Dr. Wally Bartfay is currently a professor and former Associate Dean for the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He is also affectionately known as the “Rock N’ Prof” by his students because he often plays original songs that he has written prior to the commence of lectures to create certain vibes and buzzes in his classes. His music has appeared on Euro Indie Music Chart lists top 5; World Indie Music Chart lists top 2; BWNR music list top 5, and the US Top 20 Show – Weekly Pulse of Music at No. 18.
Ever since Wally was a little lad, he wanted to play the electric guitar and make music that creates smiles on people’s faces. He can remember playing his imaginary electric “air guitar” in his parent’s basement to various rock and country songs for hours on end. He got his first guitar when he turned 14 after taking on various odds jobs including pumping gas on weekends and cutting lawns. He quickly learned to play it on his very own, along with several other instruments. Wally has also done research related to the benefits of music therapy and binaural beat therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention with patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. He got interested in researching the clinical benefits of music as medicine after his father was diagnosed with vascular dementia following a series of strokes that left him bed bound in a nursing home. Ironically, this is the same nursing home that he used to put on Christmas concerts for during his youth in his community. He is passionate about song writing and his songs often reflect personal experiences and challenges that he has faced over the years. Each song contains components of his genuine lived experiences, heart, and soul as an artist.
“You’re My Beautiful” is a love song I wrote for my wife Emma, to mark three significant milestones in her life. First, I wanted to give her a unique and special gift from my heart in the form of a love song for her upcoming birthday. Second, Emma took early retirement in August 2023 from academia and research and was a professor of epidemiology at Ontario Tech University (OTU) in Oshawa, Ontario. We have taught at various institutions together over the years including Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, University of Windsor and most recently at OTU. We were passionate about teaching; have both received teaching awards and have co-published five textbooks related to public health together over the years. Emma has recently released her first fantasy novel (Emma P. Shan) entitled “Ozia: When the Sky Tore” and plans on writing additional novels. We have also worked not only as partners in marriage, but also in research related to various noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Third, Emma is a breast cancer survivor, and this December will mark the 10th anniversary of her victory over this deadly disease.
