About the songwriter, poet & artist

Having released seven albums over the past twenty years, the lyrical journey of Gary James Parker  (CYBERDOUR) is both deep and expansive. He not only touches the hearts and lives of those close to him but also of many hundreds of thousands who stream and download his music from across all parts of the globe.

Unable to play a musical instrument, he shared the lyrics and music formed in his head with musician friends, including eventual co-writer for "The Voice", Chris Thompson, when they were both studying at Teacher's College in Hamilton, New Zealand. His gift was first realised while at high school, when he won a regional talent quest and later won a "Write a Song For Elton John" ( lyrics only) national radio contest. Elton discerned the final six entries. He declares It being a Bernie Taupin moment. In 2008 he wrote an album for high school students that was selected from among six hundred entries to be one of thirty featured at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia.

It wasn't until his marriage that he learned to play guitar and began singing and playing guitar more frequently with his wife, Geraldine. Having moved from his hometown of Hamilton to take up a lecturing position at the Technical Institute in Rotorua, he was soon joined by others and formed the Joshua Band. They presented much of his music at national conferences and church gatherings, where the songs were often recorded on tape and in recent years converted digitally for world  distribution.

The Poetic Art included in this web presentation, are extracts of lyrics taken from his time of courtship and marriage leading up to the new millennium. Song writing he says, " is a reflection of life expressed through the heart", it includes passion, romance, love, hope, belief and challenges of everyday life that are captured within the nuances of often prophetic words that inwardly most people associate with. Where words fail, poetry, art and music  speak. The illiustrations are sketches that mirror the lyrical journey reflected as visual expressions that come from a source that often  lies beyond human understanding.  It unites people journeying together to a place of greater hope, life, peace, joy and love. Enjoy the journey.

INTERESTING DNA 

Recent DNA tests & ancestry results go back 24 generations to Basque  country  (Spain), Ailsford ( Kent, England) and Cain (France) to the Knights Templars & St Simon Stock. Also Kings County, Ireland and Up State New York, U.S.A. What drives us is often  inherited from those who have gone before us. Others in the ancestry were chief masons & landscape architect (court of Queen Elizabeth 1) , an acclaimed poet ( London) , horticulturists ( Worscester), music teacher  (Otago) and admiral of the fleet ( U.S.A.).