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INFLUENCES:
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The Beatles
(first & foremost, because they inspired Jeff to learn to play guitar),
Eric Clapton &
Cream,
Taj Mahal,
The Doors,
Fleetwood Mac
(before & after Christine McVie),
Neil Young,
Bruce Cockburn,
Kim Mitchell,
The Tragically
Hip,
Chrissie Hynde &
The Pretenders,
Grand Funk,
Joan Osborne,
Loreena McKennit,
Andreas
Vollenweider, &
Joni Mitchell.
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Jeff McCann was
born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
He grew up in
Calgary, Alberta, but chose to live in an area known as the "Peace Country"
after deciding he preferred a small town atmosphere. The "spirit of the north"
was instrumental in forming the philosophy that McCann embraces in his music
and his lifestyle.
With almost 30
years of experience in "rock 'n roll", Jeff has worked with some of western
Canada's finest musicians, on stage, on the road and in the studio.
McCann lives a
stone's throw from the mighty Peace River, with his wife and family and
performs at venues throughout Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
In addition to his
commitment to music and family, Jeff is also a calligrapher/artist and has a
been a student of Tai Chi for many years, a discipline which has proven
invaluable in his pursuit for "a life of balance and harmony".
In his own
words,...."the positive factors that have contributed to my well-being are
my music, daily practice of Tai Chi and the love of my wife and family. I'm
not looking for wealth or fame, I'm just happy to be doing what I love and to
have some of my music here, online. If fame and wealth come my way,...all the
better!" |
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TAI CHI:
Tai Chi is a series of slow, gentle, dance-like movements
and is often referred to as “meditation in motion”. With regular practice of
Tai Chi, we can balance the energy or “chi” that circulates through-out the
body, and will eventually experience both physical and spiritual well-being.
Tai Chi is referred to as “the national exercise of China”,
and is described by Time magazine as the “perfect” exercise. Styles of Tai Chi
may differ slightly, as a result of the various regions of China (where it
originated) or because of the different “families” who modified the movements
to suit their needs. Regardless of what style of Tai Chi you practise, the
benefits are vast!
There are many beautiful stories
about the origin of Tai Chi...
(Tai Chi information continued
below)
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Tai
Chi (continued):
...the most widely accepted being the one attributed to a Taoist monk named
Chang San Feng who was awakened one night by a “scuffle” in the courtyard.
Curious to discover what the noise was about, Chang San Feng looked out into
the courtyard and saw a “snake and a crane” fighting over a piece of food.
As the “battle”
continued on, Chang San Feng was impressed by how these two adversaries fought
tirelessly throughout the night. The “moves” of both of the snake and
the crane appeared deliberate and focused, “yielding & defending” or
“thrusting & attacking” as necessary.
Chang San Feng mimicked these movements, and created a
series of exercises which soon evolved into Tai Chi. The “Yang” style of Tai
Chi consists of 108 movements, which take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to
complete, depending on the “pace or speed” of the practitioner.
The first time Jeff ever saw Tai Chi
he was a student at the
Alberta College of Art, and during his lunch break, he caught a glimpse of a
fellow showing his friend the movements of Tai Chi. At the time, He had no idea
what the student was doing, but Jeff was fascinated by it. A few months later
he was reading
“The Massage Book” by George Downing & Anne Kent Rush, and came across a
chapter on Tai Chi. It suddenly dawned on him that what he had seen at the art
college was Tai Chi. A couple of years later (1978) he began taking classes at the Edmonton Tai
Chi Chuan Society. The master was Paul Ying Po Mak.
To learn more about Tai Chi visit:
http://worldtaichiday.org/
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