Songs of the Land: An Ontario Adventure

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‘Born by the shores of Lake Ontario, adventurer Steve Welch shares his journey of exploring Ontario's hidden gems through music, photography, and videography. Inspired by local artists and the breathtaking landscapes of his childhood, he combines his passions to create a unique storytelling experience. From canoeing in Algonquin Park to hiking the Bruce Trail, he reflects on the challenges and joys of outdoor adventures while promoting a deeper appreciation for nature. With a growing audience, he aims to inspire others to connect with the beauty of Ontario, advocating for environmental respect and personal well-being - living a vital life.’

Background

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I was born at the shore of Lake Ontario in Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington Ontario, with the Niagara Escarpment and Mt. Nemo to the West where the sun set each evening.

The Bruce Trail was close and my go to spot for hiking – Mt. Nemo, Rattlesnake Point, Crawford Lake, Dundas Valley were all close.

My family did a lot of car camping and road trips in the summers, and we drove across Canada and the US one year which made a big impression on me. I worked at a Camp in Haliburton Ontario in the summers and we would do trips in Algonquin Park, which is where I learned a lot of my basic outdoor skills. We also had a family cottage in the same area so I spent many summers there hanging out at the lake, swimming, fishing, water skiing and sailing.

There probably aren’t that many people who know Ontario as well as you do now, can you tell us your backstory on what initially sparked your interest in adventure and the outdoors in Ontario? Additionally, what keeps drawing you back?

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When I was young it was trendy for people to “move out West” to BC, just because it was “so much better there” due to the mountains, and ocean and scenery. While I enjoyed the times I spent out West, I was always drawn back to Ontario and it became my mission in a way to promote Ontario. Most people don’t know of the vast number of amazing places in Ontario, and how big the province really is.

When I was young, the famous painter Robert Bateman lived in Burlington at the time as well and taught at a local high school. He was a big inspiration to me. In part because he painted scenes of the escarpment lands through the seasons which were so familiar to me because it was in my backyard. He inspired me to believe that the land I lived in was special, and unique and full of astounding scenes and surprises.

I also loved the National Film Board movies by Bill Mason, “The Path of the Paddle” being an iconic Canadian celebration of the land that really resonated with me.

I have been in so many unbelievable locations at this point, hidden gems, spots so beautiful it is hard to believe or take in, all in Ontario, that I am fully committed to filling my life with the beauty and inspiration it provides, and sharing it with others.

You’re not just an avid outdoorsman but also a musician, photographer and videographer. How do you find unique ways to capture the beauty of Ontario's landscapes, wildlife and cultures?

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I have always been a musician and songwriter – I grew up playing piano, and later guitar, and then I eventually learned how to play most instruments, at least a little bit. I have always had a drive to write songs – to express myself through words and music, and this came fairly easy to me for some reason – and still does. I can write complex songs in my head over time, and once they are fully formed, I can capture it through a recording and it’s as easy as that. My wife doesn’t understand how I can do this but that’s how my brain works.

If you write music, one of your goals will ultimately be getting people to listen to it. In today’s world with so many options and choices for music, film and all entertainment, you have to be very persistent and very creative to get your music and art heard, seen and appreciated.

In the early days, I would make rudimentary music videos and upload them on YouTube and try to get people to check them out. This was going along fine, but very limited “views”. Then one day I recorded a video for a catchy song I wrote, the single on the album Upland, called “Drop That Load”. I uploaded the video; one I recorded at my friend’s music studio where I was playing all the instruments, and the background scenes were from a recent trip I took to Algonquin Park. I didn’t think much of it.

I uploaded the video as I usually do, hoping for a dozen views before morning, mostly friends and family I had emailed with the exciting news. The next morning, I got up and that video had 10,000 views – (an average video of mine would usually get less than 100 views in its first few years). By the end of the week, it was at 50K, and within a few weeks I cracked 100K views on this small independent homemade music video. That was a turning point for me.

