Sound Engineer GI Holm wears multiple hats: producer, musician, performer, technician, and lifelong student of sound.
Let’s start with lifelong student of sound: Holm learned to play guitar during his upbringing in Owen Sound, an instrument that he’s played in multiple bands throughout his life developing his fluid and instinctive style. It was also in his youth that he became drawn to the technical side of things after playing around with an old PC computer and sound system his family had kicking around.
“I remember when I first ever started experimenting with recording when I was like 12 or 13,” he recalls. “I had a desktop gooseneck mic from Staples and my grandma’s old computer with free recording software on it in my bedroom, and that was it.”
What began as childhood experimentation grew into something bigger. He didn’t know at the time what form it would take, but he knew he wanted to part of the music scene as a lifelong endeavour.
He called his dedication to music his plan A, never even really considering a plan B. With a stubborn and almost defiant determination, GI decided at a young age that he would just have to make plan A work, so he committed himself fully to the craft.
In high school, he took his first real step into the world of audio production through two full-day co-op placements at Avenue A in Owen Sound with Paul and Ellen Farrow. He was writing and producing radio ads, working with voice actors, and building audio spots that aired locally through Bayshore Broadcasting.
The work included ads and jingles for businesses such as Tirecraft, Stone Tree and Legacy Ridge, Becker Shoes, and several local car dealerships. During that time, he also helped record his first full project: a country album for Owen Sound musician Jeff Catto.
During those early years GI was also experimenting with his own music projects. “I remember some people being like, if you think you can just make music, you’re gonna end up living on the curb,” he says. He laughs when he recalls the response he gave: “I was like, ‘the curb’, that’s a great band name.”
The idea stuck, and he went onto start a band called The Curb, recording one song titled Vagabonds, which was played briefly on Mix 106.5.
If you’re a 90’s kid like me, you might have seen GI performing at the odd coffee house in high school and doing a bit of tech crew stuff. As he continued to learn the boards and gig locally, he connected with Gary Byers, another well renowned local sound technician.
Byers introduced him to Sauble’s Bruce Worthington, forming a relationship that eventually led to GI becoming the go-to for Sauble Beach events and then gigs at Meaford Hall.
GI said his first real gigs were Sandfest, and Canada Day, which included performances by Gavin Macleod, Scarecrow, and his absolute favourite, Born Ruffians.
“I remember in high school listening to Born Ruffians… so that was one where I was like, oh, this is a big deal,” he says. “I wonder if anyone knows that I am terrified right now.”
His production company Wallsdown Studios hit the ground running in his early twenties at the same time GI was playing in several bands. He later joined the Christian rock band Anthem For Today, where he spent time touring across Ontario and the United States, performing festivals including Kingdom Bound at Six Flags Darien Lake. The shows fully embraced theatrical showmanship; I’m talking barrel rolls off each other’s backs and landing on beat, high kicks, and using up the entire stage as a playground.
“Sometimes I just look around and think 13-year-old me would think I’m the coolest guy ever”
After touring ended, GI returned to the Grey-Bruce music scene where he frequently performed with country artist Bruce Worthington alongside well-known local musicians Roger Williamson, Paul “Chappy” Chapman and Brian Mole.
“I actually learned how to play bass on stage…standing beside Roger Williamson as he’s just yelling out chord changes to me,” he says.
While he has moved on from Anthem For Today, he continues to perform live with his other two bands Us Villains and The Maysides. The contrast is notable, performing Maysides originals like I Got a Boner on the Bus, a far cry from Christian jams, yet evident of GI’s range and comfort across genres. Now, his band does keg stands on stage.
Antics aside, GI takes his work seriously. At times, he even finds himself mixing sound from the stage during his own smaller gigs, a reflection of how naturally the technical and performance sides of music overlap for him.
Technically speaking, GI is savvy around the sound board, and is an incredibly quick learner when it comes to new brands and challenging boards. For instance, when he was called in 2024 to fill in working Summerfolk’s Down by the Bay tent on monitors, he was quite literally watching YouTube videos and learning the board as the crew built the set. The show went off without a hitch and GI was called back in 2025.
Reflecting on the experience, he described the pace of the festival as intense, often running 14-hour days from morning setup through late-night performances, but said the fast-paced environment is part of what makes the experience so exciting and something he hopes to continue doing in the future.
He particularly enjoys working monitors because it allows him to communicate directly with the musicians on stage, often translating what performers are asking for into the technical adjustments needed on the soundboard.
He explains that his background in production also shapes the way he approaches live sound, constantly listening ahead and anticipating how a song might evolve so he can adjust effects and levels in real time, essentially approaching the board the same way he would produce a song in the studio.
Along the way Holm has worked with a range of artists both locally and on larger stages, including performers such as Andy Kim, Gowan and Aaron Pritchett at Meaford Hall.
Technical and musical worlds have collided for him in the most complimentary ways, and he wakes up each day working to support a dream life he made for himself. He’s come a long way since those early bedroom recordings.
“I look around and think, wow, I’ve got a home studio in Barrie and another fully set up studio in Owen Sound. Sometimes I just look around and think 13-year-old me would think I’m the coolest guy ever.”
Lately, GI has been busy producing for local musicians and reaching out to artists he wants to work with. If you know of an up-and-coming musician looking to produce, send them GI Holm’s way for a truly personalized experience.
With new music from The Maysides on the horizon and ongoing studio collaborations with local artists like Kenzy and Olivia Williamson, Holm continues pushing forward, balancing life behind the console with the energy of performing on stage.
His heart truly lies on the stage, and maybe you’ll get a chance to do a keg stand with him at one of his shows.
Written by Ashley Winters
