Nick Levesque — aka The Cavalier Son — didn’t come to music through the usual route of lessons and open mics. After years as a 911 Paramedic Dispatcher for the City of Ottawa, he retired in 2017 while navigating PTSD. In early 2023 he picked up guitar for his own mental health, and within a year was playing locally — then traveling internationally by March 2024, sharing what he calls “music therapy.” Between his work with Music Healing Veterans musichealingveteranscanada.com and his Music Therapy Sundays at Brews and Blues in Stittsville brewsandblues.ca, Levesque is building spaces where songs bring connection. Now he’s preparing to release his first single, recorded and mastered by Brad Scott (who also plays strings on it), so we caught up to talk about healing, community, and what this début represents.
theHumm: When you picked up the guitar in 2023 for your mental health, what did music unlock for you, and how does that shape the way you perform now?
Nick Levesque: Actually, I was on a family vacation where I sang at a karaoke for the first time in my life. After singing two songs, I felt alive again for the first time in nearly ten years, in a way that traditional therapy and medication had not been able to achieve.
I knew this was something I had to keep doing. I had not felt happiness or joy in so long. So the moment I got home, I started going to every open mic I could, I started taking some vocal lessons, and I bought a guitar. The music community was so welcoming and felt like instant family.
Now I am so grateful to be able to do something that brings joy to others and myself and I believe it really comes out in the way I perform.
Your journey moved quickly from Ottawa gigs to playing internationally. What was one moment on the road that confirmed this “music therapy” idea was the right direction for you?
Playing nationally and internationally renewed my faith in humanity. I know it sounds silly, but the amount of amazing people that I was able to meet, connect with and share stories with has been nothing short of a miracle. There were even folks who invited my 150-pound therapy dog and me into their homes and lives.
I was once living a very isolated existence while dealing with PTSD. Now I have friends who feel like family all around the world. I’ve been lucky enough to play music in nine countries in the last two years, and it is all thanks to music therapy!
With Music Healing Veterans and Music Therapy Sundays, you’re creating welcoming rooms for both first responders and the public. What makes those spaces feel safe — and why does that matter?
Playing music is such a vulnerable thing to do. Creating safe places that are welcoming, encouraging and non-judgemental is key to continued progress.
Practicing music alone is important, but playing with others and for others is where music comes alive and where the true benefit of music therapy shines.
What were you most intent on capturing as you introduce The Cavalier Son on your first official single, and how can people hear more?
I really wanted to capture the idea that music heals. That music truly is therapy for the mind, body and soul and that it can transform you, if you let it. The Cavalier Son is living proof of that!
You can follow me, The Cavalier Son, on most social media and most music streaming platforms, with more music coming out in the weeks and months ahead.