I’m Melvin Alan, an Indie Rock Artiste, and together with my band mate and lead guitarist Trev we are “The Caught.” You may have heard my song titled “You Don’t Know Me” and if you haven’t, catch it here. It is especially close to me as it deals with bullying that is often rampant in schools and amongst kids, but also in all walks of life. It is so clear, that often times we have no clue why someone is the way they are, and why they react or behave in certain ways but choose to ridicule, judge, or ostracize. I have seen the devastating and lasting effects of bullying and hope to be a part of the change through the lyrics. Nobody really knows each, others, but if you’d like to know me here are a few things people close to me do know. As I moved closer towards making it big in Indie Music, and trying to get the best Indie Music tracks out there from where I started as an educationist, here are some things you don’t know about me.
1. I’m a Survivor. I received a Liver transplant in 2006 which gave me a new lease on life. Doctors gave me 5 years to live in 1998, and never expected me to survive before or after transplant. Where I couldn’t have survived without the countless and never-ending support of my family and friends, this phase also taught me resilience. What’s stranger still, is that as I discovered my inner strength, my purpose too developed to create meaningful Indie music. Life is a gift and should be used to help others and reach out. That’s what I try to do with my music.
2. I am a multi-media artist: singer/songwriter, music video producer/editor, painter/printmaker, photographer, and poet. I also have a strong interest in history. I always have had a passion to share my talents, and it seems wasteful to have creativity if it can’t be used. An artist can bring a spark to people’s lives by his artistic waves and that’s what keeps pushing me forward. If you didn't know me before today, take a listen to any of my tracks. I put my heart and soul in trying to produce the best Indie music possible. Music is in my blood, may sound archaic, but it’s true, I literally couldn’t live without playing and creating lyrics and beats that uplift life. And to create and share meaningful music is my calling.
3. I am an educator with a Bachelor of Educator degree with a Major in Art and a minor in Music and English. Also, I am a public speaker who instructs on the art of concentration to achieve efficiency/productivity and which helps to gain inner peace. Also, I teach the basic theory of Karma and the Mystic path. We are all here for a reason, and we remain inter-connected even though most of us spend our lives never realizing it. I firmly believe that once we realize two truths, everything happens for a reason, and that reason is always for the greatest good of life, life becomes understandably more beautiful.
4. I am a student of Esoteric Yoga/Meditation having studied under the guidance of two great Spiritual Teachers. Yoga's incorporation of meditation and breathing has always helped to improve my mental well-being. It brings together physical and mental disciplines into my life for achieving a peaceful body and mind. Life is nothing without peace. I have had my shares of health issues and personal problems. If there is anything that has kept me afloat, it’s the subtle knowledge that all life is meaningful, and we can make the world better.
5. As a world traveler, New York, the Caribbean, and India remain my favorite spots. I love traveling as it fulfills my soul with something exciting and different. Being a hodophile, traveling pushes me beyond limits and outside of my comfort zone. Traveling, has also made me realize just how capable and self-sufficient we can all be, and of course, how connected we all are, despite externals.
6. I’m a certified nature lover. I have a huge garden of roses to promote bee health and pollination. Time spent in nature is a gift, and one that quantifies explicitly that nothing in this world is perfect, and yet everything is beautiful.
7. I volunteer in an International Organization dedicated to Love, Peace, and Unity, and I promote Organ Donation. I believe that organ donation is an opportunity to help others. It also helps a family work through the grieving process and deal with their loss by knowing the loved one they lost is still a part of this world and is helping save the lives of others.
8. I am very spontaneous and can easily adapt to new situations/people. I can easily channel inspirations and create new art on the spot such as song ideas, art creations, or even conversation topics that sync with others' present states of being. It’s just one of my quirks, and one that I am honored to be gifted with.
9. I’m a Lacto-Vegetarian working toward being a Vegan and I love cooking- especially Indian Food. Cooking too encompasses creativity, and food has motivated me to be open to different cuisines, foods, and ingredients. I do believe in being compassionate to all life on earth, hence my inclination towards veganism.
10. I've worked some pretty interesting jobs such as: scriptwriter, songwriter, actor, singer, interpreter in a Historical park. I’ve driven lumber trucks on dangerous mountain roads. I’ve been a stagehand for the Vancouver Opera, and taught guitar, bass, and composition to small groups. And how can I not add my tenure as a High school Fine Arts and Theatre Arts teacher. All these made me what I am today, a survivor and an artiste, an Indie Rock Artiste to be very precise.
Well, there you have it, things you now know about me. Let me just round it up by saying life is always beautiful. Once you set your mind to it, there is nothing you can’t achieve. From all my experiences in life, to reach my dream of indie music, it has been one amazing journey, and to share these moments with you are always a pleasure. Thank you for being part of my journey and allowing me, and the music of The Caught to be a part of yours.
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