Some people believe death comes in threes: the moment you take your last breath, when you’re buried and when somebody speaks your name for the last time. The Riley Taylor Memorial Award is one way Christine Taylor keeps her son Riley’s name alive forever.
Riley Taylor was a talented musician and active member of the Ottawa music scene. In 2022, he died from an opioid overdose at 26 years old.
The Riley Taylor Memorial Award gives $1,000 to a Carleton undergraduate music student specializing in guitar or percussion. Taylor’s parents and sister set up the award to honour him and spread his legacy.
“It’s very meaningful to me because it keeps Riley alive,” Christine Taylor said.
This marks the second year of both the scholarship and its corresponding fundraiser concert, Riley’s Picks, set for Nov. 21 at House of TARG in Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood.
Three multi-generational, Ottawa-based performers are set to take the stage to celebrate Riley’s legacy, including The Super Awesome Club, Go Long and the 2024 scholarship recipient, Jude Zappala.
Riley grew up surrounded by music. His dad owns Dave’s Drum Shop in Centretown, so naturally, drums were his first instrument, said Christine. Throughout Riley’s life, he also took up guitar, violin, banjo, bass and piano.
“Riley was the creative type, he was interested in all kinds of music,” said Kathy Armstrong, the undergraduate supervisor for Carleton’s music program. “He was just such a free spirit.”
Armstrong said she knew Riley as a young teenager from the community group she ran teaching West African hand drumming and dance to students of all ages. She also oversees the committee tasked with recommending potential scholarship recipients.
Among his family and friends, Riley was known as a kind-hearted person who often went out of his way to help others. Christine said the scholarship seemed like a good way to honour his character.
“I think Riley would like the idea of trying to make somebody’s life a little bit better,” she said.
Armstrong said the community response to the family’s fundraising efforts has been so generous that they are now hoping to establish a second scholarship in Riley’s name dedicated to an incoming Carleton music student.
Keeping the scholarship closely connected with Riley’s story is important, Armstrong said. She said the fundraiser concert is a great way to keep the focus on his legacy.
“Riley’s Picks is a way we can continue to remember Riley and make sure his name goes forward,” Armstrong said.
Riley’s death has also prompted conversations about the ongoing opioid epidemic in Ottawa. Stories like his are all too familiar.
According to the Ottawa Public Health website, “High rates of emergency and acute care response … suggest that prevention, early intervention and community supports are not reaching people in need or in time.”
“Addiction and substance abuse touches a lot of people,” said Jude Zappala, this year’s recipient of the memorial award. “It’s something that runs rampant through communities of musicians and Riley’s story is bringing awareness to that.”
Christine currently volunteers at The Royal, a mental health care and research hospital in Ottawa. She said supporting loved ones through mental illness and addiction is about “loving people where they’re at.”
“Understand that maybe you don’t understand,” she said. “Whether you agree with it or not, just keep that door open and say, ‘I’m here for you when you’re ready for me to be here for you.’”
Featured image by Madeleine Woodburn/The Charlatan.
