The Music in the Park series in Barry’s Bay begins June 26 with a performance by Christian Whelan.
Whelan said after serving in the military for 28 years, he’s now settled in Petawawa and is pursuing music more formally, though he’s been playing guitar and singing for more than 40 years.
He’s been all over the world during his time with the military and while pursuing musical opportunities, but the Ottawa Valley has always drawn him back.
The Barry’s Bay area was home for Whelan and his wife at one point, and he’s looking forward to returning to the community for his performance.
Whelan performs his own original work, in a style he said is referred to as “modern percussive finger style.”
“What that entails is utilizing the guitar to play all parts of the song simultaneously, so I would play the percussion, the baseline and the accompanying rhythm line and/or melody line, while singing at the same time,” he said.
Whelan has produced one album you can listen to on Bandcamp, with another album currently in the works.
His website is whelanguitar.com.
