As influences go, it's a whole lot of everything. If I really think about it, I think I learned (and stole) more from Dave Grohl, Dave Abruzzeze (I know I spelt that wrong, I'll fix it sometime when I'm bored) and Brad Wilk than any drummers that I've ever listened to. It's easy to say though that my two drum teachers made me what I am today. David Schneider (The Music Cellar in Winnipeg) and Brian Thurgood (Grant MacEwan College).
I'll try to keep it short, so here goes nothing: I started playing the drums at age 13, only to listen to a wide varitey of styles (all thanks to my teacher David Schneider) and little did I know I would end up playing every single style I was introduced to. At age 20 I joined a band called Jet Set Satellite on Nettwerk records, toured and shot both videos with them all in the year 2000, also playing various tours across Canada and many different festivals and t.v. appearances. After that came to a halt I ended up playing in various bands, such as the rockabilly power trio The Farrell Bros. (whom I've toured with multiple times across Canada, the U.S. and Europe) The Afterbeat (Ska), UofM big bands, Dan Frechette, The Brat Attack (Punk), Patrick Keenan (Folk/Rock/Other stuff) as well as various local Winnipeg acts with such diverse sounds as funk, folk, hard rock, etc.
Eventually I decided it was time to find some higher musical education and enrolled in the MacEwan music program in Edmonton for two years, receiving a performance diploma. In my second year I was fortunate enough to beat out two schools worth of drummers for the jazz band spot, and the timing was amazing as it was the first year they ever had a big budget to record a cd. I played some Country music with Blair Cruise for the following year, but once I wrote off my van after hitting a deer going up to a gig in Fort MacMurray I decided to come back home to Winnipeg to have a more permanant home base as I travel the world working for Carnival cruiselines. That seems to be the story so far, but my cruise work is very flexible and I'm always up for anything new and exciting to play or record.
So you've joined the cruise life.
Does that mean you're getting fat?
I miss you and I hope you're coming back to Edmonton some day.
I'll be in France this summer, so if you take another contract, try for a European one and we'll likely meet up in Europe!
