Will Blunderfield

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Will Blunderfield
Will Blunderfield at Robson Street in Vancouver, July 2010.
Will Blunderfield at Robson Street in Vancouver, July 2010.
Background information
Birth nameMark William Kent Blunderfield
Born (1985-07-18) July 18, 1985 (age 38)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
GenresWorld, pop, mantras
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, yoga teacher, performance artist
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, synthesizer, harmonium
Years active2009–present
LabelsSony Music
Nettwerk/Nutone Records
Warner Music Group
Spirit Voyage Records
Websitemusic.apple.com/ca/artist/will-blunderfield/436535637

Mark William Kent Blunderfield (born July 18, 1985) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and yoga teacher. He is signed to Nettwerk Records/Sony Music (WMG) with music released through Spirit Voyage Records.[1] Xtra identified Blunderfield as an activist for diversity and social equality in schools.[2] His fame reached mainstream proportions in Japan in 2012, where he embarked on extensive tours and achieved success on radio with the single "Long Time Sun," featured on the international version of his album.[3][4][5][6] Blunderfield has also gained attention as an internet sensation, credited for his contributions to the male rewilding movement, which explores alternative perspectives on modern masculinity.[7]

Education[edit]

At 17, Blunderfield moved from Vancouver to New York City to study theatre on scholarship at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where he was classmates with Jason Derulo, Janelle Monáe and Jason Mraz. His original plan was to pursue a career on Broadway, but he soon changed his mind and decided to pursue music and yoga, a discipline which he was introduced to while at the school and, according to him, has the potential to change the world.[8]

Blunderfield holds multiple certifications in Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Sexual Kung Fu under Loren Johnson and Mantak Chia, Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and Compassionate Inquiry under Gabor Maté MD. He has a degree in Psychology, Sexuality and Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia.[9]

Career[edit]

Blunderfield performs and teaches around the world at workshops, retreats and conferences.[10][11][12] He became a yoga enthusiast in the Bikram school, but now teaches a blend of Bikram Yoga and his own invented style. In late 2010, Nettwerk Music Group CEO and yoga enthusiast Terry McBride, who had previously managed artists such as Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, and Sarah McLachlan, signed Blunderfield to the label's yoga-inspired Nutone Records alongside Donna De Lory, Wade Morissette, and Krishna Das.[13][14][15]

In May 2011, he recorded a duet with Juno Award-winning, multi-platinum record selling artist Bif Naked for the international version of his album Hallelujah.[16] He has charted primarily in the world music, new age and occasionally in the mainstream charts. Blunderfield's album was released in July 2011 worldwide and debuted at number one on the iTunes world music chart.[17]

He has also created a charity foundation, Fukushima Yoga Project, had a Canadian television spot as yoga & wellness expert (Life & Style with Zara) and produced a line of japa mala jewelry products labelled "Rock Om". He has contributed opinion pieces to many publications and performed a cabaret show Yoga Fantasia.

In 2015, Blunderfield starred in the primetime reality show Why Did You Come to Japan? (YOUは何しに日本へ？).[18] He released a theme song in conjunction with the show titled "Story," written by Japanese popstar Ai.[19]

He performs original compositions inspired by devotional chant, world music, musical theater, and mantra music during savasana.[20]

In February 2018, Blunderfield released the title track of his second full-length album, a cover of Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones. The song and album were produced by Grammy and Juno Award-winning producers Brian West (Sia, Bono, Nelly Furtado), Mike Southworth (Bif Naked), and Adam Stanton (Jess Moskaluke).[21]

Blunderfield launched a short film for his song Even When You're Gone (For Eliah), which he dedicated to a friend who died of a fentanyl overdose. The video was filmed in Vancouver and was directed by Canadian documentary filmmaker Charles Wilkinson.[22] The film was nominated as an official selection at the Austin Spotlight Film Festival.[23]

Will Blunderfield is also known for his uconventional approach to men's work, specifically naked rewilding.[24] His unique methods have gained significant attention in the online world and have been featured on various prominent platforms. Notably, his work has been discussed on iHeartRadio's "Man Thinkers" podcast, where he engaged in insightful conversations about masculinity and personal development. Will has also made notable appearances on well-known shows like "Your Mom's House" with Tom Segura and "Congratulations" with Chris D'Elia, as well as the "Tiny Meat Gang" podcast produced by TMG Studios.[25]

The impact of Will's teachings extends beyond his online presence. Media outlets such as The Province, The Vancouver Sun, New York Post and Esquire Magazine have recognized the transformative nature of his rewilding methods, featuring his work and shedding light on its influence.[26] Moreover, a full documentary about Will and his work was produced and released by the American digital media company Channel 5 News, with journalist Andrew Callaghan leading the project. The documentary quickly gained widespread attention, going viral and amassing over 2.2 million views within a week of its release.[27][28]

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired a program and interview on "The New Gurus," hosted by Helen Lewis, in which Will discussed his rewilding approach and its potential to redefine modern masculinity. Additionally, he was interviewed for a CBC docuseries exploring sexuality as well as a Christmas music special.[29] Will has also been interviewed by Vice News multiple times by reporters Samantha Cole and Ryan Hook for The Globe & Mail.[30][31]

Philanthropy and activism[edit]

Will Blunderfield has been involved in extensive philanthropic activities. He partnered with YYoga, Tamara Rhodes and other Vancouver yogis to contribute tracks on Listen to Understand, a Kirtan-inspired collection of inspirational music, which was released in late 2010. Proceeds from album sales went to the BC Children's Hospital.[32]

