The Real Conrad "Black"

By Conrad Gayle

The Real Conrad "Black" is a sociological analysis of one's life through the lens of race, faith and popular culture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Conrad Gayle
• Release date: Jun 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476265186

Conrad Gayle

Conrad Gayle was born on November 22nd, 1980 by parents of Jamican heritage. From a young age he was immersed in music, preferring to play records and tapes from his family's collection of music instead of children's toys. By the age of six, Conrad's parents enrolled him in piano lessons in which from day one he would start and continue his development to becoming a successful pianist. In 1999, upon acceptance to York University, Conrad decided to stop playing the piano for good, until a choice encounter at a church event two years later where he felt the call on his life to pick the piano up again, but for good this time. Well into his studies, he would take elective courses in jazz performance and theory at York University, in addition to obtaining an honours degree in Sociology. During the years of jazz study has studied with the likes of Sundar Viswanathan, Mark Eisenman, Al Henderson, Barry Elmes, and Richard Whiteman. He would even continue private studies after university, studying with Dave Restivo, Mike Janzen, and Rita Di Ghent on vocal technique upon discovering his new found talent as a jazz vocalist. Currently, Conrad has self produced demos, an EP of solo piano music called "Genesis" and a live album called "The Live Sessions 09/10". He is currently in the works to produce a full length studio recording of original jazz music called "Basics", slated for release sometime in 2013. In addition to his recorded achievements, he is really active performing in special events, intimate live venues, and being a skillfull accompanist in churches all across the Greater Toronto Area.

Book preview

CON-RADICAL MUSIC

The Real Conrad Black

By Conrad Gayle

Copyright 2011 Conrad Gayle

Published on Smashwords

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Contents

Introduction

On Race

Music

On Commerce

On Finances and Giving

Friends

Family

Faith

Education

Epilogue

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INTRODUCTION

Life in this world can be one complicated mess. Being men of great ideals, we can allow our own expectations to crush us, disillusion us, or make us become better in how we shape and view our lives. We try to make sense of the pervasive messages that bombard us in our society through culture; including fleshly desires and the evil forces within that trip us up and make us into something that we really don’t want to be inside.

For me, it is amazing that I have been through hell and back and I am only 30 years old. The hell is that my very ideals of the Judeo-Christian perspective were challenged, wrought, and brought to the surface to the point that I had breakdowns, major inner hurts, and see the good, bad, and ugly sides of life. Today, I am striving to learn from it all and live a new life above it all.

This is an autobiography, but not an autobiography that is a story