VANCOUVER—It’s an internal joy that drives musicians Jesse LeBlanc and Kathleen Dunn to perform upbeat, folk-inspired tunes.
The energetic duo, who perform under the name A Guy and a Girl, sang before more than 1,000 people, their biggest audience yet, at the Vancouver Convention Centre Feb. 14.
“It’s something we love to do with our music: make people happy with it,” Dunn said during a break at the One Conference. The pair played with a handful of talented guest artists that day, but they usually perform as just a guy and a girl.
The TWU students and passionate Catholics started making music together after a mutual friend introduced them in January 2013.
“We are both entertainers,” said LeBlanc, who sings and plays the guitar. Their first public gig was at Hootenanny, the university’s talent show.
They performed a song LeBlanc had written about shunning the devil: Mr. Wiley. Dunn accompanied him with a keyboard and vocals. They went on to entertain audiences in coffee shops, pubs, chapels, and churches.
The couple – they started dating a few months later – often choose uplifting music and take musical cues from some of their favourite artists: The Civil Wars, Audrey Assad, John Mayer, Taylor Swift, and Mumford & Sons.
“We love to socialize,” Dunn said. They hand-pick harmonies that allow audience participation. “It allows our personalities to come through.”
In early 2014, the pair entered Langley Has Talent. They competed their way into the semi-finals without a band name; A Guy and a Girl surfaced just in time for them to win first place and take the $2,500 prize.
“This just shows us that people actually want to hear what we’re doing,” LeBlanc told the Langley Advance after the win.
The two, members of St. Joseph’s Parish in Langley, have found their favourite time to sing together is during Mass or adoration.
“We love performing in all kinds of settings, but we’re drawn to areas where we can worship,” said Dunn, the parish youth ministry coordinator. “It helps people feel engulfed in prayer and God’s presence.”
LeBlanc leads the parish’s youth band. He said faith played a key role when the couple wrote their first song together. “We wanted to share something about God that would resonate with people.”
The tune, titled Home, was soon adopted as the One Conference theme song. “The song is about knowing that wherever you are, God is there and you can find that peace,” Dunn said.
As students, LeBlanc (nursing) and Dunn (theology) find time to practise between classes and exams. Dunn is also the director of digital media and promotions for the National Campus Life Network.
“Balancing school, pro-life ministry, youth ministry, and music is tough, but we are so passionate about all of these things, giving our best to them as God sets the opportunities before us,” she said.
A Guy and a Girl plans to start recording some music within a few months and aims to release a song or two by the summer. The enthusiastic musicians also became engaged to be married one day after the One Conference; Dunn joked that might mean changing their name.
The band continues accepting invitations to perform, especially at events where Catholic youth are involved. Their faith propels their upbeat, acoustic style. “Remembering you’re with Him is where that joy comes from.”
More information about A Guy and a Girl is available at www.facebook.com/guyandgirlmusic.
