Andrew Aitchison

ANDREW AITCHISON has been singing his whole life. Born into a musical family, his mother, a singer and theatre major encouraged her son to pursue his musical gifts. His father, a church minister provided the venue for his son to perform. Like many of his idols of soul and R&B music, Andrew got his start in the church singing solos and performing in choirs from the age of 4. In reference to the classic Dusty Springfield song, this son of a preacher man jests that he’s “the only one who could ever reach you.”

Andrew also studied classical piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music receiving grade 8 honours with distinction. Through his childhood and youth when he wasn’t singing in the mirror pretending to be famous, Andrew competed in local Kiwanis Festivals in choirs and as a solo pianist, often receiving top prize. Though music was always a passion, Aitchison put it all to the side in his early twenties and focused on a career in the field of Advertising. When this proved to be unrewarding and a quarter century crisis developed, Andrew decided to start studying voice seriously. This led to a life change and his entrance into the prestigious Bachelor of Contemporary Music program at Humber College.

He is currently finishing his 4th year at Humber College where he maintains an honours standing while singing in the Humber College Vocal Jazz ensemble. This is one of Humber’s featured ensembles, performing regularly throughout the year headlining at vocal jazz festivals and was featured in the 2010/11 season at the Rose Theatre in Brampton. In the 2009-10 season, Andrew was the lead singer in Mark Promane’s Big Band who introduced him as an “amazing, fantastic, wonderfully talented vocalist.” Orville Heyn, one of Canada’s top vocal trainers and a voice teacher at Humber College claims “[he’s] one of the best Baritone/Basses that Humber College has seen in years” and has offered to record Aitchison’s first album.

Andrew has returned to his church roots and is singing professionally as a bass section lead in the choir at Islington United Church in Toronto and loves the opportunity to belt out the gospel hits. He has also been one of the feature artists in the church’s successful concert series for the past 3 years where he has been able to showcase his love of r&b/soul and gospel music as well as classical/musical theatre and his new found appreciation for jazz.

Andrew’s smooth and smokey bass voice is unique and all his own, but shows glimpses of some of his musical icons, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and more recently Michael Buble, lending himself to a variety of genres.

Upon graduation from Humber College in Spring 2012, Andrew hopes to enroll in the Masters of Sacred Music Program at University of Toronto. He would also love to get on stage and perform in musicals and is excited to teach and inspire others to follow their musical dreams.