From sound to song: One Algonquin College alumna brings her dream to the stage
Charae Degrow has turned her passion into a reality, all with the help of Algonquin College.
Once a psychology graduate, Degrow shifted her path to follow her true calling in music. Now, she has transferred her life-long passion to the stage, performing in her own self-made show.
It wasn’t until after earning her degree from McMaster University in 2017 that Degrow admitted she felt something was missing.
“In my family, going to college wasn’t really an option, you were expected to go the academic route, get a university degree, and find an academic job,” said Degrow. “But I’d always wanted to pursue a career in music. After finishing my undergrad, I worked for a couple of years in mental health, but I didn’t feel fulfilled. I started asking myself, ‘What is it I actually want to do?‘ I reflected back to high school, before people started telling me what I should do and realized it had always been music. So I decided to take a chance on it.”
After spending seven years in her previous career, Degrow decided to take a leap of faith and go back to school at the age of 29.
She is now a recent grad of the music industry arts program and has found immense success. Her achievements range from working live shows at venues like Club Saw, Dominion Tavern and the Bronson Music Centre, to shadowing radio frequency coordinator Wayne Hawthorne on the main stage at Bluesfest.
After supporting many successful performances, it’s now Degrow’s turn to put on a show.
For one night only, on Oct 18, at LIVE! on Elgin, she will be performing Dual Worlds, an original play featuring ten rock-opera songs, most of which are original. The songs intertwine Greek myth and metaphor to reflect her lived experiences. The story is a battle between the world she grew up in and the one she discovered through love. She will be accompanied by local rock group Polarized and world-renowned cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne to bring her story to life on stage.
Not only is she having success, she’s redefining the odds.
“It’s tough, especially being a woman in the music industry. It’s very male-dominated. Less than five per cent of non-artist roles in the music industry are held by women or gender-diverse people,” said Degrow.
“Here in Ottawa, I currently only know one other female audio technician. While I was working last week at a new workplace, there was a colleague that said, ‘I have never seen a woman pushing stage boxes before. I thought you were the client. I didn’t know that you were going to work with us.’ It can be really intimidating, but at the same time, it’s kind of exciting.”
When looking back at her time at Algonquin, Degrow knows the college added a feather to her wings.
“I would say that the teachers in the program played a massive role. It felt like the teachers really wanted to be here. And in our program, all of the teachers have full careers happening in the industry actively. The majority of them are part-time, and so they’re choosing to be here teaching on the side.”
This is only the beginning for Degrow as she builds her achievements. Reflecting on her journey, she shared words of encouragement for others.
“You’re driving the car now, and the car is your career, and you have to make all the decisions as to where you want to turn, how fast you want to go,” said Degrow. “It takes a lot of work and persistence, and you must be comfortable with noes. You must be comfortable with rejection. There were festivals that said no. There were people who weren’t interested. There were interviews that didn’t choose me. And you just must keep pushing through that until you get those yeses.”
