Talking to Justin Hines can be a humbling experience. Not that he isn’t a pleasant conversationalist, it’s just his work ethic thing.
Hines, confined from birth to a wheel with a rare genetic joint affliction called Larsen Syndrome, nonetheless maintains a touring, recording and charitable appearance schedule that would floor many a two-legger.
Just this summer, he dropped a second, album, Chasing Silver, went out on tour in support of the release, made appearances of behalf of his charitable foundation and found time to cut a Christmas album, Season's Greetings, which hits the stores Nov.3.
“I like Christmas songs and have had it in back of my mind to do a Christmas album," he says in an interview. "We had a good year, things were humming along and it seemed like a good time to do it. We went in at the end of August and did it in one week”.
The album contains three seasonal originals, the newest being ‘And Then There’s Christmas’, and Hines says how writing Christmas songs is anything but a toboggan ride in the park.
“It’s one of the toughest things to do, write a Christmas song, you have to be respectful of tradition and still try to bring some kind of new meaning or insight to it”.
‘And Then There’s Christmas’ posits the holiday as something to look forward to, a bedrock theme of Hines life and song writing ethos, that the glass is best regarded as half full.
Justin Hines could have made a career out of being the musical poster boy for people with disabilities. Instead he chose the harder road of becoming known as an accomplished musician who just happens to suffer from a major disability. See, at heart the dude’s a muso and you know what they’re like -- it’s all about the music, man.
“I honestly can’t recall thinking of anything else but making music. I’m thankful every day that I have that gift of making music that touches people, that I have that outlet.
“I can express myself through writing a song that a certain amount of people will hear and take things away from.
“I’m often humbled by what they've drawn from the songs. both the light and heavy.
Often they feel compelled to share very personal things in great detail and sometimes I don’t know how to take it. It’s left me with a strong sense of how privileged I am to have the outlet and how much a song can do to help”.
As befitting someone who grew up in a technological cocoon that is a customized, dedicated robochair Hines is a deft hand at many areas of technology and way into pushing the envelope.
This past week he and his team launched The Courage Portraits, a new computer app designed to let people recognize and celebrate individual acts of behavior, large and small, public or personal, heroic and heartbreaking.
The Courage Portraits lets users effortlessly upload images and messages to the tune of Justin’s song, ‘Courage(Come Out To Play)', sharing their unique inspiring gestures of encouragement and hope in an online music video. In effect, making their very personal ‘Courage’ video.
Compassion, determination and technology came together in the development of the Courage Portraits portal, with Hines very much in a hands-on role.
"I did it because people have that need to share and it's for ordinary people to share the courageous and extraordinary in their lives, to celebrate courage by sharing. It’s a place where we can applaud such people and acts of courage.”
Throughout the conversation, Hines never fails to express his gratitude for the position he’s arrived at and his urge to do positive things with it. He’s emotional on the subject of Canada itself, its physical beauty which he’s experienced coast to coast and how experiencing Canada informed his work on the Ontario Tourism TV commercials which made him a household face last summer.
We’ll likely see his beaming visage this winter too, as he’s signed on to do between 10 to 15 appearances along the Olympic Torch Relay route, a gig he’s already relishing with an eye to visiting places he hasn’t seen before. But it’s the music which got him there and he doesn’t lose sight of that.
Hines grew up hearing gives an idea of where he's coming from and includes Willie Nelson, James Taylor and Jim Croce. Among his contemporaries. Among his contemporaries, he’s been compared to Ron Sexsmith.
For the most part, the songs of Justin Hines are thematically about the half full glass and dealing with the pains of life, half full glass or not. Weed whacking your way to higher ground guarantees there will be pains and peril and Hines doesn’t shy away from looking at that. Coming from one who knows about suffering, his music arrives fully loaded with a genuine credibility delivered in a powerhouse voice rich in undertones.
The latest album Chasing (His or the) Chasing Silver carries on with variations on the themes; “Sand Drawn Line” has the resigned defiance of the one who’s called ‘game over’ in a breakup and “It May Be Too Late” casts love as a complicated emotional peep show, is she there, is she not?
"Some of what goes into a song is autobiographical, some I observe happening with people around me; then I develop all that to give it some wider meaning.
“Some of those songs were written around the time of the first album but weren’t intended for that one. The flow on Chasing Silver was very important to which tunes made the album. I wanted it to have a more expansive feel. A big part of capturing that was (producer ) Justin Abedin.. He produced the debut album so he’s a got a feel for arrangements that suit my songs."
While he occasionally goes out as a duo Hines allows his music is best heard in six-piece band format, backed by the same crew he's played with from the outset of his recording career. Though the albums carry his name only, Hines is very much a team guy and not shy about giving shout outs of appreciation.
“I couldn’t do any of this alone. From my parents onward, I've been very fortunate to have positive and committed people around me. My manager Aubrey Winfield is also my co-partner in the Justin Hines Foundation which allows me to use my talents to benefit others in another way."
While physical disabilities are a cause very dear to his heart, Hines points out that the Foundation isn’t aligned with any one group or cause, preferring to assess benevolent-minded agencies on a case-by-case basis. Some of the organisations Justin’s tireless efforts have benefited include March of Dimes and Variety Village
Being part of that activist network keeps him in touch with a wide variety of creative types battling disabilities. One such is NY artist Susan Weinreich who struggled with schizophrenia for 30 years before finding a way out through art. She’s the talent behind the spectacular sunburst painting gracing the cover of Chasing Silver, an image that references the inner strength and dynamic sense of empathy driving Hines.
Nor is he about to slow down anytime soon. With a heightened profile via the Olympics gigs and wider US distribution of his album waiting in the wings for 2010, Hines sees it all as simply more opportunity to spread the word about overcoming obstacles no matter how dire. And putting out intriguing music along the way; there’s a remix of ‘Chasing Silver’ done with a South African vocal group which hints that Hines is looking to stretch out.
Or as he puts it lyrically, “It’s not the height of the wall, it’s the hammer that you swing”.
Hines opens his ‘Christmas’ tour Wednesday Nov.25 at
Hugh’s Room in Toronto, backed by his five-piece touring band.
While the meat of the set is the seasonal stuff, expect a smattering of Hines originals in the key of showcasing the man’s soulful pipes.
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