Hey, Hey, My, My: Retire Like a Rock Star

On the eve of releasing his first album, 21st Century Ballads, the recently retired civil engineer takes us from working in India (with CIDA) and decades spent honing his project-management skills (with Matrikon, Emerson, Alliance Pipeline and other companies), to rockin’ out with his current bands, Skuzzy & the Woodticks as well as Brand New Companions. Let’s just say that golf and a Florida time-share at Leisure World are nowhere on Diehl’s wishlist. He’s got too many songs to write, albums to cut and concerts to play. Some might say the 60-something-year-old Diehl is in his prime!

What were you like in the ‘80s as an undergrad engineering student at Waterloo?

I felt like I had bit of a split brain going on. I was hanging out with my engineering friends in class, and going and having beers with them, but I also had this artistic side. I was getting paid to play solo gigs at spots like the Duke of Wellington Hotel on weekends. I was super-proud of that.

What was your stage name?

Scotty Dee.

What kind of music do you like to dance to?

Reggae.

One of the top concerts you’ve attended?

David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) on his 2018 American Utopia tour.

What did you study at UCalgary?

I got my master’s degree in civil engineering from the U of C. At the time, I was really interested in water resources and was working on a bilateral aid project in India, so my master’s was an interdisciplinary degree between environmental science and engineering. And my thesis was based on my experience in India.

You were an engineer for close to 35 years. Did you specialize in a certain area?

I suppose the common thread was project management. Over the years, I gravitated away from technical engineering toward the people side as I found myself fascinated by the work of project managers. I guess I was always curious about how we got where we did. What was it that caused so many people, so many smart, dedicated people, to miss those little details that I was there to fix? That's what interested me about working on projects in the design phase, in the construction phase . . . when those decisions are made.

What does it take to be a successful project manager?

It might sound a little bit cliché, but my ability to listen was always a big asset, along with my ability to translate. I became a generalist that knew enough, just enough, about all these different disciplines that I understood what they were saying. I could translate for the other disciplines. I understood the lexicon without being steeped in the discipline. I became what I called an ‘integrator’.

Do you use your engineering skills in what you’re doing now?

I sure do. As a recording artist, it helps to have a fundamental understanding about how sound works and how to capture it. I know the difference between a condenser mic and a dynamic mic, and all that techy stuff. After writing the 12 songs on the album, I recorded demos in my home studio.

My experience as a project manager — watching how teams move from form, storm, norm to perform — was invaluable. I saw that same progression in the four days I spent in the recording studio working with (producer) Leeroy Stagger and other musicians. In this case it wasn’t me as project manager but Leeroy, who was the PM of the studio. His years of music experience helped him mold the players into a high-performing team.

What’s the idea behind 21st Century Ballads?

Last spring, I looked around, and I saw that people were concerned about big, colossal issues such as climate change, racial and income inequality as well as the pandemic. People had what I saw as “learned hopelessness.” The news was perpetually bad and there seemed to be a lack of solutions. I wanted to move the listener toward a state of “learning helpfulness,” where they would take action.

The concept for the album is that the writer, an 82-year-old musician named Digital Hobo, lives in the year 2121. He performs songs about how our lives, and the planet’s destiny turns out okay. Each song is related in a thematic way. It was like writing a novel of speculative fiction, but in a 12-song concept album format.

Was it difficult finding a producer?

Well, I got lucky. I made a list of the producers whose work I knew. I asked Leeroy first and sent him four demo songs with a short email that asked: "What do you think of this stuff?" Within the day, he got back to me and said, "We need to make this album."

Do you have any career advice for wannabe engineers?

Once you’re in the program, look at ways to diversify your skill set, your interests and your network of friends. Too many engineering faculties are putting out grads that don't have interests outside of their discipline. That's not going to serve you well in the workplace and in your life. I guess one piece of advice is take lots of cool, unrelated options.

What’s your prediction for futureproofing jobs for engineers?

I'm sure it exists, but I don't know what faculty it would be. With COP26, the whole political landscape is changing with regards to energy and there's going to be a huge demand for people to look at life cycle costs of all things. I think the engineers of the future are going to be focused on how much energy does it cost us, i.e., how many tons of CO₂ is it going to emit over the lifetime of that product? Those aren't easy things to calculate, and it requires an engineering skill set to do. Frankly, I think one of the reasons that we're currently struggling is that we've forgotten to listen to technical people who can help us with the answers.

Any advice for people thinking of retiring?

Find your sense of purpose for your new life before you leave your old one. I was lost and rudderless for a couple of years after I retired — until I rediscovered music. If you can find a way to move a hobby or something that leaves you really jazzed into a full-time activity, I think the adjustment will be easier. Try to find a new purpose.

What’s next?

I am already working on my second album and see myself staying in music for the rest of my life. It may sound hokey, but I’ve finally found my people. Playing with other musicians feels like I'm in a group that’s more encompassing than the sum of its parts. We're creating something that is more lasting and far bigger in scope than what we can do as individuals. Once you go through that, and you experience that with even one other person, you've got a bond with that person for life. If I had to count my 10 best friends on this planet today, most of them would be musicians.