Album release party

What: Megan Timothy’s

When: 6-8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29.

Where: Joyful Noise Music Center, 112 W. Washington St.

More info: Call Jeremy Cays at 460-1697.

It wasn’t until Megan Timothy was standing in the middle of a cathedral, exhausted from walking a holy pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago, that her desire to sing re-awoke.

Timothy was 68 years old when she decided to embark on the ancient pilgrimage from Vezelay, France, to the northwest border of Spain – singing and walking more than 2,000 miles in an attempt to sooth her undying desire for adventure.

Nearly four years later, Timothy has released her first CD.

Local voice coach and producer of the album, Michael Rivers, and engineer, orchestrator and owner of Jeremy Cays Productions, Jeremy Cays, combined talents to create the collection of classical Christmas songs, all sung by Timothy with the accompaniment of musicians Dan Cobb and Marlene Moore.

Putting Timothy’s nomadic ways to rest while she worked with Rivers and Cays “took an enormous amount of work on her part,” Rivers said. Not only did a Timothy have to challenge her voice to reach unfamiliar notes, but she had experienced a stroke at age 60 and has since been on a long path to recovery.

Following the stroke Timothy couldn’t read, write or speak and spent years regaining even small amounts of communicative skills. It took her a year to relearn the alphabet. Although Timothy could recognize books, the letters appeared like “jigsaw puzzles pieces,” she said. “It was difficult, but life is difficult, so you just get on with it.”

Freedom to sing

After moving to America at age 21 in 1964 and landing in Los Angeles from her home, which was a British colony located in today’s Zimbabwe, Timothy became involved with the up and coming musicians and movie stars.

However, Timothy said she had a innate disinterest in the social scene of the 1960s in California, but still was “enormously excited to be in America.”

“The great thing about America to me was the freedom because growing up the British way, you had your place in society and that is where you would stay,” she said. “People that live here don’t realize the freedom because many have never lived in a restrictive community.”

Inspired by the freedom America seemingly offered her, Timothy traveled – singing and playing her guitar along the way that instilled a lasting love for singing.

Eventually Timothy’s travels drew to close once her mother moved from Africa. For the first time Timothy needed to settle down long enough to care for her mother. With little to offer, but a good understanding of cooking and cleaning, Timothy converted her Los Angeles dwelling into an upscale hotel. A variety of celebrities, including former President Bill Clinton stayed at Timothy’s home.

“I worked for 23 years without a day off,” Timothy said. “I couldn’t have done it without my mom, but it was exhausting.”

Sense of adventure

More restless than ever, Timothy longed for adventure and soon embarked on a 10,000-mile bicycle trip throughout North Africa, the Middle East and Europe where she visited 23 countries.  Despite a incredible journey, upon her return to America, Timothy’s life drastically changed after enduring a stroke two days later.

Waking from a two-week coma, Timothy found herself in a state institution and couldn’t communicate. It didn’t take long of being in the unfamiliar setting before Timothy learned the best way to act was to be ‘emotionless,’” she said.

“If you laughed, you were considered crazy and if you were frustrated or scared, you would be considered violent,” Timothy said. “I was screaming inside, but I had to control myself, I had to be patient – you have to.”

Although physically she was seemingly normal and mentally maintained her intelligence, she was unable to respond.

“It is hard for people to understand that when you’ve lost your communicative skills, you haven’t lost your intelligence,” Timothy said. “I could hear myself speak in my head just fine and could understand people, but when I tried to talk it didn’t sound like words anymore.”

Having little money, given she had just returned from her international bicycle trip and with no family in the U.S., Timothy only was able to leave the state institution through the perseverance of friends, she said. Through hard work and dedication, Timothy slowly regained her communicative skills.

“Facing reality was difficult, but I knew it wasn’t impossible and there’s no quick fix, but I began my journey back to the life I knew,” Timothy said.

By the time she was barely able to read street signs Timothy was back on her bicycle and traveling all over America. For eight months Timothy rode across the county and visited 27 states.

“I think one of the points of the trip was to show to people in similar positions to believe in themselves and that anything can be done,” Timothy said. “It was my therapy and after I finished it I knew I could take care of myself again.”

Singing again

Continuing on her nomadic path Timothy lived in Costa Rica before launching herself back overseas to walk thousands of miles on the pilgrimage that eventually would lead her to sing again.

Upon her return to the U.S., and while house-sitting for friends during the winter near Lake Sutherland, Timothy pursued her need to sing with Rivers as her voice coach.

“We started working together because Megan wanted to sing and then she decided she wanted to make a CD,” Rivers said. “I was struck early on with the timeless quality of her voice.”

Timothy targeted traditional Christmas songs because most people can recognize them and at least hum along. “This album is my gift to anyone that has had their voice taken away like I had,” she said. “Maybe it can help others on their big journey back.”

Although the first recording session was “rough” as Timothy, Rivers and Cays began their own journey together, Cays said he wasn’t worried because the whole recording process is a learning experience.

Because of Timothy’s brain injury, Rivers and Cays had the challenge of stripping the recording process down to its very raw form. If too much was going on, Timothy would have a hard time working, Rivers said.

“Really the only way she could do it was to have a single note to keep her on pitch, melody and time,” Cays said. “Much more and it was clutter to her. It was amazing to hear her bring the amount of emotion to these classical songs that she does.”

Rivers and Cays collaborated to do their best to recreate the environment of being alone in a cathedral because that was where Timothy sang the most while on her pilgrimage and where she rediscovered her voice. Through skilled engineering and layering voices, some of the songs have a huge orchestra sound and others are very simple with only a piano or flute accompanying Timothy.

Rivers and Cays agree the opportunity to work alongside Timothy was both an honor and life-enriching experience.

“For me it was a very spiritual thing to work with Megan,” Rivers said. “She’s an amazing soul and it is a privilege to spend time with her.”

Although she admits she would rather not go through a stroke, or similar experience again, Timothy wouldn’t take the experience away as it has given her more compassion and patience.

“Most importantly, whatever anyone is going through, don’t forget to laugh. Laughter was the best medicine I ever had,” Timothy said. “I think everyone should go down the street singing and not put things in your ears, but instead be part of it.”

Following her stroke, Timothy has since written two books in addition to her latest accomplishment of creating an album.

Timothy’s CD, “As I Wander: Songs of Christmas” is available at The Good Book in Sequim and Port Book and News in Port Angeles.