Will Blunderfield

Will Blunderfield

Will Blunderfield at Robson Street in Vancouver, July 2010.
Background information
Birth name Mark William Kent Blunderfield
Born (1985-07-18) July 18, 1985
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres World, pop, mantras
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, yoga teacher, performance artist
Instruments Vocals, piano, synthesizer, harmonium
Years active 2009–present
Labels Nettwerk/Nutone Records
Associated acts Sarah McLachlan
Krishna Das
Bif Naked
Website www.willblunderfield.info

Will Blunderfield (born July 18, 1985) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and yoga teacher. He is signed to Nettwerk/Nutone Records.[1] Blunderfield's music is influenced by his roots in New York City's musical theater scene and by spiritual hymns & mantras which he first became familiar with as a child in the British Columbia Boys Choir.[2][3] He is an ambassador for lululemon athletica, Vega, and Manduka Yoga Mats.[4][5][6] Xtra identified Blunderfield as one of the few openly gay Canadian artists to launch a career on a major label.[7] In 2012, Blunderfield achieved mainstream fame in Japan where he has toured extensively and where Long Time Sun, the first single off the international version of his album became a radio hit.[8][9][10][11]

At 17, Blunderfield moved from Vancouver, Canada to New York City to study theatre on scholarship at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy along with other graduates-cum-musicians Jason Derülo, Janelle Monáe and Jason Mraz. His original plan was to pursue a career on Broadway, but he soon changed his mind and decided to pursue music and yoga, a discipline which he was introduced to while at the school and, according to him, has the potential to change the world.[12]

Blunderfield performs and teaches around the world at workshops, retreats and conferences.[13][14][15] He became a yoga enthusiast in the Bikram school, but now teaches a blend of Bikram Yoga and his own invented style. In late 2010, Nettwerk Music Group CEO and yoga enthusiast Terry McBride, who had previously managed artists such as Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, and Sarah McLachlan, signed Blunderfield to the label's yoga-inspired Nutone Records alongside Donna De Lory, Wade Morissette and Krishna Das.[16][17][18]

In May 2011, he recorded a duet with Juno Award-winning, multi-platinum record selling artist Bif Naked for the international version of his album Hallelujah.[19] He has charted primarily in the world music, new age and occasionally in the mainstream charts. Blunderfield's album was released in July 2011 worldwide and debuted at number one on the iTunes world music chart.[20]

He has also created a charity foundation, Fukushima Yoga Project, had a Canadian television spot as yoga & wellness expert (Life & Style with Zara) and produced a line of japa mala jewellery products labelled "Rock Om". He has contributed opinion pieces to many publications and performed a cabaret show Yoga Fantasia.

In 2015, Blunderfield starred in the primetime reality show "Why Did You Come to Japan?" (YOUは何しに日本へ？).[21] He released a theme song in conjunction with the show titled "Story," written by Japanese popstar Ai.[22]

He performs original compositions inspired by devotional chant, World Music, Musical Theater and Mantra Music during savasana.[23]

Philanthropy and activism

Will Blunderfield has been involved in extensive philanthropic activities. He partnered with YYoga, Tamara Rhodes and other Vancouver yogis to contribute tracks on Listen to Understand, a Kirtan-inspired collection of inspirational music, which was released in late 2010. Proceeds from album sales went to the BC Children's Hospital.[24]

Blunderfield is also a spokesperson for tolerance organization The Diversity Project.[25] Blunderfield explained to Xtra about becoming a spokesperson, saying, "I didn't really have any role models when I was in high school, and it was really difficult for me. I didn't have a practice like yoga to ground me in the knowledge that there's nothing wrong with me.... I want to use yoga to help people embrace themselves regardless of any abuse they may have experienced because of their sexual or gender identity, race or size."[26]

Blunderfield has also supported the following notable charities:

Discography

References

  1. ↑ http://drishtipoint.ca/?p=642
  2. ↑ "» Interview: Will Blunderfield on Tokyo, Yoga, Music and his new album, "HALLELUJAH"- HelloYoga.com - Tokyo's English-Speaking Yoga Community". HelloYoga.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  3. ↑ Holmes, Margot (2011-05-31). "BC BOYS CHOIR ALUMNI". British Columbia Boys Choir. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  4. ↑ http://myvega.com/team-vega/ambassadors/meet-us/will-blunderfield
  5. ↑ Will Blunderfield. "Manduka High Performance Yoga Mats and Yoga Accessories | Community". Manduka.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  6. ↑ "lululemon athletica | yoga-inspired athletic apparel | Vancouver | Downtown Robson Street | ambassadors". Lululemon.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  7. ↑ Kittelberg, Lori (2011-05-31). "From yoga, with love". Xtra. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  8. ↑ https://www.tfm.co.jp/bo/index.php?blogid=66&archive=2012-9-17
  9. ↑ http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/event/5843/YogaFest-Yokohama-2012
  10. ↑ http://www.helloyoga.com/2010/11/15/will-blunderfield-tokyo-yoga-music-album-hallelujah/
  11. ↑ Ryan, Denise (2013-01-11). "Bringing healing and joy to Japan". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  12. ↑ Burgmann, Tamsyn (2011-05-21). "Hot hatha yoga teacher empowers students, puts musical theatre twist on classes". The Canadian Press. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
  13. ↑ http://www.tokyoamericanclub.org/club-calendar/details/1252-shake_your_asana_yoga_will_bunderfield.html
  14. ↑ "Devotional Singer - Will Blunderfield". drishtipoint.ca. 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  15. ↑ "love letter to vancouver – the lululemon athletica blog". Lululemon.com. 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  16. ↑ "Recent Releases". Nutone Music. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  17. ↑ http://www.vancouversun.com/health/YYoga+breathes+passion+into+love+music/4136908/story.html
  18. ↑ "Terry McBride". Nettwerk Music Group. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  19. ↑ "Will Blunderfield Amazing Grace ft. Bif Naked". Nutone Music. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  20. ↑ "iTunes Store Top 10 World Albums". Apple.com. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  21. ↑ "Why Did You Come To Japan?". TV Tokyo. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  22. ↑ "Officialai". Instagram. 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  23. ↑ Kittelberg, Lori (2011-05-31). "From yoga, with love". Xtra. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  24. ↑ "Community Highlights". BC Children's Hospital Foundation. 2011-04-13. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  25. ↑ Breckon, Calan (2011-04-13). "Support VLog Will Blunderfield". The Diversity Project. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  26. ↑ Kittelberg, Lori (2011-05-31). "From yoga, with love". Xtra. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  27. ↑ "Yoga Jam Session". The Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau. 2011-02-19. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  28. ↑ "Yoga Aid Canada". Yoga Aid Pty. Ltd. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  29. ↑ "Musical Performances". Once Upon A Cure. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  30. ↑ "Media Advisory - Canadians get limber in support of the Great Canadian Yoga Stretch". CNW Group Ltd. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
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