Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Halcyon Gray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Halcyon , thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to pursue a professional singing career. My parents put me into baby music classes when I was 12 months old and it simply stuck! From then on, my life was surrounded by music; whether it was my mom playing her guitar, listening to the Top 40 charts each week, or my dad burning me special CD’s with pop classics so I could appreciate the artists that blazed the trail for us aspiring artists.

When Jojo (Levesque) first came on the scene in 2004, I was an instant fan! I would sing along, and pretend I was preforming for a stadium full of fans. No one could tell me I was only performing for my stuffed animals. From then on, singing and performing for people became my passion and dream!

I started singing in competitions in 2006 and I was a little shy being only six years old at the time; but, it allowed me to build a relationship with the stage.

Then in 2008, Camp Rock was released on Disney starring Demi Lovato and I wanted to be just like her! I was already in love with music, and singing; but after this film, it was as if I knew there was nothing else in the world that I wanted to pursue. Performing was already my dream, but now, I was determined to make it my reality. I took my competitions more seriously and wanted to continue improving so that I could take on bigger performances.

Halcyon , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began my musical journey very young. My parents put me into music classes when I was twelve months old and it stuck! From then on, my life revolved mostly around music; my parents continuously exposed me to different artists, instruments, and other elements of performing arts. They encouraged me to cultivate and grow my interest from a very early age. I began taking private singing, guitar, and piano lessons around the age of six, and later that year, I began competing in local competitions around the Edmonton area.

I remained in the competition circuit until I was seventeen and it helped shape my performance skills immensely. I was able to try out different ways of performing and get feedback from not only judges, but audiences as a whole. During these years, I was also lucky enough to travel for some memorable musical firsts in my career. When I was fifteen, I was invited to Los Angeles, where I recorded my very first E.P. and filmed my first ever music video! A little over a year later, I was invited to New Jersey to write and record another single. Both of these experiences were full of excitement, they taught me so much about a career in music, and I loved every second.

After leaving competitions, I decided to rebrand myself to earn a degree of separation between the competition singer who was developing her artist self, and the fully realized artist; but, that’s not to say I feel as though I’m done growing, because I don’t think we’re ever done evolving.
In 2019, I was fortunate enough to work with Ryan Stewart in Vancouver to write and record five songs. Those five songs are so special to me, and they were my reintroduction as an artist.
In 2020, I received the FACTOR Juried Sound Recording grant which helped me also produce four music videos for my project with Ryan Stewart, and ultimately fund the project further.

When it comes to a live Halcyon Gray show, you can expect a lot of energy! I’ve been described as a “theatrical pop singer” by some audience members, and I find that description amusing but accurate. A very important aspect of performing for me is storytelling every song, and I try to express that through my emotions, movements and even the tone I use. Bringing the listener into my world of fun, and slight chaos is what makes performing so fulfilling: you’re able to experience an energy exchange between you and the audience.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the main reasons I love music is because I find it healing. No matter if you’re happy, sad, or even anxious, there is a song that can relate to your situation, and that is powerful. It can be comforting to sit back, listen and feel your emotions more clearly. Since music has not only inspired me, but helped me get through tough situations, I want to be able to pay it forward. There’s nothing more gratifying than knowing one of your songs has touched someone. I wrote a song for my grandparents when I was sixteen, and I’ll never forget one women who came up to me after a performance; she had tears in her eyes, told me how it made her think of her family, and thanked me. It was such a genuine moment and it’s truly the moments like that that mean the most to me.
Whether I release a happy song, or a sad song, I hope to evoke some sort of emotion in the listener. In my live show I hope to make that connection even more so. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to have my music connect with someone.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One of the hardest decisions I’ve come up against so far, was my decision to forego university. There seems to be such pressure today that after you graduate high school, you have to go to post secondary, get a degree, and get a job: and I’ve had quite a few people question my decision not to go.

Throughout school I had always done very well. I was an honour student, and it seemed like I had plenty of options in a post-secondary world; the only issue was, my heart was telling me it would be a mistake.
Since I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue music professionally, I had doubts that university was the right path for me. Most programs are geared towards classical music, whereas my career is based in pop music, and performance.

This may come as a shock to some, but the idea of studying another subject, and having a backup plan wasn’t overly exciting to me either. I felt like that avenue would have put my goals on hold, and I wasn’t ready to do that.
The spring before I graduated from high school, I traveled to Ben Lomond, CA to partake in a songwriting retreat, and it was there that I truly felt empowered to listen to my heart and continue fostering my career. Being surrounded by such creative minds, and learning not only about writing, but the music business as a whole was what really helped me feel confident in the decision not to go to university.

There is no one pathway to success and though post secondary is a great, rewarding path to take, it is not for everyone. As long as you have goals, and you’re doing everything you can to reach them: you can carve your own successful future.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halcyon_gray/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HalcyonGrayMusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9__kh-91jkax-ZdC2bccbg?app=desktop&sub_confirmation=1
• Other: https://linktr.ee/halcyongray https://www.tiktok.com/@halcyongray

Image Credits
Taija Grey Tyler McIntyre Aesthetic Magazine