It was a cold winter’s day when Cameron “Cam” Burns performed at Urban Chestnut Brewery in Midtown St. Louis. His set included one of his newest songs, “Doublespeak,” a song he needed to stand out. So, he asked Webster University dancer Reuben Thomas to perform with him – a dance that featured Thomas jumping up and stomping on a table.
“I want to surprise people, just because [being] behind a piano, singing, it gets monotonous,” Burns said. “So I want people to be expecting the unexpected.”
Self-described as an alternative pop singer and songwriter, Burns is majoring in music composition with an emphasis in songwriting. Determined to do everything he can to further his music career, he picked up a second major: sound recording and engineering, as both contribute to his journey of emphasizing the value he finds in his work with experimentation and collaboration.
“Doublespeak” director and editor Riley Perkins is one of these collaborators. As a film major, Perkins’ collaborations with Burns includes a short documentary and music videos, such as “Loving Ghost” and “Doublespeak.”
“For [Cam and I], it’s always about not landing in the same spot twice,” Perkins said. “It’s about how to take things we learned and apply them in a completely different avenue.”
For the videos, it was about shifting the story style of “Loving Ghost” into a “liminal and timeless” concept in “Doublespeak.”
Perkins and Burns initially met as freshmen, just two of four suitemates who all immediately bonded together. Both still live together in a house that is full of artists and creatives. For the duo, the connection is essential to their work.
“Specifically, Cam and I have such an essential shorthand with one another, personally and through the work [we’ve done],” Perkins said. “I wholeheartedly know that the things we’ve made and the ideas we’re working on wouldn’t come to fruition in this way if our dynamic was different.”
Thomas, also a former roommate of Burns, is also deeply involved with the videos, providing everything from scenes of eating brains in the haunted house of “Loving Ghost” to ethereal spins in “Doublespeak.”
Thomas also often joins Burns in live performances, dancing to create a more visual element to the work. For this reason, Burns’ personal favorite piece to perform is “Doublespeak.” Instead of playing the song, he turns on a track, getting up to join Thomas in “vibing it out” on stage – which, yes, does include the occasional and impromptu dancing on tables.
”To me, there’s something exciting about that. It feels like I’m more grounded in the moment rather than worrying that ‘this part’s coming up,’” Burns said. “I like to be fully present, so to have somebody on stage with me who is also fully present … is awesome.”
Burns first began his music journey at the age of 7, taking piano lessons for three years before taking a “break.” The pause, largely caused by his frustration of sheet music, propelled him to teach himself more about chords and tones – something he claims resulted in the largest artistic growth of his career.
At 12, he began to enter the realm of musical theatre, playing roles like Tiny Tim, the iconic character from “Christmas Carol.” Transitioning into a now-singing actor, his agent suggested he obtain vocal training. So, he did.
Burns’ vocal teacher at the time, Vigthor Sjafnar Zophoniasson, gave him the encouragement he needed to begin writing his own original songs at 13. His very first creation, “Constant Enemies,” followed the frustration Burns felt about one of his brothers. It was also the song that ignited his hunger for writing.
“[Vigthor] was super-excited,” Burns said. “I kind of saw him light up … having a student come in and do something different piqued his interest.”
It also led Zophoniasson to create a song of his own, with the two of them sharing their works with one another – a mutual creativity that inspired Burns to get a music degree.
In the time since, Burns has performed at numerous events on campus, such as the Audio Engineering Society (AES) concert series, and across St. Louis, including STL Fringe FEST and The Reno. In addition, Burns also serves as background singer of Eldraco and Freenation.
In the works for Burns is a new video, “Surefire,” as well as embarking on his own personal merchandise and performing at STL Fringe FEST once more.
For now, he can bask in the glow and take pride in his work. During his February screening of “Doublespeak,” students in attendance at the event, such as Emery Bass, commented that he had his “mind blown.”
“I’m getting lots of great feedback and we surpassed the view count for our first music video in a day,” Burns said. “So, I really couldn’t be happier with it.”
Share this post
