Craig Jones
Craig Jones is a lifer-musician and a writer with a PhD in international political economy. Born and raised in the Kootenay Valley of British Columbia, he was marinated in the music of the 20th century by his music-loving parents from whom he acquired a deep interest in current events, history, travel and the intersection of politics, culture, literature, and writing. The family home was awash in Louis & Ella, Broadway, Big Band, and The Beatles. His school band program started in Grade 3 – piano lessons started in Grade 4. The guitar and bass followed naturally . . .
Jones toured Canada extensively in his 20s with rock and show groups including a brief – but intense – time with the legendary Stan Rogers. Jones currently fronts jazz and rock ensembles and teaches ensemble performance while leading the band for the local community choir.
When not traveling, writing, or gigging – solo, with his jazz band or adult student band – Jones and his wife are deep into the joys of grandparenting and fostering service dogs-in-training.
Member: The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC)
Josephine Matyas
An early period of research and writing for government bodies convinced Matyas that the fastest shortcut away from the office desk and into a departure lounge was to dive headlong into freelance travel writing. What followed was a satisfying and successful two-decade career of traveling the globe and writing travel features for newspapers, magazines, and websites.
This meant many weeks on the road away from home before the obvious solution presented itself: buy a camper van, pack notebooks, maps, writer-husband, and guitars to follow the music trails of North America. It was the perfect way to keep the relationship humming and to combine passions for travel, writing, music, and history.
Over time, things grew and feature articles became published books (every travel writer’s dream). Now, “feeding the beast” by hitting the road, uncovering new sites, and giving talks about music destinations has become the new normal. Add in the delight of being a grandma and a commitment to training service dogs and, well, life is near perfect.
Member: The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) and Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Contact us at: [email protected]