<<<<< Click on the video to be entertained while learning about Musical Sensation, Kenny DesChamp!
Kenny's Bio
- Picking up his first guitar at the age of nine years old, Kenny took lessons from Gerry Guyatt at Musicland.
- Kenny became a member of the choir of Christ Church Anglican in Bridgenorth.
- As a young teen, he began singing and playing his music more formally with a debut at the Rock Haven Motor Hotel in support of the Rotary Club.
- Kenny played bass with the legendary Joe Henderson in his band called Jawbone for three years.
- He played in a band called Parnell and toured extensively across Ontario and the Maritimes.
- Kenny was also a member of Blind Stone Bridge, Judge, Rumours, and Flyer.
- He launched a recording career under the direction of Cyril Rawson. Three singles were released: All Alone, The Vision, and You. All Alone received a lot of airplay across the country and was playlisted on Canadian Charts.
- In 1979 Kenny enrolled at the University of Guelph to study English Literature in a Bachelor of Arts Program. He performed live on campus and in the greater Guelph community.
- Kenny was a musical guest on the renowned Smith and Smith Variety Show starring Steve Smith otherwise later known as Red Green!
- In 1982, it was off to Queen’s University at Kingston to pursue a Bachelor of Music Honours Degree with majors in voice and composition. Here a solo act was perfected in order to support himself for the next four years of university.
- Kenny played in clubs with Barry Dale who had just completed the long-running, nationally syndicated weekly children’s T.V. Show titled Harrigan.
- Kenny entertained tourists from around the world with his singing aboard The Island Queen, a Thousand Islands Tour Boat.
- Upon the successful completion of his Bachelor of Music Honours Degree, Kenny entered the university’s “Artist in the Community Education Program” at the Bachelor of Education Faculty where he became heavily involved in student radio and dramatic productions.
- He composed, wrote, orchestrated, and was the Artistic Director of an original children’s musical, Keavis and the Son, which received rave reviews throughout the greater Kingston area. In his final year at Queen’s University in 1986, Kenny became a music therapist for children with emotional difficulties at Sunnyside Children’s Centre.
- In 1986 Kenny accepted a music teaching position at Westhill Senior Public School in Elliot Lake, Ontario. Here, he developed a unique music curriculum for 300 Intermediate students in a general classroom setting.
- During his time in Elliot Lake, Kenny began a long-distance collaboration with Patricia Young at St. Peter’s Secondary School. In collaboration with her drama students, he created a student-driven dance drama entitled, “Illuminations”. It was performed live at St. Peter’s Auditorium in the spring of 1989 and was subsequently entered into the Sears Drama Festival where Kenny received an award for music composition.
- In 1989 The Peterborough County Board of Education offered Kenny a Music, Drama, and English teaching position at Crestwood Secondary School. He remained in this position until his retirement on January 31st, 2014.
- During his teaching career, he directed the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Stage Band, Jazz Choir, and Choir. Several drama productions in concert with fellow teacher, local director, and community volunteer, Rob Steinman, included both classic and original musicals which were all highly regarded and well-received by Peterborough audiences.
- Published titles included: The Mirror Game for which Kenny composed an original score, Godspell, and Babes in Arms. Kenny’s fourth collaboration with Steinman at Crestwood was an original musical collage titled Language of Love. This project invited and encouraged creative input from all student performers.
- In 1993, Kenny earned the position of Music Department Head which he held until he took a teaching position in the English Department at the school. In this new role, Kenny became responsible for overseeing and coaching student submissions to the Lakefield Literary Festival.
- Kenny offered his musical talent outside of the school in an annual fundraising campaign for Teachers for Kids by providing music with other local musicians. His role as teacher advisor to Crestwood’s Gay-Straight Alliance was demonstrated in Kenny’s all-inclusive philosophy.
- He never forgot his musical roots and continued to promote and perform live music throughout his teaching career in and around Peterborough.
- Kenny has performed with Robin Hawkins, Danny Bronson, Barry Haggarty, Terry Finn, Brent Bailey, Earl Wilfong, William Hamilton and Bobby Brioux. His recording career included radio jingles with Brian Brown, the 1996 Memorial Cup theme song, Raise the Cup, and vocal interpretations by songwriter Roy Williams and many other prominent artists.
- Kenny was named Male Vocalist of the Year at the DRB Music Awards in 2010. In 2012 The Cadillacs, of which Kenny is a member as vocalist and bassist, won best cover band at the Peterborough WIRE Awards.
- Kenny participated in the annual Easter Seals Telethon live on CHEX-TV with Terry Finn and Senior Citizens were given respite by Kenny and others while they were awaiting emergency lodging during the flood of 2004. As well, live concerts on the lot at No Frills benefitted many local flood victims.
- Annually, Kenny also volunteers to entertain at the Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Fundraising Campaign.
- Kenny remains active in the musical community and performs and records regularly with other local musicians and artists. Among others, Kenny performs with The Cadillacs, The Classic Collective, Judged, The Bridgenorth Boys, Melvyn Kay & Company, and Rye Street.
