1. How old were you when you first started singing?

- I probably started singing in the womb. But my parents noticed I had talent after I sang at a school assembly in front of the whole school and all the parents and at that point it was clear that singing would be a big part of my life. I think I was around five or six years old. And from that point on, nobody could shut me up lol.

 2. Who was/is your biggest musical inspiration?

- Oh no, don’t make me choose—I grew up in the golden age of vocal gymnastics! I was basically raised by Celine, Mariah, and Whitney, with Stevie Wonder dropping by every now and then to teach me soul. It’s like asking which parent I love more—but if I had to pick, I’d probably just curl up in a ball and sing a power ballad about the emotional trauma of choosing.

3. Where do you make your home?

- I was born in Montreal and moved to Vancouver when I was about nine years old. After graduating from UBC I moved to Toronto to focus on my music. It’s crazy to think that now I’ve lived in Toronto longer than anywhere else. Ultimately, Toronto is my home because this is where I met my husband and gave birth to my two beautiful boys and have built a life for myself. My parents also moved from BC to Toronto almost two years ago, so Toronto definitely feels like home, just minus my little brother who now lives in New Jersey with his family. But I still travel to BC quite a bit because a lot of my close friends are still there.

4. Do you have any pets?

-  When I was little, my parents bought us a budgie bird that we named Benji, but after it laid an egg, we discovered that Benji was in fact, Benjamina. After moving to Vancouver, me and my brother wore my parents down and we welcomed a schnauzer into our family who we named Hope because my mom loved the soap opera “Days of our Lives” and we bought her from the city of Hope. Thankfully, after moving to Toronto, I didn’t have to live with an animal because I was quite allergic and still am. However, my kids are always begging for a pet. We thought we could divert their desire for a dog by gifting them other “pets”, so two years ago my older son got a giant fish tank and my younger son got a hamster named Daisy. She was so sweet and so friendly, but unfortunately hamsters don’t live very long so I’m back to being pet free (other than the fish), but with two boys who are back to begging for a puppy. As a singer, it’s hard for me to agree to owning a furry pet that would trigger my allergies daily. Not to mentioned that the dog would most likely end up being another living thing that will be my responsibility to keep alive (on top of my two little boys and my one big boy… yes the third child I’m referring to is my husband… love you honey). So for now mama is saving herself and praying that dog walking and getting cuddles from other people’s dogs is good enough for the foreseeable future lol. But I’m not gonna lie… part of me is also dying for a little puppy. Eek!

5. What is the best concert/gig you have ever done?

- Well, this is an easy one! It’s definitely my album release show in February 2024. That was the first time that I had ever been up on a stage as the featured soloist with a full band backing me up while performing my original music. It was incredible and exhilarating and fulfilling, and I was able to experience that while being surrounded by my friends and family. It was also so special to have my kids be up front and center watching their mom do something she loves. Usually they hate hearing me sing haha. I still can’t believe that I had the opportunity to do that and I hope that I can do it again soon.

6. What is the best concert you have ever attended?

- That’s also a really hard one to choose. Céline Dion was incredible to see live as well as Bruno Mars, but something that definitely sticks out is going to see the Backstreet Boys after I had sung the Canadian national anthem at at a football game and they had sung the American anthem. I had met them during Soundcheck and they stood in a row behind me as I sang my anthem. Those pictures are hilarious because it looks like the Backstreet Boys are my backup singers Haha! So they gave us free tickets to their show and it was just so surreal to watch them perform in this huge stadium after I had literally been hanging out with them at this football game just hours before.

7. Do you have an all-time favourite song or album?

- Picking a favorite song or album? That’s emotional sabotage! It totally depends—am I belting heartbreak in the car like Whitney, vibing with The Beatles on a Sunday morning, or pretending I’m in a music video while doing house chores? But sometimes, between you and me, if the moment’s right—and the lighting’s good—I just may turn up the volume on the latest Robyn and Lou releases, pretend I’m headlining Madison Square Garden, and call it a tie.

8. What musician would you still most like to work with?

- I don’t have a ‘bucket list’ of musicians-just a bucket full of gratitude. I’ve been so lucky to share the stage with incredible musicians, and to write for amazing projects worldwide. Working with Lou has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. He is someone I respect so deeply as an accomplished musician, and who champions me as an artist and brings out the best in me as a vocalist. Honestly, if I can keep creating and singing with people who inspire me and who I inspire in return? That’s the dream. Though… if Bruno or Alicia happen to be free next weekend, I’m not saying no. But in all seriousness the names don’t matter to me as much as the magic in the room. If we can laugh, cry, and create a song that speaks to or resonates even with just one person… that’s everything. At the end of the day, put a band behind me or a piano player beside me and give me a microphone and I’m in heaven.

9. If you weren't a musician what would you be?

- I’ve been lucky to pursue both my passions: music and education. I earned a masters degree in special education and have been working as a full time teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. AND, I’m also a mom, which is its own full time job made up of a million other part-time jobs! People often ask me how I juggle it all—and honestly? I have no idea. I just keep tossing things in the air and hope none of them land on my head. Music may not be my only job, but it’s the one that keeps my spirit lit. So if I wasn’t a musician? I’d still be teaching, loving, parenting—and probably still singing to my kids, or into a hairbrush when no one’s looking. Music lives in everything I do—it’s just the part of me that refuses to be quiet. It is the passion that threads all of these pieces of me together. So I guess the real answer is: I already am something else… and I just happen to sing my way through it… maybe a bit too loud for some people’s liking lol.

10. What is your favourite thing about Vancouver?

- Vancouver will always hold a special place in my heart. I spent such a large and important part of my life there—it’s where my career as a singer really began. It’s where I got my first record deal and heard myself on the radio for the first time. I had so many incredible singing opportunities that eventually led me to songwriting and pursuing music as a lifelong path. On top of that, it’s just one of the most breathtaking places in the world. Where else can you swim in the ocean during the day and then ski at the top of a glacier at night??? But for me, the best part will always be the lifelong friendships and memories I made while discovering so many parts of me and chasing my dreams.

~Vickie van Dyke
Midday Host