Bryce Thomas

While Bryce Thomas’s two young children slept, he managed to write, perform and record a song that made the top 50 in a CBC national music competition.

The Oakville singer-songwriter was selected by CBC Music’s Searchlight 2018 judging panel as one of 50 entrants to move on to Round 2 of the contest, out of 2,000 entrants nationwide. Though he didn’t make the final cut to the national top 10 list (based on online votes), he was happy just the same.

“I’m simply thrilled at being selected as one of the top 50 nationally selected by CBC Music’s judges’ pick,” he said. “It’s an accomplishment made more notable by the fact my song wasn’t selected by number of votes, but by the CBC judges.”

His song, Midnight in the Garden, is a lovers’ waltz, and features him on piano — the first instrument he learned, at six years old. He can now play guitar, trumpet, drums, mandolin, accordion and harmonica.

At the time he recorded Midnight in the Garden, he had two children under two; Thomas and his wife Lisanne (who sings on his first album) are now parents of three children; Anélise, Blake and Chantale.

A songwriter most of his life, Thomas, 45, was in the Searchlight contest last year as well, but in a very different style — pop-punk. That song got him into the top 10 regional spot.

“Midnight in the Garden takes me back to my old roots,” he said.

“When I realized the judges picked me, that was even a better surprise, because I’m not a millennial who’s got a million YouTube followers,” he said, noting half the finalists were chosen by number of votes. “Basically I’ve got my kids, my family and my day job (for voters).”

Thomas, who grew up in Brampton, said he’s been flirting with the music industry most of his life and has always been a member of a band.

In fact, his first band got its wings in Grade 3, when they did a cover of Let’s Get Physical, and dedicated it to their phys-ed teacher.

Despite his love of music, he never decided to make it into a full-time gig.

“It’s something that I never really felt comfortable doing full time — it’s been more of a creative outlet for me, a way to express thoughts and feelings.

Midnight in the Garden was on his second album, which he produced five years after the first. He also shot a music video while walking down the street in Paris in 2016, and featuring his wife dancing.

When he’s not songwriting or singing, he’s busy with his own company. Since 2003, he’s been operating a brand-name communications and marketing business, and in 2013, he began a technology startup providing club management software for clubs and athlete tracking among clubs. - InsideHalton.com