Through The Fire: Recent Episodes
Don Amero
Through the Fire is a podcast and video series about overcoming adversity, re-framing misfortune, and celebrating courage hosted by country musician Don Amero. Guests will share their stories from 'fire to fortune' as listeners live through their moments of courage and lessons learned along the way. When we approach difficult discussions with kindness and love, we can face the complexity of being human together.
Host Don Amero looks back on his first 20+ episodes of the Through the Fire podcast. Thinking about the "fires" that have been confronted on this show and the tools people have shared as they emerge from difficult times, Don shares some personal updates with the audience ahead of a summer break. Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/donamero Find out more about the Through the Fire Podcast: https://donamero.ca/through-the-fire-podcast/ https://www.instagram.com/throughthefirepod/ https://www.tiktok.com/@throughthefirepod https://www.instagram.com/donamero/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thedonamero https://twitter.com/donaldamero
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Host Don Amero sits down for an in-depth conversation with third-generation singer-songwriter, Kelly Prescott. While there are many laughs and memories of when they first met, Kelly recounts a scary time for her family and reflects on a past relationship that was difficult to navigate. She finds gratitude through it all! As a third-generation singer-songwriter and bona fide country music blueblood, Prescott’s career choice has always been obvious. But the speed at which the wildly charismatic performer has realized her goals has been extraordinary. Find out more about Kelly: https://www.kellyprescottmusic.com/ Follow along with Kelly on Instagram (especially for CP Holiday Train content) @KellyPrescottMusic Find out more about the Through the Fire Podcast: https://donamero.ca/through-the-fire-podcast/ https://www.instagram.com/throughthefirepod/ https://www.tiktok.com/@throughthefirepod https://www.instagram.com/donamero/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thedonamero https://twitter.com/donaldamero Listen to Don Amero's music: https://donamero.lnk.tt/ATLEM
Host Don Amero sits down with Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman & Governor of Truth North Sports & Entertainment (Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club) and his daughter Sarah Howe, a med-school student who currently sits as Chair of the Board of the North Point Douglas Women's Centre in Winnipeg Manitoba. Mark also serves as the Governor of the Winnipeg Jets on the NHL’s Board of Governors. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Mark attended St. Paul’s High School and later, the University of North Dakota where he played varsity football while earning an Honors B.A. in Economics and a Juris Doctorate in Law. Mark entered the business of professional hockey in 1996 and led the team that developed Canada Life Centre and ultimately the acquisition and relocation of the NHL Atlanta Thrashers. The club was re-named the Winnipeg Jets by Mark at the 2011 NHL entry draft. In December of 2016, Mark was named to the Executive Committee of the NHL’s Board of Governors. Mark has been the recipient of the AHL's James C. Hendy and Thomas Ebright awards as well as the Order of Manitoba and the University of North Dakota’s Sioux Award. In addition to his business and hockey interests, Mark is actively involved in a number of community efforts. He established the True North Youth Foundation in 1996 and founded Gonzaga Middle School in 2016. Mark was named to the Selection Committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019 and is the Chairman of the Winnipeg Downtown Community Safety Partnership. Sarah Howe (maiden name Chipman), was born and raised in Winnipeg. She moved to Toronto in 2014 where she met her husband Jake, and the two of them have since moved back to Winnipeg. Sarah completed a bachelor's degree with honours in Kinesiology and was accepted into a Master of Science program at the University of Manitoba. However, she recently decided to pursue her career as a private chef. Sarah started her company, Sarah Howe Creative Ltd., during the pandemic as a way to offer a unique experience while we were all stuck at home. She started out by offering online cooking classes, where ingredients were delivered to each participant's home, and the class was taught on Zoom. Since then, she has grown her business to offer private dinners, catering for parties, custom meal prep, and is working on a cookbook. Sarah is also the Chair of the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre, and is involved with many community organizations. She founded Soulfull Meetings, a support group that has grown to partner with the Women’s Health Clinic, providing weekly support to those struggling with eating disorders.If you are struggling with an eating disorder, please visit some resources: https://edfc.ca/resources-2/ https://nedic.ca/ https://www.camh.ca/en/professionals/treating-conditions-and-disorders/eating-disorders Find out more about Mark Chipman: https://www.tnse.com/staff/mark-chipman/ Find out more about Sarah Howe: https://www.npdwc.org/our-board.html Find out more about the Through the Fire Podcast: https://donamero.ca/through-the-fire-podcast/ Follow the Through the Fire Podcast on Instagram @ThroughTheFirePod Follow the Through the Fire Podcast on TikTok @ThroughTheFirePod Follow Don Amero on Instagram @DonAmero Follow Don Amero on TikTok @TheDonAmero Follow Don Amero on Twitter @DonaldAmero Listen to Don Amero's music: https://donamero.lnk.tt/ATLEM
