On Monday November 27, 2006 I was able to speak with Christopher Barran while he was at his mother's home in Calgary, Alberta. The previous evening he had performed for the hometown crowd. Unfortunately, the inclement weather there had prevented many from attending yet he had still been pleased with the evening.

"People were mouthing the words to the songs, even those that weren't as popular." It was great experience for Barran and a natural high that he was still on.

I have known Barran for about fifteen years. I used to be Administrative Assistant for a mall in Calgary where Christopher's father owned the pharmacy. I walked in one day and saw a young man behind the counter wearing a POISON t-shirt. I reminded him of that and he says it was a good thing he had gone to the concert. I also reminded him of his music then; how I enjoyed the excitement I felt listening to him rock and then the difference I feel listening to his debut CD 'Song of The Angels'. So I asked him how he felt the music has changed.

Barran feels that he is now more mature. Whereas before his music was all about chasing women and getting Ferraris (he and a partner actually had a clause in a contract that they would get a Ferrari if they sold so many albums) now he is more spiritual.

When you visit www.christopherbarran.com - and I urge you to do so - you will see that The Agape International Spiritual Centre is something that means a lot to Christopher. So I asked him how he came to be associated with them.

"When I arrived in Los Angeles people kept telling me I had to go to the Agape Church, about how much they loved my music there. So I went and saw this amazing minister, Dr. Michael Beckwith." Barran goes on to speak of Beckwith in glowing terms and with reverence. He describes the man as a spiritual force to be reckoned with and it sounds as if Dr. Beckwith could convert anyone. You can find a link to The Agape International Spiritual Centre through the links page on Christopher's site.

Christopher comes across more settled, more spiritual than when I knew him previously. I asked him if this change was an epiphany or a more gradual one. At first he said gradual but later in the interview he amended that with a heart-wrenching story.

While visiting a hospital for children with polio in Pune, India, Christopher looked into a room and saw several children in various degrees of pain. He asked one of the workers what had happened and it was explained that these children had had surgery that day. The hospital was too poor to supply anesthesia or pain killers. One of the nurses suggested that Barran sing so he did. It was like magic as the children lost themselves to the music, forgetting their pain for the moment. Christopher realized that day how powerful his gift was and just how much good he could do with it. As he rode back to the hotel in the van, he cried. The trappings of music stardom aren't worth a lot unless he can do something meaningful with it. And that is now his goal. To attain a level of stardom and to use the power associated with that level to help those in need.

Christopher has traveled to many countries, spreading hope through his music. Philippines, Nepal, India, Costa Rica, Kenya and Peru are just a few of the place that have been blessed by the sounds of Christopher Barran. Although I have never been honored to hear Christopher perform live (the one opportunity I did have we had car trouble and arrived just as the show had ended) Christopher says it is an experience that surpasses the CD. So if you have the chance, take it.

But we almost didn't get to hear Christopher's gift. He was determined to be an athlete, to compete in the Olympics in downhill ski racing when a near fatal accident ended that dream. After he healed, a friend talked the young Barran into singing with his band and the friend's mother, an opera trained singer, overheard Christopher. She trained Christopher for a while then turned his training over to her vocal coach. The rest, as they say, is history and the Olympics loss was music's very worthy gain.

But our conversation wasn't all serious and spiritual in nature. If you go to his website and look at the photos, there is one with Christopher and a llama. Christopher is just beaming and it says 'The love of my life, Peru.' I thought he meant that Peru was the love of his life so I asked him why.

"No, the llama," he says. "That's my girlfriend. She's got great legs." Kind of hairy though, don't you think?

And then I asked him about the fact that he was born in South America, I met in Calgary and he now lives in Los Angeles. Where would he consider himself to be a citizen of?

"An earthling." Was his immediate answer. I chuckled.

"I was betting you were going to say a citizen of the world." I remarked. This time it was Christopher's turn to laugh.

"I was thinking that."

It was great having the chance to speak with Christopher Barran again and catch up on what's been happening. He's grown and matured but I expected that after all this time. Yet he is still charming and amusing. I look forward to keeping in touch with him, watching his career take off. I look forward to one day being able to say - I knew him when!