Allan Walker Shares Stories Behind 'The Philosophy of Volume' on CBC Ontario Morning

Musician, photographer, and now author Allan Walker reflects on Owen Sound’s music scene, his new book, and a life in sound in a CBC Ontario Morning interview with Stephanie Skenderis.

Allan Walker, a longtime fixture in Owen Sound’s music scene, turned memories into memoir with the release of his book, The Philosophy of Volume: Photographs and Memoirs.

In a recent interview on CBC’s Ontario Morning, Walker spoke with host Stephanie Skenderis about how the project took shape and the local legacy it documented.

The idea for the book emerged during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he found time to revisit his archive of photographs—images that, as he explained, needed “a place to go and to be seen.” The result was a collection of over 300 photos paired with personal stories that traced his journey through decades of music, creativity, and connection to Owen Sound.

Walker recounted his early years learning to play guitar by ear, trading techniques with local musicians, and performing in the city’s once-vibrant live music venues. He highlighted the Gold Rush Saloon in particular as a pivotal place for his generation—“a social gathering” that helped launch his band in the mid-1970s.

Though the local scene has changed, with fewer venues and a shift toward digital platforms, Walker’s book served as both a tribute and a reflection on what the community once offered young artists. Listen to the interview on CBC, and you’ll find the full transcript below.

Disclosure: Both ‘Philosophy of Volume’ and ‘The Owen Sound Current’ are published by The Ginger Press.

Transcript

Stephanie Skenderis: Why did you want to create this book?

Allan Walker: I guess we had some time during COVID that just kind of allowed for projects like that. In reviewing some of my photographs, I decided that they needed a place to go and to be seen.

Stephanie Skenderis: And what is that title, Philosophy of Volume? What does that refer to?

Allan Walker: Actually, it comes from a very good friend of mine who had a policy of playing very loud with Marshall amps and electric guitars. He just felt that he had to be at a certain volume to get the tone that was needed to aid in his playing, as well as to just sound so good.

Stephanie Skenderis: How have you tried to make this book different from other musicians’ books?

Allan Walker: Well, I think that the amount of photographs—over 300 photographs in it—really accents the narrative that I've presented in the book.

Stephanie Skenderis: And those photographs, they really do provide such a window into this world. Can you tell us more about them? How are they captured?

Allan Walker: Friends, family, strangers. I would probably hand out my camera to strangers at times when I was on stage playing, because obviously I couldn’t take pictures of the band while I was playing. So I would just let this camera go loose and have pictures taken, and then later on, look at them to see if there have been any of value or not. And I use quite a few of them in the book.

Stephanie Skenderis: And then that, of course, brings us to your other passion. Photography is one, but music is another. Can you tell us about your involvement in the Owen Sound music scene and about your own development as a musician?

Allan Walker: Yeah, I play by ear, so it was an interesting way to get started trying to play music. My dad and his uncles used to sing acapella… just wonderful music. And I was inspired, of course, to listen to more music—anything from Johnny Horton, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, and so on. They just love that music. And really, I was inspired just to be interested in music more. But eventually, I had the challenge from my uncle, who wanted me to be able to play the guitar through a song for him. And it was the most difficult thing to do, I found, is to be able to play the chord, sing the song, and keep it all in time. It was really a challenge.

Stephanie Skenderis: And so, you decided to learn to take up that challenge.

Allan Walker: I did, yes, I did try. It was an interesting process. I'd wander around town with my guitar, looking for people that knew how to play… say the song, Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix, it has several different parts. I'd learn how to maybe play the chords from one person and learn how to play the riff from another person, and so on. I think a lot of musicians, a lot of guitarists, probably had the same process. You just had to find people, they were the key, that knew how to play a song that you wanted to learn.

Stephanie Skenderis: Did you say that you were just wandering around town with your guitar, looking for people to teach you how to play?

Allan Walker: Oh no, I usually knew where they lived. I wasn't wandering the street.

Stephanie Skenderis: And this is all in Owen Sound, right? What do you think it is about the city and its history that makes it produce good music?

Allan Walker: There was just so much music when you know at the high schools, there was all these local bands that would be playing. We'd get bands from all over Southern Ontario coming to the high schools. It was really a spot to have your eyes opened in terms of music, when I was in high school in the mid-60s and early 70s. And you just kind of went, I want to do that. And so that begins the process of learning how to play guitar. That begins the process of getting in a band, that process of starting to learn how to play with other musicians, and so on.

Stephanie Skenderis: And of course, you've been such a mainstay in that local Owen Sound music scene for decades now. You must have made many venues. What have been some of your favourite local venues to play?

Allan Walker: Well, I really think that the Gold Rush Saloon, when it opened up… we had a plebiscite here in Owen Sound and liquor sales were finally allowed. We had a number of different hotels and locations for music to suddenly be able to play in those situations. And the Gold Rush Saloon was the one that really captivated, I would think my generation. It came to be a spot that… the Gold Rush just allowed a social gathering of a generation. And we all seem to be spreading our wings at the same time. And so we ended up playing there as a house band, I think, mainly the winter of 75/76. And it was really a jumping-off point for our band at that time.

Stephanie Skenderis: Given your historical perspective on all this, how would you describe the scene in Owen Sound lately? Is it growing, changing, shrinking? Are there enough places to play? Do people still come out for live music?

Allan Walker: No, it's really changed that way. I mean, we have a wonderful Heartwood Concert Hall, and it's been one of the main stages now of music. But all the bars and restaurants and those locations… the music scene has totally changed over the last 10 years or so, 15 years, where there aren't as many places to play. I kind of wonder about the next generation that's coming up. Where are they going to get a chance to play? And it seems to be all online. There's that whole focus of online, but playing live doesn't seem to have the strength that it used to have.

Stephanie Skenderis: That book is called The Philosophy of Volume: Photographs and Memoirs. It is published by The Ginger Press, and it's being released tonight at The Rumpus Room at seven, along with music and commentary by Allen and the Brook Trio, if you're in Owen Sound for that.

Editor’s Note: The launch event referenced in this article took place in March, 2025. Though many of the bars and restaurants that hosted live musicians no longer exist, Owen Sounders can still enjoy live music at Heartwood Concert Hall, as Allan suggested, as well as Parkwood Restaurant, Jazzmyn’s Restaurant, The Rumpus Room, and occasionally at The Pub and The Launch (summer only).