Today’s Passionisto is Nigel Inneo, a Ryerson Arts and Contemporary Studies student whose love for music has not only taken him to venues throughout Toronto, but also to the streets. From his days as a kid in musical theatre, he has always had a passion for music, and after discovering the guitar, he hasn’t been able to put it down since. Coming from Niagara Falls, he was excited to move to the city to pursue music and surround himself with an inspirational atmosphere and people to jam with. It was great hearing about his musical influences and where he’d like music to take him — he even mentioned an interest in writing jingles. Well, wherever he ends up, I’m looking forward to hearing more from him!
Name: Nigel Inneo
Passion: Playing guitar, singing, and song-writing
Year: Sophomore
CollegeFashionista: When were you first exposed to the world of music?
Nigel Inneo: When I was very young, I was doing musical theatre. So I think initially I was into musicals; West Side Story, Sound of Music, things like that. So I was definitely singing and dancing at a young age. I probably wasn’t very developed, but at least the seed was planted.
CF: When did you first pick up a guitar?
NI: I think around 12. It teased me for a while and it was on and off. My fingers weren’t big enough to play the guitar and I was always frustrated as a kid growing up because I could never figure it out. At one point I was convinced I would never play the guitar, and then in high school, I locked myself in a room for days and days and forced myself to play. I feel like you learn music by playing it.
CF: How would you describe your sound?
NI: I guess my sound is rooted deeply in the past. I try to use my voice to channel those voices from the early sixties and I'm not too concerned with contemporary sound. I'm trying to capture a bit of what made that music so special.
CF: How have you been able to develop your passion for music?
NI: I started getting serious about guitar just at the end of high school. I just wanted to be exposed to music and I knew Toronto had a lot to offer. So I think I pursued it by going out to a lot of open mics and playing with friends. I just took it upon myself to be exposed to as much music as I can.
CF: What is it like performing in Toronto?
NI: I’ve had some interesting performances; there are definitely some good shows and I’ve had some dud crowds too, but I’ve had people dancing at times. You can’t really control that, you just have to give what you have to offer. I think all in all, you get good support from people who are there for the same reasons.
CF: Where do you hope to end up?
NI: I want to write good songs and I want to be a busy musician. I like the idea of ghost writing too.
Take a listen to Nigel's music here: http://soundcloud.com/nigel-inneo.
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