Diederik van Dijk

It's not really a band right now because Diederik moved to the Netherlands to study baroque cello for a while, but here's the illustrious history of Through Glass anyway: Formed in 2001 by Diederik van Dijk and James Hill as a recording combo, the band created for the live shows consisted also of Mike Liston on bass and bravura, and Artemis Horton on trumpet and vocals. Through Glass played shows in many of Vancouver's finest pubs with a (maybe too) particular focus on the UBC scene, where all its members went to school. Diederik's tunes may be classified as sensitive singer-songwriter stuff by some, but let it be said that they have stood their ground in the face of many a fraternity crowd, though admittedly with the help of a few 'yo mama' jokes thrown in at times when they seemed to be the only fitting reply to incessant clamouring for Weezer covers. Diederik and James finished "Midnight Streets" in 2004. The album features 15 songs, arranged in many different styles, from acoustic folk to heavy distorted rock, to blues and maybe a little bit of country. James moved away to Ottawa and is now an internationally renowned ukulele star. Check him out at: www.ukulelejames.com Anyway, his shoes were filled by Aaron Joyce on weissenborn, and guitar and Alvaro Rojas on guitar. Artemis moved to Australia in the name of love and to live on the beach for a year and Sara Ciantar became the new chick-in-the-band, doubling on vocals and accordion. There were also appearances of Richard St. Onge on cello, Jason Nett on bass and Mike Simpson on drums. In August 2005 Through Glass played its last show in this configuration and then Diederik moved to Utrecht, the Netherlands, to learn how to wrench the music of Bach, Vivaldi and Boccherini out of cat-gut. He has performed his songs a little on the side, playing all by his lonesome and one cannot help but think that soon he will have to return to Vancouver to meet up again with his musical friends.