I started off listening to my father play with fascination at the sound which eminated from his keyboard. At 6 yrs old, I was hooked. My father being a music teacher began training me in the craft. Soon I discovered that I could play by ear and soon was playing everything my father played, without reading the music like I was supposed to. I wrote my first song when I was 8 and the rest is history as they say.
My musical taste is eclectic to say the least. I just loved listening to music period. Anything I could get my hands on. From big band music to polka bands (ah the days), marching bands to classical symphonies, gospel to contemporary, fusion to rock to jazz to R&B to metal. My metal education and training only came much later in my life.I was listening to all the pop rock and glam rock of the 80's only in the 90's. So much music, so little time to actually listen to it all. Also, I was obsessed with composing my own music and spent hours, days, years, I think, composing my own stuff. So even though my time was mostly spent composing, when I did have the time to listen to music, I would listen to whatever I could.
My introduction into metal came at 15 when a friend of mine played me some Iron Maiden. I had never heard anything like it. It was captivating. But at the same time, I had been sheltered from "that evil music" by my parents, God love 'em. They knew no better. So it wasn't until 1997 that Dream Theater finally broke the mold and exposed me to something I will never let go of, heavy metal.
I soon got into every possible progressive metal band I could find on the internet, Threshold, Kamelot, Shadow Gallery, Fates Warning, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Rush, Dali's Dilemma, Ayreon, Artension, Enchant, Pain of Salvation, every side project involving the Dream Theater lads, and the list goes on.
I joined my brother's band, after having played in 2 other bands (completely unrelated to metal), called Titus. We were a kind of rock band with keyboards, trying to add the 80's flavour back into music. We soon discovered that we were being elevated into the prog genre with every meeting and with every new song we wrote together. We soon became the only prog band in Johannesburg, South Africa to go watch. We played every gig we were offered and soon joined up with power thrash metal legends Agro. (www.agro-metal.com or www.myspace.com/agrosa) I was asked to be a guest artist on two metal albums and one rock album during Titus' 4 year run. I was featured as guest keyboardist for Sacrifists European flavoured death metal band. But the album (although having tons of potential overseas) never saw the light of day. After that, Agro asked me to feature on as keyboardist in the 3rd album, The Tree. When Titus disbanded, due to musical differences, after almost 4 awesome years of playing and writing together, Agro asked me to join their band as a permanent member. I was honoured, being revered as they are in the scene. I contributed to their 4 album, Forthcoming, and the band's sound took a new form without interupting their already enormous sound.
After over a year of playing with Agro, I immigrated to Canada. Agro has gone on and gotten a new keyboardist who has filled the spot perfectly. They have gone on to be signed by Armageddon Records in Germany for a worldwide distribution deal. AM, the song I wrote for Agro is featured on their myspace site, however, only as a bonus track for the Japanese release.
In Calgary, I soon learned of a power metal project started by 2 guys who wanted to form a live band to showcase their music and possibly write more material. I gave them my musical resume and the rest was settled over some beers. Destiny Calling wrote new music and played a few gigs around town. In 2005, one of my biggest influences in my power metal education, Stratovarius, came to town. After speaking with DC's manager, Destiny Calling was honoured to get the gig. It almost never happened. 3 days before the show was set to take place, Destiny Calling was accepted as the opening act along with Into Eternity from Winnipeg. That was a huge dream come true for me. The show was a huge success and sharing the stage with these power metal greats was an honour. The afterglow took almost 2 weeks to dissipate. In early 2006, another band who I have been listening to for a long time, Sonata Arcitca, also played Calgary. Again, I had the oppurtunity to share the stage with this awesome Finnish band. That show was even better recieved than the Strat one.
Destiny Calling has since disbanded and the members continue with their own musical endeavours.
I am currently writing new material witha new and exciting bunch of guys (ex-drummer of Destiny Calling, Jer) which will emerge onto the scene within a few months. You can keep up to date with that on our new site, www.myspace.com/wolvengardAlso please visit for more info:
www.wolvengard.com
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