Albums Hallelujah Role Singer | Name Will Blunderfield Years active 2009–present Record labels Nettwerk, EMI | |
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Birth name Mark William Kent Blunderfield Instruments Vocals, piano, synthesizer, harmonium Website www.willblunderfield.info Similar People Bif Naked, Janin Devi, Donna De Lory, Spring Groove, Andy Desmond aka Miten | ||
Will Blunderfield (born July 18, 1985) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and yoga teacher. He is signed to Nettwerk Records/Sony Music (WMG). Blunderfield's music is influenced by his roots in New York City's musical theater scene and by spiritual hymns & mantras which he first became familiar with as a child in the British Columbia Boys Choir. He is an ambassador for lululemon athletica, Vega, and Manduka Yoga Mats. Xtra identified Blunderfield as an activist for diversity and anti-bullying in schools. In 2012, Blunderfield achieved mainstream fame in Japan where he has toured extensively and where Long Time Sun, the first single off the international version of his album became a radio hit.
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At 17, Blunderfield moved from Vancouver, Canada to New York City to study theatre on scholarship at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy along with other graduates-cum-musicians Jason Derülo, 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.
Blunderfield performs and teaches around the world at workshops, retreats and conferences. 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.
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. 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.
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 jewellery 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？). He released a theme song in conjunction with the show titled "Story," written by Japanese popstar Ai.
He performs original compositions inspired by devotional chant, World Music, Musical Theater and Mantra Music during savasana.
Philanthropy and activism
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.
Blunderfield is also a spokesperson for tolerance organization The Diversity Project. 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."
Blunderfield has also supported the following notable charities: