Having weathered a non-stop, whirlwind schedule for the past two years, dynamic Canadian guitarist, and arranger/composer Sean Hayden could have easily taken some well-earned time off in early 2008. But instead of cooling his jets and catching some much needed ZZZs, the twenty-two-year-old Sean kept doing what he loves best: making music.
"I don't need time off and didn't want to take time off," Hayden states. "I just wanted to keep pushing my creativity forward."
Born in Ottawa, and raised in Vancouver, Sean Hayden was obsessed with all types of music from an early age: rock, hip-hop, jazz, funk, blues, etc. He discovered jazz as a teenager via artists like Pat Metheny, Soulive, & Jamie Cullum, while continuing to show a strong interest in all genres of music. After graduating high school in 2004, Sean was enrolled in Selkirk College’s Contemporary Music and Technology Program.
There he began to hone his on-stage persona that would eventually win him accolades with peers and fans alike. After graduating with honours from Selkirk College in 2006, Sean was ready for the rigors – and joys – that waited ahead. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he was gigging and working full-time with other established artists in the surrounding areas.
Then in 2007, Sean Hayden received a scholarship to participate as a full-time student at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Prior to relocating to Beantown in the Fall, Sean set off on a personal solo tour of Australia and Japan, (Pacific Rim Tour 2007) playing various venues from Sydney to Tokyo. Hayden is still surprised at the result; "It was more of an experiment then anything – I had no idea if it was possible to book gigs internationally on my own. I basically planned a vacation first and thought it would be cool to see if I could actually book some gigs - to my surprise, I did!"
Once in Boston, Sean worked and studied with some of the best that the music industry has to offer and by summer 2008, he had again re-defined the parameters of his music. The once self-proclaimed jazz-cat had suddenly started writing on the pop side of things - dishing out tunes that reflected more the styling of Dave Matthews Band & John Mayer, than his jazz counterparts. “Jazz is great and I love it, but being strictly jazz didn’t feel like being ‘me’. With that being said, I made the conscious decision to write music that crosses a lot of boundaries. For example, there’s still a ton of improvisation in what I write - especially during the live sets.â€
Sean has now set his sights on documenting his music with his first self-titled album, (due May 2009). He recorded the album in Boston late 2008 before moving back to Vancouver, where he currently resides. "I'm excited about my first record! I feel confident about what I've been writing and my biggest wish is that the fans will enjoy the album as much as I've enjoyed writing it."
For more on Sean Hayden, Go To:
Sean Hayden's Official Website
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