A double threat duo paid a special visit to HCI on the afternoon and evening of April 17th.

Patrick Anderson and Anna Paddock, also known as The Lay Awakes, performed a concert at the Collegiate. The concert was sponsored by the HCI Student Action Squad. The couple from Brooklyn, NY made a stop as part of their western Canada tour. 

During the day, Patrick Anderson shared another special skill with the students. Anderson is a world calibre wheelchair basketball champ. His skill and determination have taken him to numerous international competitions culminating in back to back gold medals with the Canadian Paralympic Basketball team in 2002 and 2004. He has been named to several all-star teams throughout his career. Indeed, he's been proclaimed as one of the greatest to ever play the sport.

Anderson put his skills to work demonstrating wheelchair basketball and challenging HCI phys ed and wellness classes in the sport. With a complement of athletic wheelchairs brought in, the students soon learned about the physical demands of wheelchair basketball. For his part, Anderson was impressed by the effort and organization, "It was one of the most seamless experiences that I've had. From getting the chairs there to the kids just jumping in and getting into it with enthusiasm. The engagement was really high; they were listening when I needed them to listen."

Anderson laughed at the competitive nature of the groups, "They were also throwing elbows when I needed them to."

Anderson took a bit of a break from his impressive athletic career to start both a family and a band with his spouse, Anna Paddock. Patrick has returned to action with the National Team and is currently preparing for the Pan Am Games this summer and another qualifying run for the Paralympics in Tokyo. At the same time, he and Anna continue to pursue their love of music and travel as The Lay Awakes.

Paddock spoke about the concert tour and their performances in Humboldt and Meacham, "We are mostly playing songs from our album entitled Home Away From Home released about a year ago. It's singer-songwriter stuff with a bit of a range, from pop to country, mixed with a bit of folk."

Paddock follows the musician's path for the love of writing songs and telling stories in those songs. "It isn't about becoming a pop music star or anything like that. I really enjoy telling stories and writing songs. When we realized we could do that together, we thought we might as well try because we had a different way of looking at things."

That 'different way of looking at things' has led to remarkable music. Each of the two is a genuinely gifted performer, but the blend of their voices transcends their solo abilities. Taking turns at lead vocals, Anderson and Paddock have voices that variously weave into the other's. There is a middle of the road pop sensibility to their work, but the songs themselves range from uplifting to haunting. Anderson's clarity and Paddock's occasionally ethereal tone produce remarkable results.

The duo performed in Humboldt on April 17th and was off to Meacham Community Hall for a second performance on April 18th.