for sale: - “Whenever Angels Sing” (CD single) - all proceeds to cancer                           research

Management:  

                   Anya Wilson Promotion & Publicity

                   401 Richmond Street West, Suite 220

                   Toronto Ontario

                   M4V 1X3

                   Ph:  (416) 977-7704

Record Label:  Independent

Website:  http://www.christinadoyle.com 

   When you think of words like ‘heroic’ or ‘inspirational’ what do you think of?  A profession - like those selfless individuals who have been in the news of late down south?  Or maybe you think of the folks that keep your world turning; those pretty regular people you see every day who plow through their own lives and problems to make a difference in other people’s lives?  We all know people like that.  In fact, this year’s Independent Female Vocalist winner Lisa Brokop has written a song about those very people.  It’s absolutely beautiful and one line always stays with me: “There are angels all around, in the sky and on the ground”.  Well, the more I’ve been learning about Christina Doyle the more I see a definite resemblance to those three words mentioned above - heroic, inspirational and angel.  And now I’ll tell you why.

   Christina Doyle is a wife (to Gerry), a mother (to Justin and Jessica), a special education teacher (for 22 years), a wonderful singer and a cancer survivor.  Talk about a full life!  She’s hardly one to sit back and reflect on her accomplishments though, not with work still to do.  She rolls up her sleeves and dives right in, resulting in being a much-in-demand inspirational speaker, a tireless fundraiser for cancer research and an emerging country music entertainer who is attracting many fans following her performances.  She is well aware of the obstacles she’s overcome and grateful, saying, “For many, the candle flickers but once and here I am - given a second chance.”  And she’s been making every day count.

   The young woman who was attending teachers college as a stepping-stone to law school (where she’d already been accepted) found her plans changed when she met the man who would become her husband.  After completing her education she became a special education teacher, using various methods including sign language and bliss symbolics to teach children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, brittle bone disease, severe learning disorders and car accident survivors.  “Children need to feel they can do anything and the word ‘can’t’ never enters my vocabulary with the children I teach.”  This philosophy would prove to apply to herself too, when she was diagnosed with the same rare bone cancer that Canadian legend Terry Fox had been afflicted with.  Due to progress in research in the years since Terry lost his fight Christina was able to have a fibreglass prosthesis fitted to replace 3/4 of the bone in her left leg.  As one of four bone cancer survivors in Canada she still suffers daily from chronic pain but she doesn’t let it slow her down. 

   Following her two years of recovery Christina decided to “spend whatever time she had left encouraging the world, rather than complaining”, and she enlisted the help of a friend to go karoaking with her to raise funds for cancer research.  She began to receive a lot of attention from this and with the help and encouragement of some music industry friends she began by recording the single “Whenever Angels Sing”.  This song has received airplay across Canada and raised over ten thousand dollars through sales and donations from performances.  The completion of the CD, “I Wouldn’t Change A Single Day” marked a change in Christina, one she’s described by saying  “To me, this CD represents hope and life.  It gives me the strength, the power to go on and fight for life.”  As you look at a photograph of Christina, with her radiant smile beaming out at you you can’t help but think how fitting the title of the single is.  “Whenever Angels Sing” indeed.

Christina Doyle has faced what many of us know would be a nightmare – a life threatening illness that has no foreseeable outcome, leaving you to wait and see what hand you’ll be dealt.  And she’s beaten the house (more or less).  It took a lot…a lot of faith, a lot of love and a lot of time and yes, there’s still a lot of pain to remind her that although she’s won, she’s paid a price.  But it’s a real measure of the person that she is that she does not sit and feel sorry for herself, not for a minute.  She feels grateful instead.  And that gratitude leads her to use what gifts she’s been given (like her beautiful voice) to help others.  Not only with her fund raising for the research that helped save countless others in recent years, but with her budding career as a sought-after country singer too.  Christina has taken the time to complete the questions that we use for our profiles, to help other performers by sharing her stories and experiences in the entertainment industry and we can’t thank her enough.  When you see her striding along – a radiant smile from a beautiful lady – we want you to remember that she really is something very special. 

Q.  Looking back on your earliest experiences in the music industry what did you learn that made the most difference at that time?

“Recording vocals takes a lot of time and patience.”

Q.  What is the one part of the music industry that you had to learn about that you hadn’t really thought of when you started out?

“How much the total cost of everything was once the project was completed.”

Q.  What two things would you say are the most important things to do or have to succeed to the level you’d wanted to out of the following: practice, ambition/determination, organizational ability, creating enough ‘buzz’.

