David Finkelman Fund
Our son, David Finkelman was a familiar figure on Whyte Avenue. His band, Energetic Action, played bars and halls throughout Old Strathcona and beyond. He and his band mates created their own unique sound by combining elements of punk, post-punk and experimental music into their original songs.
In 2013, Energetic Action released an LP, “Becoming”. The Edmonton Journal described it as “Fidgety drums, scritchy guitars, biting yowls and ghoulish croons…music that is easy to get sucked into.”
David began playing guitar in his early teens. He quickly gravitated to punk and soon found himself immersed in other offbeat genres like free-style jazz and experimental. He shared his vast knowledge of music on his weekly radio show “Big A little a” on CJSR FM. The show won numerous awards over the years. He co-hosted a second show on CJSR. “The Darkness of My Soul” aired at midnight on Mondays. It took listeners on a weird and often bizarre trip into the darkly comic minds of its creators.
David had a strong independent streak. He moved out at 17 and worked low-paying jobs so that he could focus on his music. On more than one occasion he didn’t know if there would be enough money to pay the rent, but he always found a way to make it work. David’s other passion was books. He believed they could teach him anything he needed to know. He made good use of his library card. But at 25, he decided to see what higher learning had to offer. He enrolled at the University of Alberta where he became an honours student and discovered a love of classic literature and the arts. His goal was to finish university and see where life took him next.
David Finkelman died on January 27th, 2014 when he was struck by a distracted driver at 101st Street and Whyte Avenue. He was 27.
We created an endowment at iHuman because David’s life is reflected in the work this group is doing. He treated all people who crossed his path equally. He always had a smile and kind word for those he met on the street. That kindness was repaid when two homeless men were among the first who came to his aid after he was struck. David also had a soft spot for young people in need. He mentored a number of youth who were interested in music, taking them under his wing and guiding them on their path. He would be pleased beyond words to know that a music fund bearing his name has been established at iHuman. Somewhere, his soul is singing.
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