On this episode of Through the Fire, host Don Amero meets country singer-songwriter Cadence Grace for the first time. Also a member of the freshly re-united Runaway Angel, Cadence tells Don about her surprise battle with Leukemia and how coming through the fire of this diagnosis formed her new outlook on music and life. The Whitby-born, now Courtice, Ontario resident retraces every setback through blood transfusions, experimental treatments, and finally a Bone Marrow transplant with ease now, hoping her story can inspire others. Find out more about Cadence: https://www.cadencegrace.com/ Find Leukemia survival / transplant resources here: https://loveandleukemia.ca/ Grab tickets to see Runaway Angel reunite at their upcoming industry showcase HERE. Follow Cadence on Instagram HERE. Follow Cadence on Twitter HERE. Find out more about the Through the Fire Podcast: https://donamero.ca/through-the-fire-podcast/ Watch the Through the Fire Podcast Video Series HERE. Follow the Through the Fire Podcast on Instagram HERE. Follow the Through the Fire Podcast on TikTok HERE. Follow Don Amero on Instagram HERE. Follow Don Amero on TikTok HERE. Follow Don Amero on Twitter HERE. Listen to Don Amero's music: https://donamero.lnk.tt/ATLEM
Jeremy Dutcher is a performer, composer, activist, and musicologist. His music transcends boundaries: unapologetically playful in its incorporation of classical influences, full of reverence for the traditional songs of his home, and teeming with the urgency of modern-day struggles of resistance. A member of Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Jeremy first did music studies in Halifax before working in the archives at the Canadian Museum of History, painstakingly transcribing Wolastoq songs from 1907 wax cylinders. Jeremy heard ancestral voices singing forgotten songs and stories that had been taken from the Wolastoqiyik generations ago. As he listened to each recording, he felt his own musical impulses stirring from deep within. Long days at the archives turned into long nights at the piano, feeling out melodies and phrases, deep in dialogue with the voices of his ancestors. These "collaborative" compositions appear on his debut LP Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. Delicate, sublime vocal melodies ring out atop piano lines that cascade through a vibrant range of emotions. The anguish and joy of the past erupt fervently into the present through Jeremy's bold approach to composition and raw, affective performances enhanced by his outstanding tenor techniques. Read more about Jermey Dutcher and connect with his social accounts HERE.
Host Don Amero sits down for a conversation with acclaimed family entertainer, singer/songwriter, composer, actor, writer, author, TV host and keynote speaker, Fred Penner. With a career spanning forty-five years, he touches on everything from entertaining children's audiences to dealing with the grief of losing his sister and father at a young age in this intimate conversation. His diverse repertoire includes a prolific 12 Children’s Albums, countless energetically packed live shows for throngs of eager audiences across North America, composing the music for APTN/YTV’s Tipi Tales, and writing the score and hosting the TV documentary The Simple Way (focused on the relevant, world-wide topic of voluntary simplicity). He has, without a doubt, established himself as a fundamental part of the North American family entertainment scene. A devoted father of four, lessons learned through the challenges and rewards of parenthood are translated into all that he does. His pre-music experience working with troubled youth set the stage for what was to come; providing an understanding of the trauma of child abuse and the ability of music to heal. Those learnings, along with the untimely passing of his 12- year-old sister with Down’s Syndrome and subsequent passing of his father a year later, sparked a period of deep soul-searching and life-changing decisions. Inspired by his sister’s pure love of music, the man who had planned to become an economist, made a choice to become a performer. Lucky for us, he did. More than the music, the two-time Juno winner (equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Children’s Album, Fred Penner’s Place (1985) and Sing with Fred (2004) and eight-time nominee’s body of work is about energy and emotional connection. The guy who crawled magically out of that hollow log for 12 seasons and more than 900 episodes in the hit CBC TV show Fred Penner’s Place receives fan mail to this day from some of the 55 million American viewers where the show ran for four years on the Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr.. Always building on a common theme rooted in integrity and a “belief in