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Volume No. 2 Issue No. 18 - Thursday October 25, 2007
Scientist be day, Musician by night



lois commodore
Gospel artist Lois Commodore
Lois Commodore holds dual passions. Each day she uses her biology degree from Stonehill to work as a scientist at Ariad Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge.

Once her scientific research is completed, she devotes her time to Gospel music. Her first CD, 'Hold Me,' was released in August.

'I think I lead two lives, scientist by day and musician by night,' joked Commodore, 30, of Canton. 'I think I'll always be doing science of some sort, but music is my passion. If I could, I would love to sing all the time. That's my wish.'

Commodore is a native of Dominica, a small island nation in the eastern Caribbean, near Barbados. She came to the United States to study at Regis College, then transferred to Stonehill to earn her bachelor's degree.

Commodore hopes that her singing career will one day finance the non-profit organization she is founding to provide scholarships to children growing up in single-parent families here and in her native country.

The organization, called 'Soldiers of Destiny,' honors Commodore's late father, who raised her after he and her mother divorced when she was 2.

'He never got a chance to go to school. His family couldn't afford it,' explained Commodore. 'But he was always teaching himself and learning. He really impressed me so much. In the last year before his death, he was teaching himself to speak German.'

Even as she works to launch her charity, Commodore has already used her own money to pay for scholarships for deserving children from Dominica and from Boston.

She has met many as a member of the Family Life Fellowship in Hyde Park, where she sings in the choir.

'I'm a Christian,' said Commodore. 'You cannot live your life without an acknowledgement of God.

Some people think it's a waste of time, but in the end, that's an empty existence. Faith is that part of you that embraces kindness and gentleness, that helps people.'

Her colleagues are often challenged by the concept of a scientist who is also a Christian, Commodore acknowledged.

'You have to prove everything to a scientist. Proving you believe in something you can't show exists is very, very difficult,' she said.

But Commodore is serious about science. As a young student, she loved physics and organic chemistry.

After her Stonehill graduation, she worked for five years at the Boston University School of Medicine. In her current work, she performs protein purification and crystallization.

Commodore recorded her CD, her first solo project, at Axiom Sound Recording in Boston. She and a friend, Kevin Vetiac, co-wrote the 13 songs, while George Russell, a professor at the Berklee College of Music, played piano.

Commodore has recruited a band to accompany her when she travels to performances. Last month, she sang in Maryland.

She plans to travel and perform locally and internationally, including a trip to the Virgin Islands in December.

tourism minister
Lois realeased Hold Me in August
She began singing at age 8 in a church choir in Dominica. 'My father raised me and he raised me in church,' explained Commodore. 'I was very shy.

I still am. I don't like people looking at me if I'm not singing.' During the two years she attended Stonehill, Commodore resided with an aunt in Brockton.

But she jokes that she really lived in the MacPh�id�n Library. 'That was my spot. I left at midnight most nights.'

'I think I got the best education, honestly, because a lot of the things I do in my work are easy for me,' Commodore said. 'I kept all my textbooks and still refer back to my notes.'

She is especially grateful to Craig Higgins, associate professor of health care administration, who she said introduced her to the health care field with an internship at MainSpring House, a homeless shelter in Brockton. Commodore went on to minor in health care administration.

She returned to Stonehill recently and visited the Career Services Office for some career-building advice. When she showed Liza Talusan, then associate director of career services, her website, www.loiscommodoremusic.com,she was surprised at the reaction.

'Everyone came out of their offices to see it,' remembered Commodore. 'They made me feel like a star. They were so warm and welcoming. They all bought CDs and made me sign them. I was so overwhelmed.'

Commodore worked in the office when she was a student and remembered the services it provided.

'That's big, that the school still helps you when you're not a student anymore,' Commodore said.

'Everything has changed since my visit. I got a renewed sense of confidence in what I'm doing. It was amazing.'

Listen to Hold Me
View music video
Visit her website at loiscommodore.com

For information on obtaining CDs and to schedule bookings, please call 1 800 804 5612; 1410 499 6679 or 617 309 6233

Comments about this article? Email:
editor@
thedominican.net
Telephone:
1-703-861-9411
Fax:
1-202-589-7937

Volume No. 2 Issue No. 7
Old ways dominate
Lois Commodore-Gospel artist
Rivets and windmills
Cabrits from ruins
2007 budget missing link
The tale of SMA

Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences
Dominica's Official Website
Decatur Travel Agency
Volume No. 2 Issue No. 15
Street stories
In support of Dominica
Lil miss wob dwiyet
Community policing
Antigua new chair of G77
Failure of aids vaccine
Become A Sponsor
The Dominican provides a unique opportunity to advertise to the thousands of people who access this free site daily, while becoming a sponsor of the site. For additional information, please

Inquire Here




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