Blunderfield is also a spokesperson for a tolerance organization, The Diversity Project.[33] Blunderfield explained to Xtra about becoming a spokesperson, saying, "I didn't really have any role models when I was in high school, and it was really difficult for me. I didn't have a practice like yoga to ground me in the knowledge that there's nothing wrong with me.... I want to use yoga to help people embrace themselves regardless of any abuse they may have experienced because of their sexual or gender identity, race or size."[34]

Blunderfield recorded a single of the classic song Stand by Me in 2019 along with a sold-out concert series with all proceeds benefitting Out in Schools, a program created by the Vancouver Queer Film Festival to showcase LGBTQ-themed movies in Canadian high schools with the intention of lessening bullying and promoting understanding and diversity.[35]

Blunderfield has also supported the following notable charities:

  • Africa Yoga Project[36]
  • Yoga Aid[37]
  • Red Cross Japan
  • Once Upon a Cure[38]
  • Canadian National Institute for the Blind CNIB[39]

Discography[edit]

  • Hallelujah (2010)
  • Hallelujah (2011) (International Sony Music/WMG version)
  • Amazing Grace EP [WMG] (2012)
  • Story EP Universal Music Japan (2015)
  • Dancing in the Rain EP (2015) (Asia)
  • Wild Horses (2018)
  • Will Blunderfield / Tej Randhir & Friends: Live at The Cultch (2019)
  • Aquarian Sadhana (2019)
  • Wild Horses (The Remixes) EP (2019)
  • Hallelujah (10th Anniversary Extended Edition) (2020)
  • Greatest Hits & Other Delights (2020)
  • Live In Japan (2023)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Devotional Singer – Will Blunderfield | drishtipoint.ca". drishtipoint.ca. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
  2. ^ Kittelberg, Lori (May 31, 2011). "From yoga, with love". Xtra. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  3. ^ "Blue Ocean（ブルーオーシャン）- TOKYO FM 80.0MHz - 住吉美紀". Blue Ocean（ブルーオーシャン）- TOKYO FM 80.0MHz - 住吉美紀 (in Japanese).
  4. ^ "YogaFest Yokohama 2012 | Sport and fitness in Tokyo". Time Out Tokyo. July 22, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  5. ^ "Interview: Will Blunderfield on Tokyo, Yoga, Music, and His New Album, "Hallelujah" - HelloYoga.com - Tokyo's English-Speaking Yoga Community". Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  6. ^ Ryan, Denise (January 11, 2013). "Bringing healing and joy to Japan". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  7. ^ "Your Balls Are Back Online". VICE News. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Burgmann, Tamsyn (May 21, 2011). "Hot hatha yoga teacher empowers students, puts musical theatre twist on classes". The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  9. ^ Landiedel, Matt (April 23, 2020). "Episode 6: Sexuality on the Spiritual Journey, with Will Blunderfield". Retrieved May 25, 2023 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Tokyo American Club - Shake Your Asana: Yoga with Will Blunderfield". www.tokyoamericanclub.org. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011.
  11. ^ "Devotional Singer – Will Blunderfield". drishtipoint.ca. July 26, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  12. ^ "love letter to vancouver – the lululemon athletica blog". Lululemon.com. February 11, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  13. ^ "Recent Releases". Nutone Music. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  14. ^ McBride, Terry (January 20, 2011). "YYoga breathes new passion into love of music". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011.
  15. ^ "Terry McBride". Nettwerk Music Group. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  16. ^ "Will Blunderfield Amazing Grace ft. Bif Naked". Nutone Music. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  17. ^ "iTunes Store Top 10 World Albums". Apple.com. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  18. ^ "Why Did You Come To Japan?". TV Tokyo. April 27, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  19. ^ "Officialai". Instagram. April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  20. ^ Kittelberg, Lori (May 31, 2011). "From yoga, with love". Xtra. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  21. ^ "Popular Albums". Apple. February 28, 2018. iTunes Apple Play. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "Even When You're Gone (For Eliah)". January 21, 2020. Apple iTunes. Retrieved April 1, 2022 – via Apple Music.
  23. ^ "Selections". Austin Spotlight Film Festival. February 28, 2018. Austin Spotlight. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  24. ^ "The naked truth: Vancouver men are taking the plunge for cold-water nude yoga". November 17, 2019. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 21, 2023 – via Vancouver Sun.
  25. ^ "The Erotic Awakening". YouTube. July 6, 2022. Supergood Clips. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  26. ^ "We warm our testicles and butts in the sun — our erotic male bonding isn't 'gay'". June 7, 2023. NY Post. Retrieved June 7, 2023 – via NY Post.
  27. ^ "Is Channel 5 The Future of News?". Esquire. December 30, 2022. Esquire Apple Play. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  28. ^ "Will Blunderfield". October 12, 2022. YouTube. Retrieved May 21, 2023 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ "CBC News - Christmas Spin Class with Will Blunderfield". November 13, 2020. YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ "The New Gurus". BBC Radio 4. December 4, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  31. ^ "Your Balls Are Back Online". VICE News. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  32. ^ "Community Highlights". BC Children's Hospital Foundation. April 13, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  33. ^ Breckon, Calan (April 13, 2011). "Support VLog Will Blunderfield". The Diversity Project. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  34. ^ Kittelberg, Lori (May 31, 2011). "From yoga, with love". Xtra. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  35. ^ Kittelberg, Lori (March 16, 2019). "Will Blunderfield & Friends". The Cultch. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  36. ^ "Yoga Jam Session". The Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau. February 19, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  37. ^ "Yoga Aid Canada". Yoga Aid Pty. Ltd. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  38. ^ "Musical Performances". Once Upon A Cure. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  39. ^ "Media Advisory – Canadians get limber in support of the Great Canadian Yoga Stretch". CNW Group Ltd. Retrieved July 18, 2011.

External links[edit]

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