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Inspired People with Musician Calvin Lechner

Moving from music to marketing in the Okanagan
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Calvin Lechner, still playing music in Kelowna. Darren Hull photography

- Story by David Wylie Photography by Darren Hull

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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Search the web for Calvin Lechner and you香蕉视频直播檒l find two distinct results: one is playing the drums on stage with jet-black shaggy hair, sunglasses and a leather jacket; the other smiles professionally at the camera, clean cut and looking spiffy in a suit and tie. You could be forgiven for thinking they are two different people.

香蕉视频直播淲hen I was applying for jobs, the question always came up in interviews 香蕉视频直播 香蕉视频直播榃as this you?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 says Calvin in his Kelowna home studio. 香蕉视频直播淲ell, it was at one point.香蕉视频直播

Calvin is currently the sales and marketing director for Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 . But before that, he was the drummer for Juno-nominated band .

香蕉视频直播淲hen I look back on it, it was a very strange time in my life,香蕉视频直播 he says. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not that I would ever want to get rid of that side of my life. It香蕉视频直播檚 just funny when they run into each other.香蕉视频直播

Calvin, who grew up in Kitimat, started playing music when he was five years old. He took guitar lessons until he was 12 香蕉视频直播 that was the year his older brother got a drum kit for Christmas.

香蕉视频直播淚 was obsessed with drums,香蕉视频直播 he says.

Calvin played in his first band, Anything August, while at Mount Elizabeth secondary school in Kitimat, and the group soon met music video producer Stephano Barberis, who has received at least 35 Director of the Year awards over his career so far. Though they met in Kelowna, they were excited about their 香蕉视频直播淜itimat connection,香蕉视频直播 and Barberis landed a $25,000 grant in 2005 to produce a video for Anything August that received airtime on MuchMusic.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 what gave us our first push as kids,香蕉视频直播 says Calvin. 香蕉视频直播淲e were only about 16 or 17 when we started touring and didn香蕉视频直播檛 focus on much else for the next six or seven years. We just really focussed on making a go of it. It was a crazy experience. We had no idea what we were doing. We were just rolling with the punches.香蕉视频直播

The band moved to Kelowna where the music scene was blowing up, and a few of the bigger bands at the time had come from the Okanagan.

Calvin was drawn to the marketing aspects of growing a band, and Anything August soon became 香蕉视频直播淜ings of MySpace香蕉视频直播 and networked with everyone they could.

香蕉视频直播淲e were trying to get clever with how to get bigger shows, how to get on bigger bills,香蕉视频直播 he says.

Calvin started to promote concerts and paid bands to come to town so that Anything August could open for them.

Calvin Lechner, moving from music to marketing in Kelowna. Darren Hull photography

When he met Dave Faber, the lead singer of Faber Drive, everything changed. Faber eventually called him, needing a new drummer.

香蕉视频直播淭hat call imploded our band Anything August. It was an opportunity for me to go exactly where I saw my own career going. As much as I loved the guys I was playing with, it was something that I felt I had to do.香蕉视频直播

The move changed Calvin香蕉视频直播檚 life. He toured with Faber Drive, playing songs from the debut album, Seven Second Surgery, in front of big crowds. He also helped write Faber香蕉视频直播檚 second album, Can香蕉视频直播檛 Keep A Secret, which was nominated as Pop Album of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards.

香蕉视频直播淚t was a totally different game. We had management, we had booking agents, we had tour managers and stage managers. I wasn香蕉视频直播檛 setting up my own drums anymore. We were signing autographs,香蕉视频直播 he says.

Despite the taste of music fame, being a part of Faber Drive wasn香蕉视频直播檛 bringing Calvin joy in his life. He missed the business side of music. And looking back, he says, the band became too calculated, too formulaic.

香蕉视频直播淚t took the magic out of it,香蕉视频直播 he says.

He left Faber Drive and moved back to Kitimat with his parents to recalibrate, deciding to pursue a future in marketing. Calvin says he made music to create a connection with others, and saw similarities between the two careers.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 what I do today through marketing. Although it香蕉视频直播檚 a completely different job, my approach is the same. There are a lot of parallels,香蕉视频直播 he says.

After leaving Faber Drive, he stopped playing music, and his drums gathered dust in a closet. Calvin was asked to join other bands, including well-known Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepson, but he told them he just couldn香蕉视频直播檛 do it.

After a break, he started to dabble again, working alongside local Kelowna artists including award-winning winemaker Jason Parkes in the band Proper Man.

香蕉视频直播淢y favourite thing to do as a musician is the session work.

I don香蕉视频直播檛 like to be the centre of attention, so I really like being able to add that little something that can really help elevate an already-great artist,香蕉视频直播 he says. 香蕉视频直播淭he goal is to make your music and have as many people hear it as possible. If you can accomplish that, I think that香蕉视频直播檚 the dream 香蕉视频直播 doing what you love to do and finding a way to be able to make that a bigger part of your life.香蕉视频直播

Calvin is currently in a cover band called The Feels, playing an atypical selection, including songs by the Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Beatles and Hall & Oates.

Their website is

To see more of Darren Hull香蕉视频直播檚 photography check out his .



About the Author: Black Press Media Staff

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