Bio of Brian Thomas, Celtic-folk songwriter and storyteller

Brian Thomas is a Celtic-folk songwriter from Surrey, British Columbia. Across cultures and
generations, music has been a vehicle for storytelling, and Brian's songs have sought to
re-capture that tradition. His peaceful, melodic music frames touchingly human stories and
lyrics packed with imagery. Brian blends together finger-style guitar, hammered dulcimer,
piano, recorders, and deep, warm vocals to create a refreshingly original sound.

Brian had no formal music training as a child, and only
began making music when he first picked up a guitar at
the age of 17. In the years since, he has learned to play
more than ten other instruments, and has written almost a
hundred original songs.

The stories of his third CD release, Prairie Rain, come
with very few words spoken. Mostly instrumental, this
album conveys stories through the sounds of the ten
musical instruments that Brian plays. The hammered
dulcimer, a recent addition to his musical pallet, takes
center stage in several songs, including the title track.

Brian says, "One of the greatest challenges as a musician is to be able to convey emotions
and pictures in music, and doing that with instrumental songs is even more difficult. How
do you make a piano sound like a baby waking up, or a guitar sound like a hawk flying, or a
dulcimer sound like a rainstorm? That's what I was trying to achieve in this project." The
inspiration for much of Prairie Rain's music came from a journey Brian took with his wife to
Scotland and Ireland in the summer of 2006, including a five-day stay on the profoundly
spiritual island of Iona. Other songs were written for weddings, both his own and those of
friends.

Prairie Rain is the continuation of Brian's story told through music, which began with his
first two CDs, Storybook and Dancing in the Desert. Storybook is a personal expression of
the deep emotions he experienced when he lost a loved one. Each song is a story, and
though the main character changes in each song, they are all representative of the Brian's
journey through love, loss, grief, and walking on. One critic stated this regarding one of
Storybook's songs, The Forsaken Merman: "Without meaning to be fulsome I have simply
never encountered a more beautiful folk song. The song is tasteful, textured and even
heart-rending. You will seldom spend time more prudently, than in giving this beautiful
piece an audience. The more often I listen, the more enchanted I become."

Dancing in the Desert, Brian's second album, is a collection of
nine worship songs written while searching for peace in the
midst of a time of struggle. Like a majestic, triumphant shout
from the top of a mountain, this CD is the uplifting, joyful
chapter of Brian's story.

Brian is happily married, and has two young daughters. He
teaches Grade 6 in Richmond, and hopes to one day compose
and conduct a choral symphony.