Rivenmaster Meets Allan Clelland Goddard and Connor Blackley in Florida

Over the last two weeks I did some amazing traveling from Michigan all the way down to Houston, Texas where I met two young bass players Tommy Freeman and Michael Thompson. (See Recent Article)

We left Texas and traveled the Gulf States of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, stopping along the way to enjoy some sites.

Palm Trees In Baton Rouge

We enjoyed a short visit to Baton Rouge touring a River Boat and then again in Orange Beach, Alabama visiting a friend. We were taken back by the beautiful area with a white sandy beach that lined the shoreline for miles.  I don’t think I have ever seen such beautiful white sand! While it was very warm and humid, it was well worth the stop to enjoy this area of the country!

Leaving Alabama I was soon sitting at the tip of Florida, trying to decide which way to go. Having several young artists who are regularly featured on my site residing in Florida, I quickly decided to go further south taking an 11 hour trip down to the Jacksonville and Orlando Area.

While I wish I would have had more time, and been able to see everyone I know in Florida, I was happy to be able to visit with two very talented young men and their families. Allan Clelland-Goddard, and Connor Timothy Blackley.

Rivmaster-Allan Clelland-Goddard

My first visit was to the home of Allan Clelland-Goddard where we were treated to a wonderful visit to their home and a backyard BBQ.  Not only was their home beautiful but the hospitality shown to me was incredible and will never be forgotten.

Visiting with Allan was especially enjoyable as we were able to sit down together in his living room and do an exclusive interview with him which we are happy to now share with all of you.

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Allan Clelland Goddard’s new ‘Michael Jackson Tribute Video’

Allan Clelland Goddard has been very busy since his big move from Trinidad and Tobago this past July.  If you remember in my last article, I announced that Allan would be making this big move to the Sunshine State of Florida, USA.  His mother explained; “At first Allan was homesick and missing his friends in Trinidad, many of whom he had known since kindergarten, but when he started school in Florida he soon began making new friends and word quickly traveled around the school that there was a new boy with a cool accent. Allan was, and still is often stopped in the corridor and cafeteria, and asked to say a few words just so they can hear him speak!”

She went on to explain, that attending school in the US is a completely new experience for Allan. It was the first time that he had to move from room to room for his various classes. In Trinidad the teachers came to the classroom and the entire class did the same schedule. He survived though, and quickly learned the ropes making the necessary adjustments. Allan is currently enrolled in ‘all honors’ courses and doing very well. … Continue Reading

Allan Clelland Goddard Moving to Sunshine State!

It has been some time since we have written about Allan but I’m happy to report that all is well in Trinidad Tobago. While he has had no major singing competitions or performance events lately, this has not hampered his creative juices from flowing.  Allan is not only extremely talented and gifted with a beautiful singing voice, but he is also a very bright student. These past few months, Allan has been concentrating mostly on his schoolwork as he was placed in an accelerated class at school and had to complete 2 academic years in one. WOW!

If this is not amazing or challenging enough, he has been preparing for one of the most exciting moves of his lifetime. Next month Allan embarks on a new path in his life as he leaves Trinidad with his family to reside in their new home in Florida. While he has expressed sadness about leaving all his friends in Trinidad, he is extremely excited to start a new chapter in his life in America. He hopes the future holds good things for him and that he will be able to expand his singing and acting horizon.

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Allan Clelland-Goddard “No Matter What”

No matter what comes or goes Allan Clelland Goddard is here to stay!  Allan has been more than impressive lately with each video that he releases!  Since knowing Allan and writing about him here, I have observed a remarkable growth not only in his vocals but in his camera/stage presence.  Allan, while a little on the shy side in person, is an outstanding performer that draws you in like he had been doing this for a decade!

Allan has been dedicating most of his time to his schoolwork since the Carnival season ended in Trinidad. He was very involved with Carnival and competed in several competitions and made many guest appearances. He was also included in the prestigious “Kings go Forth’ concert which is held 2 weeks after Carnival and showcases the winners of all the big calypso competitions. Following that, Allan entered the ‘29thBiennial Music Festival 2010’ which as its name suggests, is held every 2 years and is hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Music Association. Allan came out victorious in his class: Boys 11-12 Solo and received much praise from adjudicator Dr. Paul Johnson – the director of The School of Music at Wichita State University in the US.

Allan spent his Easter vacation (spring break) in Orlando with his family. He visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios and had a thoroughly enjoyable time, but the highlight of his vacation was visiting a Ferrari dealership and being allowed to touch, take pictures with and even sit in his dream car (what 12 year old boy does not dream of one day owning an expensive sports car?)

Last Thursday Allan accepted an invitation to make a guest appearance to sing his song, ‘Pan in Meh DNA’ at a primary (elementary) schools steelpan competition. The children & teachers alike were enthralled to see and hear Allan and really enjoyed his performance.

Deborah, Allan’s Mom explained;

.”Allan’s latest YouTube video has been in the pipeline for some months now but had to take a back seat to accommodate his calypso, vacation etc.  This new video is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the very talented Chris Nelson (christoff555) who worked tirelessly both on the audio track and then the video mixing and editing this masterpiece…..Thanks Chris!”

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They are hoping that the next video will be out in the not too distant future, and while they would not say what it’s going to be, it’s bound to be very special and I’m sure we will all enjoy it!

Allan Clelland-Goddard Sings “Sleeping Child”

Allan Clelland-Goddard is quite the amazing young man! You would think I guy would want to rest after all the activities he has been involved with lately. In fact, the busy weeks of Carnival and Calypso contests he was entered in just concluded yesterday. Well, like they say, you can’t hold a good man down. Today Allan released a wonderful new video to the song “Sleeping Child“.

“Michael Learns To Rock is a Danish Pop Band that first formed in 1987 and entered their city’s talent contest the following year. After winning the contest they had to hurriedly come up with a name for the group and that is how MLTR came into existence.

“I personally recommend Chris’s work to anyone who is looking for a talented audio/video technician to master your video productions.”
You can contact Chris at: christoff555@gmail.com