Biography

The founding member and leader of the collective One Big Smile, John Lloyd has been playing concerts, parties and fundraisers for over 10 years. Through his initial search to find the right educational niche for his autistic daughter, Ayla Lloyd, he became an activist and supporter of people with special needs. Seeing music as an important means of communication and expression between people with disabilities, he has been active in the community ever since. John also volunteers his time every Friday at Grant Alternative school, giving interactive educational performances that act as the school’s music program. He also organizes the school’s yearly music festival, which gives the children a chance to showcase their talents.

Kera Willis is a musician, artist, photographer, writer and traveler who brings her diverse creative background to the dynamic thinkpot of One Big Smile. She grew up in rural Ontario surrounded by animals and fields and the arts, and left home at 19 to travel through Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia. On one of her intermittent returns to Canada, she met John Lloyd and became a member of the musical collective One Big Smile. Independently, she has worked with musical artists Harold Hellam (The Prince of Peace, Ottawa’s Centerpointe Theatre, 1996), Caroline Spence (Victoria, B.C.), and recorded with local artist Lloyd Frost.