what I can do” he has created a lasting impact that crosses the generations and continues to grow. His visibility has allowed him the privilege and joy of using his voice to “bring something of value” as a spokesperson for organizations like UNESCO, World Vision, UNICEF and the National Conference on Down Syndrome. In 2005, Fred journeyed to Zambia, Africa with World Vision to host a program for Child Sponsorship in the Western World. A humanitarian always conscious of the “delicate balance required to create a positive influence that fosters healthy self-esteem in the life of a child”, his work is infused with a steadfast commitment to communicating with children and families in a clear, non-condescending way. “More than just fun”, this multi-talented artist has the wisdom and humility to know that the importance and the meaning of what he does can reach deeply into the lives of others. Read more about Fred and follow him on social media HERE. Some resources for loss and grief: For bereaved parents: https://tcfcanada.net/articles-2/the-bereaved-parent/ https://www.mygrief.ca/ Find some resources related to alcohol abuse here: https://www.ccsa.ca/
Don Amero welcomes multiple JUNO and CCMA Award-winning entertainer, Dallas Smith to the Through the Fire Podcast. Episode three was taped live at Country Music Week ahead of the 2022 CCMA Awards in Calgary, AB. Dallas Smith is one of the most celebrated artists in Canadian country music. Amassing 18 Canadian Gold-certified singles, four Canadian Gold-certified albums, and seven Canadian Platinum-certified singles along with more than 500 MILLION collective streams to date and 2 MILLION global album equivalents. Smith is also the first and only Canadian country artist in the Nielsen BDS era to have TWELVE #1 singles, including four consecutive chart-toppers from the same album, and closed out 2019 as the most played artist (domestic/international) at Canadian country radio for the year. Adding to the list of accolades, Smith is the sole Canadian country artist in the Nielsen BDS and Mediabase era to earn TWELVE #1 songs in history and have 23 consecutive singles peak in the Top 10 of the country airplay chart. Smith is the three-time CCMA Award winner for Entertainer of the Year (2019/2020/2021), continuing to set the bar high for Country music in all that he does. In 2021, Smith launched the Lifted Dallas Smith Charitable Foundation – a non-profit organization committed to ensuring that mental health services are accessible to anyone and everyone in need. Here are some other mental health resources: Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and Addiction – https://www.ccsa.ca Canadian Center for Addiction – https://canadiancentreforaddictions.org Canadian Mental Health Association – https://cmha.ca Mood Disorders Society of Canada – https://mdsc.ca Centre for Addiction and Mental Health – https://www.camh.ca
Christa Couture is an award-winning performing and recording artist, non-fiction writer, filmmaker and broadcaster. She is also proudly Indigenous (mixed Cree and Scandinavian), queer, disabled, and a mom. Over the course of her acclaimed career, Christa has become known, unenviably, as an expert in loss: singing, speaking and writing about the childhood cancer that led to the amputation of her left leg, abortion, and the tragic deaths of her two infant sons. When it came time to make her fourth album, 2016’s eclectic, upbeat and twangy Long Time Leaving, a more run-of-the-mill loss, divorce, provided inspiration. Those years of loss are revisited in her debut non-fiction book How To Lose Everything, published September 2020 by Douglas & McIntyre. But Christa’s most recent recording Safe Harbour tells a different story. Safe Harbour’s six songs were written during a thankfully tragedy-free, joyful time in Christa’s life that saw her leave Vancouver, her home of 17 years, and relocate to Toronto to start anew. During this time, Christa took a step back from recording and performing music to write her memoir, take on a daytime radio host job, and welcome a third child. Her fourth album Long Time Leaving was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 2016 Indigenous Music Awards, and before that, 2012’s The Living Record made Best-of-the-Year lists at CBC Music, Radio Regent and the Georgia Straight, which also chose the album to represent 2012 in their 50 Albums That Shaped Vancouver. Christa’s sophomore album The Wedding Singer and The Undertaker won a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award, made the Top 10 on CBC Radio 3, and landed a #1 song on the National Aboriginal Music Countdown. As a writer and storyteller, Christa’s essay “Sanibe” appears in the collection Radiant Voices: 21 Feminist Essays for Rising Up (TouchWood, 2019), and “These Are My Children” appears in The M Word: Conversations on Motherhood (Goose Lane, 2014). She has been published in Room, Shameless, and Augur magazines, and on CBC.ca. In 2018, her CBC article and photos on disability and pregnancy went viral. She has spoken for audiences of Walrus Talks, DNTO Live (CBC), Moses Znaimer’s ideaCity, and Imaginate in Port Hope, ON. Her short, animated film How to Lose Everything: A Field Guide, based on an excerpt from her book and co-directed with bekky O’Neil won Best Animated Short at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco and the Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival in Brooklyn. The film will be the first in a series of five animated shorts for CBC Arts. She was the midday host on Toronto’s 106.5 ELMNT FM for three years and has been heard as a frequent contributor to CBC Radio on Now or Never and The Next Chapter. As an arts administrator and advocate (and lover of tidy paperwork) she was the project manager of the Indigenous music platform RPM.fm and the general manager of Native Women in the Arts. Prairie-raised, Christa spent 17 years in Vancouver and now calls Toronto home. Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zU_gJgRgan0 Some resources for grief suggested by Christa: For bereaved parents: https://tcfcanada.net/articles-2/the-bereaved-parent/ Check out Christa Couture’s memoir, How to Lose Everything Katie Hawkins-Gaar has this great list of books about various grief experiences: https://bookshop.org/shop/mysweetdumbbrain https://www.mygrief.ca/
Robb Nash has accomplished a lot in his life. He’s had popular songs, a record label offer, was named one the most influential people in 2016 by the Washington Post and been featured in stories by CBC, Global News, the Huffington Post and CTV. If you ask him, however, he’ll tell you his biggest achievement lies in the thousands of kids who have heard his mental health message and used it as a catalyst to find their way to healthier lives. The story of how Robb went from a rock star with a record deal to dedicating his life to connecting with youth is unique. After a serious car accident, Robb fell into a deep depression. Finding his way to the other side was hard, and when he emerged, he decided to use his experience to tell kids that “they don’t have to die like I did before I started to live.” Today, Robb and his band, The Robb Nash Project, travel across Canada playing shows for students, sharing their music and inspiring youth with their message of hope. Robb has received over 600 suicide notes from students who decided they didn’t need them anymore after hearing his story. Through his songs, students connect to hope, seeing someone who like them has struggled with thoughts of suicide only to re-emerge stronger than ever. Robb has helped save the lives of hundreds, an impact bigger than selling thousands of records. Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cAsbXE4HeLU The Robb Nash Project is an immersive concert experience that engages audiences through the power of music and storytelling addressing topics related to mental health such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, addiction, bullying and suicidal ideation. Need Support? Please contact Kids Help Phone at 1800-668-6868 or text NASH to 686868 Some other resources you may want to check out: Canadian Mental Health Association - https://cmha.ca Mood Disorders Society of Canada - https://mdsc.ca Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - https://www.camh.ca Mental health and substance use support for people in Canada and Canadians abroad. Always free and virtual, 24/7. https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA/service/talk A new three-digit telephone number available to Canadians in need of mental health and suicide prevention will be in place by November 2023, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission recently announced.
I’m Don Amero and I want to welcome you to Through the Fire; a podcast and video series about overcoming adversity, re-framing misfortune, and celebrating courage. You likely know me best as a country musician. Maybe you’ve heard my music or seen me perform live before as I’ve been doing this for about a decade now. At the heart of what I do is STORYTELLING; I’m always looking to connect with you, whether it’s a song, a story, or a conversation. So… I wanted to start this podcast because I’ve often been intrigued by the stories of others and what they've been through. I'm always digging to learn more! I’m also a 'heart-on-my-sleeve' kind of guy, which is why I share the best and hardest moments of my life with you. And here’s the thing; I got through those difficult times (even if new obstacles arise). The guests you're going to hear from on this podcast will share their stories from fire to fortune, and we'll get to live through their moments of courage and lessons-learned along the way. My intention is to encourage and inspire listeners to face their challenges with kindness; towards both themselves and others. Many people see us on the mountain tops, and don’t realize the things that we have had to overcome to get here. We can all rise from the ashes. These are the stories that I want to share with my audience through this new platform which allows for a more conversational format accessible to anyone and everyone. How we come out of the fire may be the most interesting part of our stories! While some conversations will be heavy, when we approach difficult discussions with kindness and love, we can face the complexity of being human together. So, I invite you to join us for some incredible conversations on the Through the Fire podcast.