The success of that video inspired me to push forward with music and video, and really was responsible for a creative explosion of content which continues to this day.

Now I am getting thousands of views per month on my channel, and I have over 200 videos up.

This activity led to me making an ambitious documentary series on hiking the Bruce Trail where I combined my love of hiking the outdoors, and beautiful scenes with my music – which proved to be a great combination and a creative new way to get my music out there so people could hear it. I took on the massive undertaking of hiking the entire 910km Bruce Trail, from Niagara to Tobermory, the trail that I grew up hiking back in Burlington and documenting it in a “series”.

Once the trail was done and the episodes were all up, I took the best of the best scenes and songs and made “Bruce Trail – The Movie” which is a complete musical journey on the trail from beginning to end – I condensed the 50 hours of episodes into a 3 hour movie – which has been amazingly popular and has 11K views so far in its first year.

Ultimately my songs have hundreds of thousands of views or listens, since I have pushed out so much content as either music videos or outdoor adventure films with my music, and this would never have happened if I hadn’t kept trying new things to get my music out there.

My goal in writing music is to have people listen to it, and ideally for it to have a positive impact on someone’s life, if only in a small way, and that is one way I can fulfil my mission – to influence the world in a positive way through art, exploration and music.

What techniques or perspectives do you use across photography, videography and music to creatively express your experiences?

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For filming I use a go pro and an I phone. I love the go pro because it’s waterproof and I like to layer in underwater scenes in my films. I use a super long selfie stick which makes the go pro appear like a drone, though I don’t use drones (yet). The Iphone is getting better and better.

At this point I have filmed so much and edited hundreds of hours of video, that when I am filming clips I often think about how to tell the story while I’m filming so it’s easier when it comes time to edit.

I usually use my clips in adventure films in sequential order, telling the actual story of the adventure, which also makes editing easier.

Making the Bruce Trail series, which was about 45 episodes through two seasons, each one being an average of 30 minutes, with all original music and edited film from the end to end trail hike, I really learned how to edit. There is no other way than to put in the hours and this massive project forced me to do this. That process made me an expert, and I used the free and amazing downloadable editing software “Davinci Resolve”. It has unlimited features and capability, but is complex and takes a long time to learn.

I love taking creative shots with strange perspectives, with lots of “B roll”.

I have started a new approach to songwriting which is fresh and invigorating – I write a lot of instrumental music for my films, and record on my rudimentary equipment – there is a lot of music required for a 2 hour movie for example. After releasing the films I go back and pluck out some of the best musical sections, and use them to write new songs. My latest album “Songs To Save Your Life” came about that way, using music from the films “Killarney Winds” and “Seven Days Deep in Algonquin Park” I wrote 14 songs from the soundtracks to create the album.

What are some of your most memorable adventures across Ontario and what challenged you the most?

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The biggest challenge, and one that I enjoy, is pushing yourself through tough times on a difficult trip. One of the reasons I love canoe trips is that once you begin, you can’t give up for the most part. You need to finish your loop or get to the other end, and no one is coming to rescue you. I guess it’s a love / hate relationship with the process, but in challenging yourself you really see what you can accomplish (and it’s more than you think), as there are many occasions where you may ask yourself “why am I doing this!?!”. In the end you always get the answer – and it is because you see things that no one else sees, great wonders that are hard to put into words, and you overcome your weak moments, if only because you have to, and that feels good.

A couple of particularly hard moments were : portaging the “Dickson – Bonfield” in Algoinquin Park with my 13 year old son – the longest or one of the longest portages, almost 5km. It took two days and we were woefully unprepared, but it got us to Lake Lavielle, one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever been on.

My infinite other challenges and calamities (the time my son and I capsized our canoe on an early Spring paddle where there was still ice and snow, battling through many storms, and close lightning) are usually caused by a touch of foolishness, as I don’t plan things out well at times, and have a tendency to just “go for it” and damn the consequences.

How do you blend your various creative talents and interests into one cohesive passion project?

