I'm originally from Windsor, Ontario, where I grew up listening to all kinds of music from radio stations in Detroit, and my parents old rock n' roll records. From the beginning, my tastes in music were varied, and that's reflected in my career today. I've been playing since I was very young, but never took it seriously until my early teens, when I started taking music classes in high school, and private lessons from whoever I could find that I thought was really good. I was equally fascinated by traditional piano playing as well as all the mysterious sounds that synthesizers could produce, and thus began a lifetime obsession with gear and tone that plagues me to this day.
Towards the end of high school, I found myself sneaking into clubs with my best friend to see as much live music as possible. It was then that I started going to jams and getting gigs with bands around town.
I was getting a lot of experience, but there were still many things I needed to learn, so I ended up relocating to Toronto, to attend Humber College's Jazz Keyboard program. This was my first "formal" education in music. While at Humber, I was exposed to an enormous amout of information, but still had some unanswered questions. It was then that I began attending masterclasses with legendary pianist and educator Barry Harris. Since then, my whole perspective on harmony and music has blossomed exponentially. It is no exaggeration to say that I owe my career to him, and still seek his knowledge and wisdom whenever I can.
Since finishing Humber, I have had a very rewarding career that gets more exciting every year. I've been fortunate to perform with some of Canada's legendary artists, like Alannah Myles, Mike Reno from Loverboy, Alan Frew from Glass Tiger, and Juno award winning group The Daughters (formerly Farmer's Daughter). I have a freelance career that takes me all over North America, with various bands and artists. As well, I'm honoured to be a staff member in Sheridan College's esteemed Music Theatre program, and I get to give back some knowledge teaching piano and voice at Walter's Music in Mississauga.
Most recently, I began a production company with internationally renowned DJ and producer Natural, called Natural Born Hustlaz. Our main focus is on producing music for urban music markets, specializing in hip hop and R&B. In the year we have been working together, we've gotten an overwhelmingly positive response to our music. I think it's fair to say that 2007 is going to be a very good year for Natural Born Hustlaz.
My goals are to keep learning and growing as a person and as a musician, and to share that experience with as many talented and amazing people as possible.
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