Amongst all my blessed creative gifts that I've been given I feel music is the true language my soul wants to communicate and share more than anything.
Brought up amongst a somewhat musical family, my earliest memory is of my great grandfather playing acoustic guitar right off the boat from Italy. (I think he knew a few chords, sang O Sole Mio and that was about it. HA!) Never the less, it left a lasting impression.
In the early seventies (in Classic Saturday Night Fever mode) both Mom and my Uncle Ralph had incredible rhythm and loved to do the Hustle in my grandmother's basement when visiting for Sunday dinner. Many of those Sundays we're spent in a rocking chair with headphones shuffling through my uncles 8-track tapes and being exposed to anything from Donna Summer, 70's Disco, The Rolling Stones, The Partridge Family, Pink Floyd and Steppenwolf.
My first introuction to anything resembling a keyboard was playing my uncle's Accordian, which was twice my size and ten times my weight! I specifically remember going into Pops work area where it was stored and attempt to pull it apart, let some air in and push it back with one my left hand while trying to play notes with the other. Talk about determination.
Back home living with Mom it was all about R&B and soul music. Filled with melody, romance and heartbreak she would blast Barry White, The Stylistics, Lou Rawls, The Spinners, Temptations, Donna Summer and Teddy Pendergrass to name a few. Summer bus rides to the beach with Mom brings back influences from Elton John to Paul McCartney.
I learned Piano at the age of six when my Dad bought a keyboard for himself on impulse. His failed attempt to manage lessons led to weekly lessons for me over the course of seven years.
Come 1980-83 and I was officially ruined (and it was beautiful!) as I can still hear Van Halen blasting from my friend Jeff's walk-in apartment - I was forever changed and determined to hit GIT in Californina to study guitar. (EVH thanks for the inspiration and the reason I picked up a guitar) The universe had other plans for me it seems as I was sidelind for a few years health-wise.
I spent those years (84 to at least 90) of healing through listening to tons of music (mostly Heavy Metal!) and made it my business to go back and listen to all the guitar greats, classic rock artists and throw in any other style you can imagine into the pot. (Dance, House, Rock, Trance, Pop, R&B, etc.)
After playing in a cover band for most of the 90's and a six year absence from the music biz all together, it's time to forge a creation of original material and bring it to the masses, some folks here on myspace, and a street corner or coffee shop near you! Hopefully I can inspire you all...
