INTRODUCTION: Southern Time Band

The Southern Time Band is one of the best sources of ‘21^st Century Social Classical’ music flourishing in Toronto, Canada, and successfully stands as an impeccable virtuosic group of musicians that combines ‘Progressive/Art Rock’ with ‘Opera’. Far from the other Canadian singers and bands, STB focuses on the creation of Concept Albums and its lyrics also indicates a real-life story and positive message that the world needs to hear (thus the ‘Social’ aspect of their genre)!

The Southern Time Band intends to open new possibilities in the world of popular music through its innovative style of Rock Opera along with its motive to change hearts and minds and spread smiles!

NAME and ORIGIN

Timothy Bartsch, a soul-stirring Rock Opera singer, and musician originated the Southern Time Band. Formed through classical music training and being challenged and shaped through an HIV positive diagnosis in 1996, ‘T’ (aka ‘Timothy Bartsch’) has shared his incredible story through multiple iterations of song, drama, and spoken word ever since.

‘Southern Time’ was the first-ever song written by T that consisted of his understanding and recognition of the ‘Global South,’ and of how he now identified more with people living in the Global South since testing HIV positive in 1996 than people living in his country of origin — Canada.

From there to the band’s first stage performance and T’s rock opera ‘Southern Time’ in 2005, this is how STB got its name among the famous Canadian singers and bands.

SPECIALITY

The Southern Time Band has created in a new art form. They dub it ’21st Century Social Classical’ music. ’21st Century Classical’ because, for any lovers of Classical Music know that in the 20th Century, Classical Music, for the most part, took a turn for the worse, it became obscure, extremely divergent, and for many people, Canadian singers and bands, unlistenable. Moreover, it lost its mass appeal. One goal of the STB is to change this trajectory of one of the world’s most significant genres by combining the ‘high art’ of classical music with all its complexity and beauty with lyrics, sounds, and melodies that the global masses can appreciate and relate. Thus the ‘Social’ descriptor!

The STB began marching towards the step hills of success since 2005 when Timothy Bartsch first produced the multimedia stage production of Southern Time.

Along with acing a fantastic amalgamation of ‘psychedelic jazzy-classical musical-theateresque art-rock,’ STB looks forward to sharing its amazing story as the ‘rock opera band’ for T’s now cinematic version of his rock opera, the ‘Southern Time Tetralogy.’ 

Southern Time Productions will produce and release the Southern Time Tetralogy over the 2020s, and the STB will produce all the music for the four parts of the tetralogy.

In 2018, STB found the core members of the Southern Time Band in Toronto, and in 2019, they found the band’s first openly HIV positive backup singer, Justin Anantawan.

EXPERIENCE 

With a vast amount of experience in the music industry as individual Canadian singers, musicians, and band’s members, the Southern Time Band is established as a highly-skilled set of musicians that stand out in terms of their unique approach towards musical art and creation.

MUSIC PRODUCED TILL DATE

As rightly quoted by ‘Leonard Bernstein’, “Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”

The Southern Time Band has produced many single Rock Opera Hits like ‘Poor Soul,’ ‘Imaginary,’ ‘Neville,’ ‘Desert Moon,’ and ‘Southern Time.’ The Band recently released its first studio-recorded album “Lost in Love No More” on July 6^th, 2020.

Latest Album tracks available for purchase, BUY SONGS NOW! Click Here

Some of the fantastic tracks from our album include ‘Hey Charlie,’ ‘Lies,’ ‘Lost In Love,’ etc.

LIVE PERFORMANCE/CONCERTS

The professional musicians of the band have performed some of the most famous musical acts in the world. Recently, STB featured at the first Virtual International AIDS Conference AIDS 2020 portraying a global virtual showcase that included their latest album hits.

STORY AND IDEA BEHIND THE BAND

Unlike the other Canadian singers and bands, the ideas surrounding Southern Time Band’s musical concept consist of truth, honesty, love, and acceptance. It passionately believes that “Music Can Change the World.” 

STB’s mission while speaking to its fans and giving interviews is to encourage HIV prevention and testing and thereby hopes to decrease HIV stigma.

Also, part of the band’s proceeds from their albums, performances, and merchandise will go to the Southern Time Foundation, which will fund crucial HIV/AIDS initiatives around the globe.

CANADIAN SINGERS AND BAND MEMBERS

STB is enriched with budding & well-established music professionals diversified and united by love, that of music, and for the well-being of everybody in our world!

Bryant Didier, Rick Sacks, and Donne Roberts, the musical veterans of our band, made their careers in a more musically viable and creative time (the 1970s and 80s). The other band members include Justin Anantawan, an openly HIV positive member in his early 30s who trained at the UofT Opera in Toronto. Justin has been actively advocating for the rights of the less privileged since his early 20s.  Shessi Sandu, in her late 20s, inspired by her Uruguayan musical roots, also believes in the power of music to make a positive difference in our world. And then there’s T, aka Timothy Bartsch, the CEO of Southern Time Productions, who is also HIV positive and nearly died from AIDS in 2009, the band’s main composer, singer, pianist, and cellist.

CHALLENGES FACED 

The formation of one of the best Rock Opera bands in Toronto had its share of ups and downs. Life was not smooth sailing for every one of them.

They were only able to begin recording ‘Lost in Love No More’ with a $7,000 grant from 2018, then mistakenly got involved with a fake investor who gave false hopes and expectations. The deal turned out to be a scam.

Despite this setback, the music from the album shone out with bright and inspirational colors. The prospect of ridding the world of HIV Stigma and AIDS still seemed a likely possibility!

GROWTH OF STB

The Southern Time Band started following the footsteps of success. People all around the globe began to understand and eventually love their music. The ‘21^st Century Social Classical’ new flavor along with their compelling story is what attracts most of their fans!

Moreover, the target of reaching out to the masses and draw attention to HIV Stigma and AIDS awareness through their musical messages opened more social pathways for them. 

IN CONCLUSION

All in all, the Southern Time Band emphasizes on spreading love, truth, and kindness through its ’21^st Century Social Classical’ music.  It aims to spread the latest HIV scientific knowledge wherever it performs, thus helping to end HIV stigma and eventually AIDS all around the globe.

www.southerntime.band

www.southerntime.ca