Overcoming ADHD through song

In one year, first-time Canadian author W. Ian Walker’s account of his lifelong struggles with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has achieved international exposure.

Stirring My Soul to Sing, Overcoming ADHD Through Song (SMSTS) is now listed on 30 international bookseller websites and in stores.

Walker in the 1990’s wrote and produced Christian Contemporary Music programming for Canadian and international audiences. He interviewed and built ongoing relationships with Nancy Honeytree-Miller, Ralph Carmichael (composer, arranger, and conductor) Phil Driscoll, Bryan Duncan, Mark Lowry, Cindy Morgan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Steve Green, and Randy Stonehill.

Since the mid-1990s, Ian has been pleased to have Sandi Patty as his friend, mentor, and professor.

The gritty and moving autobiographical work published by Word Alive Press of Winnipeg, Manitoba proposes that people who suffer from ADHD can find relief from their symptoms using music therapy. Walker, an experienced and classically trained musician, and arts manager wrote the book to share with others his victories in a life that was marked by a constant battle with ADHD.

“When I started to write the book, initially I wasn’t sure if the book would simply a private reminiscence, a record of my life -- or a published work, that I would share with the ADHD community and others.” says the 58-year-old author. “But at the urging of those who had seen the manuscript, I decided to publish it. I can see now that was the right decision.”

Walker credits his musical experience and his deep personal faith for his ability to mitigate and overcome the potentially devastating impact of the disorder. His essential message is that music is as powerful as medicine for some who suffer from ADHD. In the book he explains how for 30 years he has used vocal and choral music to help stay focused, achieve goals and meet deadlines.