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Public Bio |
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Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, in a pretty culturally diverse neighbourhood. It had its good and bad parts. I don't live there any more, and I don't miss it! I still have close friends from that time, though.
Q: What made you realize that music was your path?
A: My father gave me a guitar on my 9th birthday, and my friend's older brother showed me how to read the chord book. I spent the next four years immersing myself in it, listening to records and figuring out what they were playing. I did this at least four hours a day, preferring guitar over anything else. Once I hit high-school, I became very actively involved in fronting bands as lead singer / guitarist, and won a couple of the Battle of the Band competitions! At that point, I realised I was getting pretty good at it. I rarely went anywhere without a guitar!
Q: How would you describe the music that you typically create?
A: Most of my music is rock-based, but there are so many flavours mixed in at times, it's hard to classify. I seem to have equal amounts of acoustic, easy-listening songs and hard-hitting, electric guitar kick-in-the-nuts stuff! I write lyrics, but often collaborate with others so I can focus on just the music. Other times, the music speaks for itself, and the song remains an instrumental.
Q: Who are your biggest musical influences?
A: Probably the band closest to my heart is Led Zeppelin...I know every breath, every errant noise on those albums. The Police and Sting are probably the next biggest influence. As a child, I loved Jim Croce. For sheer musical genius, Frank Zappa does it for me, and Steve Vai is pretty high up there too, though I'll never be able to play like either of those guys! Overall, ‘70's hard-rock was what I cut my teeth on, even though I wasn't born until '71! Today I enjoy a really wide range of music….it just has to be good!
Q: What makes your music unique?
A: I try to make sure my music has staying power. Hooks that stick to your brain like peanut-butter, songs that have integrity and can't be ignored. Honesty is important to me in music, and I think it imparts a quality that makes the songs timeless. So much of what is on the radio has no meat to it, it just sounds shallow and even silly. Any song I touch has to have integrity, or it just won't happen.
Q: Has there been one particular moment in your musical career that you're most proud of?
A: Funny, the CD I did back in 1998, "If So Equipped", which is probably the least technically proficient of all my recordings, still resonates with people to this day. I still get emails from people who I don't know, saying that they heard the music, or a friend gave them a copy, or whatever, and they were so touched by it. I'm proud of that little CD. I am often asked when I'll do another one that is just me, no collaboration....one day, I will, but for now, I'm having fun creating different things.
Q: What's next for you?
A: I'm at the point now that I know so many great musicians, and I have the studio resources, that I can give all these songs that have been waiting their proper treatment. I’ll continue to look for opportunities for my music on TV, radio, or other artists’s records. |
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