Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Harmonica virtuoso Mike Stevens may have a vast list of accomplishments already but says that being appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada is his greatest moment yet.

It is certainly the most humbling, says Stevens who grew up in Sarnia and now lives in Point Edward.

When he received the call recently to ask if he would accept the Order of Canada, Stevens, 67, was told it wasn’t for his extensive philanthropic work. It was for his music.

“That hit me hard,” he says. “I’ve spent my life playing the harmonica. Hiding behind that four-inch piece of tin is where I’m most comfortable. I’ve hid behind that for more than 50 years and (this means) the country saw me.

“It’s like, man oh man, this is super humbling. I couldn’t be cool at all. I cried. I completely fell apart and thought instantly about being a 10 year-old kid trying to make my parents proud.”

Stevens is considered a ground-breaking performer and composer on the harmonica. While harmonica playing may be main stream, there’s nothing conventional about how Stevens plays.  He taught himself to play after picking it up at age 10 and immediately feeling a connection.

“I got real serious about it when I was 16 or 17 and would play 12 hours a day. I did it because it felt good,” he said. 

Stevens was born with synesthesia, a different way of experiencing the world that is often associated with higher creativity and intelligence. All colours and shapes make a sound in his head when he looks at them, he said. The harmonica gives his synesthesia a higher purpose and makes it feel like he is consistently hearing music.

“There’s always music going through my head, all different sounds, all the time,” said Stevens. “It’s all original stuff constantly from morning to night, so I can be super creative and let it go crazy.

“So when I play, that’s when I feel the most comfortable. I look at it like a super power,” he said. “I was born with it. It’s how my brain’s wired and it’s miraculous. None of what’s happened musically would have happened without it because I can express what is real and in the moment.”

That unique skill, his popularity on the big stage and his prolific ability to write music have resulted in a professional solo career that has seen him tour around the world repeatedly, taken him to major concert halls, festivals and theatres, and landed him at the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville hundreds of times.  

He’s the subject of a new documentary expected on the film festival circuit in 2027; he’s held countless workshops, produced multiple recordings, and performed the most northerly concert in the history of the world at The North Pole about a year ago. 

His music crosses many genres from bluegrass to blues and from country to folk. There’s always something fresh.

This isn’t the first time Canada’s Governor General has honoured Stevens. In 2016, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General’s office for his extensive humanitarian work, particularly with youth living in Northern Canada.

He is the founder of a remarkable program called ArtsCan Circle that has provided thousands of instruments to isolated northern communities for over two decades. Stevens frequently travels there, engaging and teaching young people to dream about a better future. He’s also co-founder of an American version called Healing Through Music and Dance.  

But this time, the award is specifically for his musical talent and contributions.

Nominations for the Order of Canada are made anonymously but Stevens is aware his name was submitted about four years ago. Being chosen is an arduous process that involves a comprehensive vetting that researches each nominee at length. 

“Then it goes to a panel of people who already have the Order of Canada and they kick it around and decide if you are going to be a Member or an Officer or whether you’re going to get through it at all,” he said. “It’s a big screening process.”

When he was informed that he was chosen, Stevens was told he couldn’t tell anyone for a month until it was announced June 30. That proved a rare month of reflection for a guy who says he hardly ever looks back.

“I thought about how I got noticed and why.  And especially, why an Officer? It’s amazing to be a Member but to be promoted to Officer? It’s completely overwhelming,” he said. “I truly feel I’m not worthy when I see all the other people who get it and all their accomplishments.”

At the same time, he said he also feels guilty because he knows there are many behind the scenes who do a lot of work to support him. They deserve recognition too, he said.

“The truth is the only way I can get my head around it is to say, ‘How can I help more?’ There’s a responsibility in getting this that tells me I need to help more and that my work isn’t done.” 

A date for Stevens investiture has not been set yet.