Music and family is for life

BY ISABELLE SOUTHCOTT

Dawson Wikene has shared a love of music with his mom, Renelle for as long as he can remember.

“When Dawson was a baby, his dad and I would go to coffee houses where we’d sing and play and Dawson would be in a backpack on my back,” said Renelle.

Although those days are a distant memory, at 23, Dawson is a grown man and still close to his mom. “He tells me all the time that I’m his best friend,” says Renelle.

Their family has shared a love of music for generations. Renelle’s mom Jennifer grew up singing at home with her parents. Kitchen parties were their jam sessions. Renelle’s grandpa played guitar as does her uncle Rick and brother Adrian.

AT HOME WITH EACH OTHER: Dawson Wikene's favourite song to sing with his mom: Wagon Wheel. Renelle Wikene's favourite song to sing with her son: Riptide. "I like how we switch up the harmonies and share singing the melody."

The mother-son duo of Renelle and Dawson Jaxn are well-known performers in our community. They’ve played Blackberry Festival, Arts Alive in the Park, at the Laughing Oyster, the Seasider, the Shinglemill, The ARC and The Carlson Community Club. Dawson was about six years old when he started performing with his mom, back in Kamloops where they lived before moving to Powell River.

“They had something called ‘Live at Lunch on Victoria Street’ in Kamloops,” said Renelle. “They’d pay me to perform, and Dawson would come and sing with me when he was just a little guy.”

Renelle taught Dawson to play the guitar when he was eight. “At first I couldn’t make the chords and strum at the same time so Mom would strum while I made the chords,” said Dawson. Now, Renelle says he’s a better player than she is.

“He plays fancy bar chords and picks; I just play cowboy chords,” said Renelle.

Renelle recently gifted Dawson the guitar he learned to play on. It’s unmistakable; it has a big hole in it from all the wear and tear over the years and every local fan is familiar with it.

“Mom plays the s%#! out of her guitar. I remember when I was 10, the hole was just a little crack and then it got bigger and bigger,” said Dawson.

Renelle’s family have lived and spoken music for generations. “We grew up with all kinds of music. My Mom was an R & B fan. And she liked bluegrass, country, Motown, everything. My grandparents liked traditional country. My grandfather played guitar and was a picker – Chet Atkins style. There was always music in our home. My kids know every word to every popular music song no matter what genre.”

“Whenever there was a family get together, the guitars would come out,” said Renelle. “Everyone was singing and playing, you know like always happens at living room parties,” she added.

“I’ve loved singing since I was five,” said Dawson. “And when I was 12, I found out they had Powell River Idol, but I had to wait a year!”

When Dawson was 13, he competed in Powell River Idol and won first place and the People’s Choice award. “We had a great group of kids that year, they came together and worked so hard to be a team even though it was a competition,” said Renelle.

After winning Powell River Idol, Dawson had to wait three years to enter again, but when he did, he won a second time. He gave the guitar he won to Cody Jackson because he already had a guitar and Cody wanted to learn how to play.

By then he was just about 16 and was playing with his mom regularly.

“We’ll show each other songs and he’ll say “I think you should learn this one,” said Renelle. “And you’ll bring me some too,” said Dawson. “Mom pushes me to do more with my music, to get it out there.

With her mom, Renelle was writing songs in the 80s and 90s. They recently wrote a song with Dawson that he’s recorded and hopes to release on all streaming platforms once the video is ready to go with it.

THREE GENERATIONS: Grandmother Jennifer (singing), daughter Renelle (on guitar) and grandson Dawson Jaxn also singing, the first time they performed together at the Kelly Creek Friday Market back in 2013.

Renelle says her son has a gift. “He has such an ear for music. He can hear so many parts of harmonies. It just comes so naturally to him.”

Renelle’s wife Mary and her daughters enjoy their musical family as well and try to get out to gigs whenever they can. Music has given their blended family something to share.

“I don’t think I’d have as close a relationship with my older sisters if it weren’t for music,” Dawson says. “It’s something we all enjoy.”