by Connie Tabbert
Editor
WESTMEATH — Terry McLeish continues to be an award winning song writer, this time with his song Old Canadian Guy, which has not yet been officially released.
“It’s about a typical old guy and the things they do that kind of bugs us,” he said. “One of the lines is, Like my right signal light has been flashing for an hour or two, or I like to drive in the passing lane even though I never pass; that kind of stuff.”
He retires, wonders what he’s going to do and decides to become an obtuse, Old Canadian Guy, Mr. McLeish explains.
Chuckling, he said when he performs the song on stage, the women look at the man beside them and nod their head or elbow-nudge him in the side.
“It’s really kind of funny to watch people as I sing the song,” Mr. McLeish recalled.
He knows the people are listening to the song while he sings it because people are laughing in all the right places.
Mr. McLeish entered the Old Canadian Guy into the Great American Song Contest (GASC) and placed in the top five in the Folk/Americana division.
“It’s great to get that far,” he said.
The GASC is an international competition held each year. Since he began entering in 2011, he has been a finalist every year in at least one category. But this isn’t the only competition he enters. He has been a finalist as well in the British Songwriting Competition, the International Songwriting Competition and the International Acoustic Music Awards.
He noted in last year’s GASC, there were 12,000 songs entered in various categories from writers in 120 countries.
“I send in a couple of songs every year,” he said.
Mr. McLeish always feels “nice” when he’s told he did well in a song-writing competition. He is being judged by peers and people in the music industry.
“It’s an appreciation of my work from my peers in the industry.
“One time I even received emails from two judges because they were so moved by my song,” he recalled.
A songwriter since he was in his 20s, and now he’s retired, Mr. McLeish said the only other musician in his family is his brother, who plays the ukulele.
“There’s no history of music on my mother or father’s side,” he said.
Recalling a funny story, he said as a young girl his mother won a guitar with ,palm trees painted on it for memorizing and reciting a bible verse every Sunday for a year.
“I found that guitar one day in a closet, with rusty old strings on it, some strings missing,” he recalled. “I would lug that thing around and sit with it on my knee. It all started from there.”
He said family friend Wesley Mathers was the first person he heard play the guitar while singing Walk On By and “I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Writing songs isn’t something Mr. McLeish thinks about a lot, it just sort of happens. The songs come to him through experiences, listening to people, watching people, and what’s going on around him. As an example, he noted his latest song is about the last trains going through the Ottawa Valley.
“It’s probably going to be the last train song ever written in Renfrew County,” he said. “Now there’s no wrong side of the track to live on anymore. We’re all on the same side of the track.”
However, he admits, while the essence of many songs is a failed relationship, his are about everyday life.
“I have to be inspired and I’m inspired by everyday life,” he admitted.
“I’m so particular with my song-writing,” he said. “I used to try and be so prolific and write a lot of songs. Now, I don’t waste my time unless I know it’s a keeper.”
Going back to the train song, Mr. McLeish said he and Killaloe-area performer Ish Theilheimer travelled Algonquin Park talking to people who used to run the trains. When it was over, Mr. Theilheimer wrote 14 songs while Mr. McLeish wrote one.
“I don’t write pop songs,” he said. “I write about the every day person and life and things that move me,” he said.
While some writers have formulas to their song writing, Mr. McLeish says he doesn’t.
“I write whatever I need to express the song,” he said.
Explaining, he said the chorus could be the first part of the song he writes and then the verses flow.
Mr. McLeish is in the recording studio working on his latest album, with the expected release date of late summer.
“Five songs on his last album all won awards,” he said.
His popular songs Fitted Sheets and the Queens Purse were both sent to British Songwriting awards. He chuckles, noting Fitted Sheets was a finalist while the Queens Purse didn’t make the list.
The new album, which will feature Old Canadian Guy, also has songs he may consider entering in future competitions as well.
Mr. McLeish has also entered the computer-age with his writing.
“At one time I used to keep a notebook with me and write down things when they came to me,” he said. “Then I had a small tape recorder. Now, there’s an app on my cell phone, like a tape recorder, that I put ideas onto it.”
He also uses a computer to write the songs because it’s much easier and neater to do a rewrite or make changes.
During his working years, Mr. McLeish didn’t write as much as he would have liked because he was playing in bands, so it was always other people’s songs he would have to learn.
“Now that I’m retired, I just play my own music,” he said.
Mr. McLeish enjoys performing on stage at folk clubs and festivals as opposed to bars where the performer is just back ground noise.
“I like to play where the audience likes to listen,” he said.
It’s unfortunate there aren’t many places where he can perform in the Upper Ottawa Valley, which is where he gets his inspiration for writing.
Mr. McLeish will be performing at the Eganville Historic Group Dinner on April 18 at the Eganville Legion; the Ottawa Grassroots Festival on April 25; at the Gaia-Java Company in Stittsville on May 1 and on May 9 at the Ontario Woodlot Conference, Upper Ottawa Valley at 1646 Lake Dore Road.
If you would like to book Mr. McLeish for your entertainment, check out his website terrymcleish.com.
“I’m available to play locally, house parties, fundraisers,” he said. “I love playing in the Ottawa Valley.”
