St. Marys, Ont.'s Emm Gryner reflects on life and career to help others find joy in singing

She's released at least twenty albums, spanning pop, rock, and jazz. She's also played some of the world's biggest stages as part of David Bowie's band and as a solo artist.

But Emm Gryner has also dealt with various forms of loss - through divorce, the death of loved ones and the shifting sands of the recording industry.

After more than 20 years in the music business, Gryner has a lot to say.

In her debut book, The Healing Power of Singing, the Juno-nominated recording artist shares key moments in her life and career, and offers advice and inspiration to anyone looking to pursue their artistic life.

Here are excerpts from her conversation with Afternoon Drive host Chris dela Torre, edited for breadth and clarity.

You've said that you never set out to write a book, at least not at first. How did this happen?

In 2018, I saw myself in concert with someone I talk about a lot: David Bowie. They had released this concert, Glastonbury 2000 (a live recording of a performance by Bowie and his band, which included Gryner at the time). Actually, I watched it because I was going to talk about it with you on Afternoon Drive.