While in high school, Canute “RoseBud” Ireland didn’t know that he wanted to spend the rest of his life writing songs and bringing people joy through music. Pursuing music wasn’t even a thought in his mind. Ireland was a member of The A-Blast staff as a photographer, but that was the extent of his creative expression.

Years after graduating from AHS in 2007, he realized that he had a passion for music, and the talent to match.
“When you find something special in your life, it can really become your identity. I hadn’t taken the time in high school to search my heart for what I really wanted to do, but I was lucky enough to eventually see my gift and share it with the world,” Ireland said.

This huge musical part of his identity also translated into his artist name, Rosebud Ireland.
“Bud is my middle name.” Ireland said. “The bud of a flower is really immature and is trying to be its final form. A rose is what we all know and see, but it’s really all about how it developed and transformed. It’s the identity. One day, I started plucking the strings and trying tons of different chords and something stirred in my heart; I felt like I couldn’t put it down,” Ireland said.

Even in his early college years, he didn’t know that music was going to be his whole life yet. Ireland didn’t start with a music degree; he was on the biology and pre-med path.
“Someone just gave me their old guitar, but I really didn’t think much of it. One day I got curious about it and there was a guy who played guitar when I was in college and I asked him to teach me a little bit and he did,” Ireland said.
From there, Ireland learned my first song, which was “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. He was a late bloomer. After a big career path change, Ireland graduated from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in 2017 with a bachelors degree in music.

Now, after studying and finally discovering his love for songwriting and singing, his life is dedicated to spreading positivity and bringing people’s messages of unity and peace through music. Ireland’s “freshman album” or his first EP, is titled “The Journey.” It was released in 2017 and is a collection of songs with different moods and tones, but an over arching theme of unity.

“When you start to record, it’s a little bit different,” Ireland said. “I hadn’t really discovered my sound yet, there were a lot of different vibes coming in.”

Going forward, he hopes to put out new music every two months. In mid-October, Ireland is also planning to release his new piano song, “Forever Living.”

“I want to build a season, so by the end of the year, I’ll have 8-9 songs that I can perform,” Ireland said. “With all these new songs, I can book more shows.”

Before COVID-19, Ireland used to play at wineries and lots of open mics. Now, he plays more local shows and wants to grow as an artist within the community. Ireland has also played at a few fundraisers, like a No Bully Rally and a Breast Cancer Awareness walk in Maryland.

Outside of his music, Ireland works two part time jobs, both of course having to do with music. He is an usher and tour guide at the Kennedy Center and also works for the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. The latter is a non-profit that contracts with INOVA Health Systems to allow artists in all medias to visit patients suffering from terminal or chronic illnesses.

“You see a lot, and also inspires you. I met one lady who had been undergoing cancer treatment for nine years, and I talked to her about my struggles with my music,” Ireland said.
“She told me ‘Man, you’re really good! Don’t quit, because if I ain’t quittin you shouldn’t be quittin’. It reminded me of what I was there for and what my music was all about.”

With a journey like that, it is no wonder Ireland’s music is full of love, togetherness and peace.