“Patience and belief in yourself, of who you are doing this for and letting go of the project and saying to yourself ‘I’ve given it my best’.”

Q.  Being aware of the highly competitive nature of the music industry were you given any guidance or support from established performers on your way up, and how valuable has that been?

“Oh yes, very honest and direct.  I’ve kept myself grounded, with small wings ready to fly!”

Q.  The world of press kits, promo shots, making contacts and networking may seem overwhelming to someone just starting out.  What’s the best advice you could give someone regarding getting all this sorted out?

“Find a great review that is sincere and genuine and include that in your package.” 

Q.  As an up & coming artist did you find it was difficult to get your name and your sound out into the public at times?  That there was a shortage of showcase media be it print or electronic to fill the void between the clubs and the stadiums?

“So hard, but I believe that the right road shows up when you least expect it.”

Q.  Looking back, do you feel that focusing on being a songwriter, learning about producing or learning about the whole process was the thing you should have done as opposed to what you did do?  Or, are you satisfied with your route and wouldn’t have changed a thing?

“No regrets.  I truly appreciate material on the ‘how to’s.”

Q.  With success comes a lot of responsibility.  How do you decide when it’s time to delegate some of the load, who to delegate to and what you’ll keep for yourself?

“I’ve had no choice but my husband, (who) has had some of the load, which is okay with him.”

Q.  If the success you’ve worked for seems to be overwhelming you and you’d like to step back for a breather is that acceptable, or is there pressure to keep the push on while ‘you’re hot’?

“I think people appreciate when you are in control of your spirit; only you know when there is time to take a small break.”

Q.  Some people are content to stay on the same path they’ve always been on after they’re successful.  Others see it as a good time to show versatility and go in a different direction – not always to people’s liking.  Can you see yourself breaking out into a slightly different direction instead of staying on the safe road?

“Yes, I like variety and challenge.  How will I know until I try?”

Q.   The team you choose to help out when things take off plays a large part in how stress free things become.  What qualities must you look for to be sure the person you’ve chosen is right for the team?

“Honesty and genuiness.  Anya Wilson and Lydian Recording studio have been my greatest help.”

Q.  With the arrival of the cyber age, with online stores, MP3’s and the like how do you see the music industry changing?  Can you see contracts in the future outlining who has what rights in relation to the Internet?

“I see the artist losing more and more control over their work so what we can do now immediately is good.”

Q.  Will there be such an importance in being signed by a major label do you think, with the ability to produce, promote and sell material independently taking off?

“No, not at all.  It’s just a very expensive dream to fulfill.”

Q.  Can you see such independent productions being accepted into the same leagues as the major label productions by both or either the industry or public?

“Again, money is the issue and marketing strategies are the key.”

Q.  What, if any, preparation did you have to do to get started or advance?  Has there been vocal, dance, maybe business instruction along the way?

“Lots of vocal lessons, (and before I began) being debt free helped – of which I’m not now!!”

Q.  What surprised you the most about being in music?  What elements caught you off guard or weren’t what you’d expected?

“What surprised me was the closeness of individuals and sensitivity towards what I’m trying to accomplish…and the reality that some of us have not experienced any pain.”

Q.  What part of the ‘up & coming’ process would you change if you could?  Or, do you feel that everyone should take some bumps along the way?

“Networking of Indies through Internet and/or workshops presented by those of us who have been there.”

Q.  What was it like when you first started recording?  How prepared did you feel going in and how prepared were you really?

“I was so impressed by the technology and I didn’t realize how much I could influence the song through my vocals.”

Q.  They say to be good at what you do you have to keep learning.  What areas of the music business do you want to start learning more about next?

“Songwriting and continuing vocal lessons and singing various genres of music.”

Q.  If you had to choose one part of the music industry and do only that one thing, what would it be?

“Songwriting.”

Q.  What did you discover about touring that you hadn’t expected?

“Not everybody has a good sound system.”

Q.  Any tips to make things run smoother?

“Asking questions prior to events.”

Q.  Are there any projects coming up that you can tell us about?

“I’ve been asked to write for the Scarborough General Hospital Foundation’s slogan song.”

Q.  What would you like to do for 2002 that you haven’t tried before?

“Work with a band.”

   We would like to thank Christina and Gerry Doyle for their input, their interest and their help with this profile.  They truly are a wonderful team and it’s become our privilege to get to know them a little better.  We’ll have a chance to in the future, of that I have no doubt. 

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