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When I discovered that I could promote my music with video and film, specifically marrying outdoor adventure films with my music, I realized I finally found the vehicle to get my music out into the world.

I am sure there is a (small!) subset of people who aren’t fans of my films because they are sort of like musicals. The films revolve around music, instead of nature sounds and speaking as most nature docs do, however that seems to be my niche and there are plenty of people who do enjoy the combination.

I spend a lot of time “philosophizing” specifically around my relationship with nature, and how strengthening this relationship, almost always leads to a better more fulfilled life. This is the subject in one way or another for most of my songs.

My mission : to expose people to ideas and philosophies through music, and inspiration and joy from beautiful scenes – and ultimately help make people’s lives just a little bit better.

Since my music is generally all written with the same themes, it was easy to layer my songs in to my films, and it made sense because the subject matter interplayed seamlessly.

What locations or activities in Ontario do you think are undiscovered gems that more people should experience?

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One of the best spots in the province is Silver Peak in Killarney Provincial Park. There is a trail hike to the summit, which gives you an incredible 360 degree view of the La Cloche mountains, all the way to Georgian Bay to the south and all the way to Sudbury to the north. However, you can only get to the trailhead by canoe and it generally takes an overnight to get there and back.

I love Niagara Falls despite how popular it is, and the Niagara Gorge which has some incredible hiking – good hiking on the US side as well.

Kawartha Highlands is like a provincial park, a mini Algonquin I call it, but it is very accessible, just north of Peterborough, and is great for a quick getaway. I’ve had many trips in there, including a recent video expedition to “The Ridge” – a backcountry bushwacking adventure to the top of a long rocky ridge in the park.

Of course Algonquin Park is amazing, especially after a portage or two when you lose most of the people in the backcountry, Temagami is amazing, the French River, Georgian Bay islands outside of Parry Sound, and sometimes I just like to head out to Lake Huron with it’s clean and cool water.

The Bruce Peninsula on the Bruce Trail has got to be some of the best hiking in Canada. Impossible to describe how amazing it is – but keep an eye out for poison ivy. I got a really bad case while hiking the trail up there – poison ivy is my nemesis.

How did you develop your skills across such diverse fields as music, photography and videography?

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Music – I have always had a musical inclination, and playing piano as a kid taught me the mechanics of music – how scales work etc and I was easily able to go from there and learn other instruments on my own. For most of my music recordings I play every instrument – guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and singing. I have played in various bands over the years, and playing live is a great way to hone your skills.

For photography I guess I have an eye for it, I have been an artist, drawer and painter since I was young so I suppose that’s how my brain is wired, and although it is productive and super fun, it means I am not so good at other things.

Video was initially a product of finding a medium to get my music out there, but then it became a thing of its own, because I acquired skills and now, I make films just like I make songs – it’s a different way of feeding the same creative impulse. Making a film is a lot like making a multi dimensional painting.

When capturing footage of adventures, how do you balance safety with getting creative shots?

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I do tend to be accident prone and get minor injuries often but seem to be able to keep myself from getting any major injuries. Thankfully I have thick bones. That being said I am very cautious around heights and have a healthy fear of falling off a cliff so am very careful around the cliff edge. Hiking the Bruce Trail follows the escarpment cliff for almost 900 km and I promised myself I wouldn’t fall off on the whole route.

I have a saying which many people may object to: ‘Roam until you give some blood”, meaning if you are too cautious and never challenge yourself or risk getting “hurt” or even just very sore after a long day where you push yourself, you are going to miss out on some of the best stuff.

Having a long selfie stick helps avoid injury too.

What tips would you share with others interested in multidisciplinary creative projects like your own?

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Things seem to work for me because I have found things I really love to do, and although I spend hundreds of hours editing, writing and recording music and narration, carrying cameras everywhere I go, it still never, (or rarely), seems like work to me. I love creating things that much – in fact I am compelled to create and don’t feel right if I’m not. It’s a blessing and a curse. So that is what drives me – I would suggest for others is to find what you enjoy and max it out.

The truth as well is that I am very driven by a “higher purpose”, meaning I am not making projects that don’t have meaning or purpose. Everything I put out into the world has the possibility of inspiring positive change within a person or a group – for example, one of my goals is to promote a healthy lifestyle, to promote people getting outside and experiencing nature, and if any of my films can achieve that, my mission is successful.

The more people experience and are inspired by nature, the more likely nature will be respected and protected for years to come – and that is a worthy life’s mission. When people aren’t familiar with or aware of their natural surroundings, the land is very vulnerable to development, or laying waste to it as people don’t even know the beauty that is there. Getting people outside exploring helps their mental well being, physical health, and ensures the respect and protection of the land is improved, slowly but surely, one person at a time.

Also, the great thing about music and film is it can inspire people long after I’m gone, which is cool.

How do you envision expanding your work in the future to continue showcasing Ontario's beauty?

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I continue to get better at editing, and music production. I just dove into music mastering which has taken things to a new level of sound quality and creates a professional product. I would like to continue to come up with increasingly creative shots, and more creative ideas for filming and telling a story. I am going to expand on narration combined with film, something I tried with good success narrating my Great Uncle’s diary of a month in Algonquin Park in 1933 for a film. I am currently chipping away at the 300km Grand Valey Trail, had a trip in Algonquin and Killarney this summer to make into films, and am getting into ancient history as a topic for films.

A big part of my channel is live music concert films. Since I have learned how to edit film, I can put together concert films from shows that I go to that are pretty good. Some major acts will allow you to film and upload their content and have drawn a lot of traffic to my channel, and ultimately views and subscribers, which are important in developing a YouTube Channel. This is a tactic I have used very successfully and have very popular concert videos for Dead and Company, The Marley Brothers, Daniel Lanois, and many other artists. This brings a lot of people to my channel.

Words of Wisdom

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“Endeavor to Persevere” a great saying a saw written on a cabin wall in Algonquin Park.
Hardship is the key to a fulfilled life. Hardship allows you to know what you are capable of.
All you have to do is one decent portage and all the people disappear – another reason to do hard things.
When backpacking, do an exercise of weighing each individual item and then try to find lighter versions of each – this will make your trips way more enjoyable.
Don’t be scared of bears in the middle of the night – they sleep at night, just like us (for the most part). I spent most of my camping life scared of bears at night for no reason.
Try trail running shoes for hiking. I like Altra because they fit my feet.
If you are not good at cooking, just eat meat cooked on the fire that’s all you need and eggs and bacon in the morning.
Most things including camping, overcoming hard things and making videos get better by putting in many many hours into learning the craft and making many mistakes but improving each time. There are rarely any shortcuts to becoming good at these things.
Everything is “natural”

Feature Films

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Killarney Winds: An Epic Eight Day Canoe Loop in Killarney Provincial Park (With a Hike Up Silver Peak)
One Month in Algonquin Park by Canoe Summer 1933 – The Diary of Ruthven McNairn
Seven Days Deep in Algonquin Park – A Journey by Canoe
Bruce Trail – The Movie
Chasing the Sun – Walking the Avon Trail – A Journey Across Rural Ontario
Kawartha Highlands – Five Days in the Backcountry
Vitality – the Movie
The Spirit of Temagami

Concert Films

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The Marley Brothers Legacy Tour Toronto Ontario (Full Show)
Daniel Lanois live at the Phoenix (Full Show)
Dead and Company Sphere Las Vegas Mega Movie
Damian and Stephen Marley Live in Toronto at History
Sam Roberts Band Live
Mishka Live at the Phoenix Full Show
Other Concert Videos : Rusty, Blue Rodeo, Death From Above 1979, Sarah McLachlan, Ozzy Osbourne, David Crosby, Pearl Jam, Sammy Hagar, Jim Cuddy