Hear This

Andrew Abel’s brother Michael was on a mission in Seattle with his church when he got sick. Leukemia eventually took his life but not before it inspired Andrew to raise money in his brother’s honour. Here’s what he had to say.

What was Michael like?
He was smart, funny and kind, and very musical. He was into electronic music and was really creative with incorporating different and unexpected sounds and clips into his music. He looked at things differently – he was really cool.

Was he older than you?
Yes, I’m 20 and Michael was 25 when he died earlier this year. After he came home from Seattle he was treated and went into remission for two years. Then, when his cancer came back, our sister Danielle donated bone marrow for a transplant.

You decided to raise money through music.
Yes, I’m a singer/songwriter. I figured I had something to give that people appreciate and there was no reason that I shouldn’t. Last year I held two concerts and raised nearly $1,500 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. My sister is also a musician, she plays piano and sings, and she participated. We both made CDs and sold them at the concerts with the proceeds going to the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

Your employer at the time chipped in.
Yeah, I worked at Chapters and that’s where the concerts were held, at the west end and south side Edmonton locations. The staff there also hosted bake sales at the same time and those proceeds went to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, too.

LISTEN: Andrew stopped by the Alberta Cancer Foundation office to play a tune. Check it: youtube.com/watch?v=ZvfH74yMnHM

Related Posts