Thomas loves to talk and there are few things he enjoys talking about more than music. A self-taught drummer and saxophonist, his musical tastes run from jazz and big band to swing, boogie woogie and the blues.
Thomas’ interest in music plays a large role in his everyday life. He currently volunteers once a week at Quest Music Store where he tunes guitars and drums. In addition, he is a member of the Winnipeg Golden Chordsmen Chorus barbershop quartet and spent the past several weeks gearing up for the group’s annual Christmas concert.
“I just like to sing. I like to sing harmonies,” Thomas says. “I’m pretty good at it.”
Thomas, 32, has been supported by Epic Opportunities for the past 11 years. One of his personal goals is to find full-time employment in the community. While he would like to work at a music store or radio station, Thomas says his “dream job” would be to work at a nuclear power plant. He has a near encyclopedic knowledge of the disasters at the Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima power plants and would like to be part of efforts to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Considering his love of conversation, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Thomas can converse in a number of different languages. He speaks fluent English, Hungarian and Romanian as well as a little French. He hopes to one day put his language skills to work by visiting family in southern Hungary.
“I would enjoy going to the Orthodox churches and sightseeing and meeting new people. I feel connected to Hungary,” says Thomas, who has already travelled to Las Vegas and Victoria, B.C.
One of the best things about being involved with Epic, Thomas says, is the help he has received in his search for a job. While his search has not been successful so far, he remains optimistic. “I’m still trying,” he says.
