SPECIAL SLED ISLAND FEATURE: Shane Lynch, Volunteer Coordinator

I met Shane a couple of months ago at the last Market Collective where he was set up at a booth promoting Sled Island, recruiting volunteers for the festival. I approached him awkwardly, full of questions and uncomfortable giggles and he assured me that he would remember who I was and make sure I had a spot volunteering for Sled. After a few weeks of dealing with how offensively unorganized and scattered I am, I came to realize that not only is Shane nice, he is also extremely patient.

 

We met up with him at Sled-quarters two days before the festival kicked off and while he was running around like a crazy person trying to get hundreds of volunteers organized, he still managed to spare an hour to eat snacks, drink drinks and tell stories with us.

 

Shane’s involvement with Sled Island Music festival stems from his musical upbringing. With parents who are both musicians and a sister who makes music and acts, his involvement in the arts has been happening since birth. Having listened to vinyl records via headphones while he was in the womb and beginning piano lessons as soon as he was tall enough to reach the keys, music plays a significant role in Shane’s life.  He is a drummer, jazz bass player and appreciator of good sounds.

 

He has toured all over Canada for music and completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at the university of victoria but tells us that he considers Calgary his hometown.

 

Shane is intelligent, talented, organized, easy to talk to and seems to always the right time and place to buy a girl a gin and tonic. If you see him around the festival, say hi. It will be worth it, we promise.

 

Q&A 

What side of the bed do you sleep on?

um. that’s an interesting question. It really depends, you know why that is? Because often I find my bed is agains one wall so I sleep on which ever side the alarm clock is on.

How do you take your coffee?

I don’t drink coffee. I take it without coffee and with chai.

Tupac or Biggie? You knew this one was coming.

I’m going to say Tupac (this is when the two of us girls exchange eye contact because I am so excited that someone has finally said that they like tupac.) and the reason is because my first memory of listening to “gangster rap” was with tupac. I was with my best friend Rod and his uncle took us jet skiing over at little bow and on the way back he was cranking tupac on his big subz and he was  like “this is tupac, he got shot so many times and then makes fun of the people who shot him in his raps” I remember being 13 and so impressed.

Who is your best friend?

Rod.

Still?!

Yeah! I’ve know him since grade three. I have probably four best friends. Rod is the one I’m the closest with.

Where is your happy place?

Hmm that’s a really good question. I like that question. Oh man, I don’t know. I feel like there could be two . I feel like I have two parts to my life. The music stuff and the other stuff. I feel like very different things can make me feel really good so like playing music is a release in any way. Any kind of music and then also for like the other stuff. I like conversations I have long chats with people and I really like the interaction the give and take in a conversation and I think that if I can be about something important its so much nicer to get into more important stuff…it’s more about there’s a tendency to go towards the ideas of human doings and not human beings…so when I’m in that conversation I feel really good…that is a happy place…

I mean, With family.

I love my family

  

What brings you joy?

What brings me real joy is seeing someone in my family do what they do so well and being really proud that I’m related to them. I’m my sister’s biggest fan, I always brag about her, she’s got so much talent, she’s so amazing. I’m so proud of her and I love being in the crowd and being like, “that’s my sister”

 

What are we likely to find you doing at 2pm on a Sunday?

2pm on a Sunday? I guess that depends on what I did on the Saturday.

So on an ideal Sunday, maybe?

Two options, just waking up from a late night out or I am out for Sunday brunch after church with my family.

  

Last movie that made you cry?

Oh man. There’s only a few movies that have ever made me cry. The first movie was mr. holland’s opus

Really? The last move that made you cry was from 1991?

NO that was the first movie that made me cry. The main character is a music teacher and it reminded me of my dad.

I guess the last movie that made me cry was brokedown palace, I watched it by myself and it reminded me of my best friend so It made me cry.

Favourite chick flick?

Ohhh that’s hard. I don’t know! I’ve seen so many! Ive seen tones of chick flicks

One dvd that I have in my collection would be what women want

With Mel Gibson?

Yeahhh with Mel Gibson! It’s so awesome he can read their minds! If I had that, I’d be set.

I’ve seen tons of rom coms because I enjoy relationship things

Song you aren’t proud to admit that you love?

Will smith, “Getting Jiggy With It”

Is that the one where he says, “I gotta prada bag with a lotta stuff in it”

Yeah. I know that song.

Most romantic thing you’ve ever done?

One time, for valentines day, my girlfriend at the time was visiting me in Victoria and so I took her out for dinner and I had my friend get the key to my apartment and I had candles everywhere and rose petals everywhere so that when we came back from dinner, everything was set up

That’s like, proposal worthy.

Sometimes, I go a little over the top. I like to put a little effort into those things…I’m a bit of a romantic.

What is your best quality?

I think that I’m sensitive. That I’m a sensitive person, that I really ultimately try to hear where people are coming from and trying to understand where they are at try to be empathetic, try to be sensitive to the vibe people are putting out.

If you closed your eyes tonight and woke up tomorrow with your ideal life, what would it look like?

I’m pretty happy with what’s going on right now. I don’t think there would be much different. If I could do more financially for my family that would be great.

If I won the lottery I think first, how much would it be and how much would I give to my parents and my sister.

I love my life.

I’d wake up the same.

On whatever side of the bed the alarm clock is on.

 

 How do you feel about tree houses?

How do I feel about them? I feel pretty good thanks. Next question

What is your favourite type face/ do you care about type faces?

Oh like font? Recently I’ve really been enjoying “Chalk duster” I’m like, “oh ! this looks like a chalk board.”

 

What is your karaoke song?

Oh man.

Did I tell you what mine was?

No! what is it??

“Forgot About Dre.”

I don’t frequent karaoke bars but I think if I had to, I’d probably sing um….”Wonderwall by Oasis”

Do you wear a helmet when you ride your bike?

 I have a plethora of helmets…5 helmets actually. I have two motor cycles and one bicycle

Last question, what is your favourite ethnicity?

 What?!

Of food! Of food!

Hahha I love german food because my mom is German.

see more info on Sled Island at http://www.sledisland.com

You can also follow Shane on twitter! His handle is @shane_anisms