The spacious Beverly Hills room was nearly claustrophobic with rival singers/songwriters, a reality TV camera crew, a childhood idol, and a neglected grand piano the colour of French vanilla ice cream.
鈥淚 said, 鈥業鈥檒l play,鈥欌�� Jacob William recalls.
He sat at the piano. William was about to sing 鈥淵ou Make My Home,鈥� an original composition of love and regret. Listening was Walter Afanasieff, the songwriter and producer best known for co-writing Mariah Carey鈥檚 鈥淎ll I Want for Christmas Is You.鈥�
But for William, Afanasieff was best known for producing the CD his mother kept in the car: Celine Dion鈥檚 eponymous album.
鈥淏eing a geek,鈥� William was compelled to pore over the liner notes, learning about the studio hands who made Celine Dion sound 鈥渁s awesome as she could.鈥�
He followed Afanasieff鈥檚 career for years until, 鈥渙n a whim,鈥� he discovered the songwriter鈥檚 role with Isina Academy, an international music mentoring company prepping a reality show designed to be 鈥淭he Voice meets Big Brother.鈥�
鈥淚 just applied to it, thinking it鈥檚 probably a scam,鈥� William laughs.
He was flown to Los Angeles and put up at a Beverly Hills mansion, but the real appeal was Afanasieff.
鈥淚 got to meet my idol.鈥�
They met in that Beverly Hills room with the grand piano. And after the other performers hit play on their recordings, William played the piano.
鈥淚 can remember every little second of every little note,鈥� he breathes.
His idol turned to him and called the emotion he put into his music: 鈥渂reathtaking.鈥�
鈥淣ext thing you know I鈥檓 sitting outside having a private word with Walter,鈥� William crows, not seeming to believe it. 鈥淎nd when I say private word, I mean there were also three cameras watching.鈥�
As the grand finale, William and his fellow musicians played in front of 1,500 music fans and industry professionals at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles.
鈥淚t was a dream, the whole six weeks.鈥�
But after the last volley of applause dropped to a hum, life got quiet, Williams says.
While he鈥檚 hopeful the show will air on Netflix before the end of the year, the producers have been 鈥渜uite quiet,鈥� since the Belasco concert.
After meeting some of the producers and songsmiths who shaped the music of Carey and Dion, William was back in Deep Cove, applying for a job at Cactus Club.
鈥淪ometimes I think about it and I get quite heartbroken,鈥� he says.
He鈥檚 a bit torn over whether what happened in Los Angeles was 鈥渢he start of something,鈥� or 鈥渁 really incredible one-off.鈥�
While wondering about the future of his career, he also wondered about focusing too much on himself, and whether that might almost breed 鈥渁 kind of narcissism.鈥�
He talked with Liam Sturgess, the founder of West 麻豆传媒映画independent music label Four Destinations. The two decided to do something 鈥渢hat really wasn鈥檛 about us,鈥� William says.
They came up with the idea of a choir open to all.
With 15 singers ranging from five years old to 82, the choir started their first rehearsal as a 鈥渜uiet murmur.鈥� After an hour, William provided the singers with cake and turned them loose on one of an original ballads and William鈥檚 more up-tempo 鈥淪uperhero Heart,鈥� a tune about how some men grow up like their fathers, strong and proud, 鈥渁nd some grow up like me,鈥� William says.
Born deaf in his right ear, William aspired to be a singer and pianist, 鈥淎nd I could barely talk,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淚 was a little bit of a precocious, delusional child, really.鈥�
The song also references his childhood feeling that, despite being Clark Kent-ish, 鈥淚 thought someday I could be Superman if I work really hard.鈥�
The choir is set for a second rehearsal this Sunday, and anyone interested in celebrating music is welcome, William says.
The plan is to record a single and donate profits from iTunes sales to the BC Children鈥檚 Hospital Foundation. The choir may also perform a Lonsdale Quay concert in May, William says.
By the end of the first rehearsal the 15 disparate singers seemed to get comfortable singing with each other, William says.
鈥淚t was quite victorious,鈥� he says, noting the profound change over two hours. 鈥淚magine what we could do in six weeks.鈥�
