Despite being surrounded by music and musicians while growing up in Winnipeg, Brackendale鈥檚 Cam Salay says he was the last person in his family to become interested in learning to play an instrument.
鈥淚 was more of a sports kid,鈥� said Salay, who went on to play banjo with Juno Award-winning band The Paperboys for nine years. 鈥淏ut my mom played piano and taught choirs all her life. My dad plays saxophone and played in bands when I was growing up. They鈥檇 always be rehearsing in the house.鈥�
Salay鈥檚 brother was also an accomplished guitarist, and his sister earned music degrees in university and became a music teacher.
鈥淚n my family, she is actually the most advanced musically,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut my brother is the most naturally gifted musician. He can play anything just by listening to it.鈥�
Salay didn鈥檛 show a real interest in music until he was well into high school.
鈥淚 was more into hockey and all that,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut when I was around 17, I realized some people played music for a living鈥� that was their job鈥� and it became a goal for me.鈥�
That鈥檚 when he discovered the banjo.
鈥淚t started with the Beverly Hillbillies,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut then I started going to the Winnipeg Folk Festival and fell in love with that kind of music.鈥�
He played in a couple of small folk bands around Winnipeg before moving to Whistler in 1987.
鈥淢y brother had moved out here in 1984 and you know how it goes, I came to visit and ski, and ended up staying 20 years,鈥� Salay said.
It was in Whistler that he met his future band mates in The Paperboys, sitting in with them one night on banjo before being invited into the group.
Now living in Brackendale, regularly performing around the Sea to Sky Corridor and teaching a new generation of musicians, Salay has recruited his family to join him onstage in a couple of upcoming shows.
On Saturday (Dec. 27) at 10 p.m., Salay and brother Joe Jr. will be at the Howe Sound Inn and Brew Pub as The Salay Brothers.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be playing some bluegrass, some folk and a bit of Neil Young,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut, really, it鈥檚 just a warm-up.鈥�
On Jan. 4, Salay and Joe Jr. join their mother and father from Winnipeg, along with Salay鈥檚 wife Colleen, at the Brackendale Art Gallery for a special Salay Family Band show.
鈥淭his is the first time we鈥檝e done something like this out here,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I go back to Winnipeg to visit my folks, we do get together for what they call 鈥楯am with Cam鈥� in my father鈥檚 back yard. But that usually includes other people like my aunt and my dad鈥檚 band mates.鈥�
Salay said his family band plans to play an eclectic mix of music ranging from bluegrass to rock, and he expects his 83-year-old father to show off his saxophone skills.
鈥淢y dad loves to improvise on the horn,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd my mom just recently picked up the bass, so she鈥檒l be on bass for the show. Colleen will be singing.鈥�
In keeping with the 鈥渇amily鈥� theme, sisters Cameron and Lindsay Larson, both Salay鈥檚 guitar students, will open the show.
Tickets for the Salay Family Band show are $15 and available at the BAG or Xocolatl. There鈥檚 no cover for the Salay Brothers鈥� show.
