Musick is a significant aspect of my soul. I have been singing, playing, and songwriting since my days at St. Michael's Choir School in the 1980s until now. My life is accompanied by a perpetual soundtrack. Some of the music in my head is the creation of others, but much of it is mine, and occasionally surfaces through my voice and my instruments so that others may hear it. My first instrument was my voice, trained in the Choir School.
While attending, I trained in Royal Conservatory piano. Since then, I have applied what I have learned to many other instruments, which include various woodwinds, ethnic flutes, recorder and alto recorder, the tuba, tubular bells, xylophone, glockenspiel, guitar, ukulele, chanter, gralla, drum kit, and a cornucopia of hand drums including the djembe, ashiko, adufe, bongos, congas, timpani, dun-dun, darbuka, dumbek, bodhran, native drum, singing bowls, and many others that I can get my hands on.
My lifelong musickal project of original compositions is called Panthea. A lot of Panthea musick has manifested through the numerous bands and ensembles of which I have been a part.
My influences can only be described as truly eclectic. Obviously, I began with a classical and chamber musical influence, while becoming enchanted with New Wave in my youth. But the Celtic influence really set in early on through Enya, Clannad, and the Chieftains, but I developed a taste for traditional folk music as well, that is with me still today. This led me to the Galician music that is close to my heart and heritage through Carlos Núñez, and then round about to early medieval and renaissance street music, and Dead Can Dance. I also became heavily influenced in the Industrial movement through Skinny Puppy, Front 242, Einstürzende Neubauten, and then what has been called the "noise bands" such as Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle, à;GRUMH..., and even Psychic TV, and Chris and Cozey, among many others. Within the electronic scene, I was never very impressed with the pop, house, and rap stuff - with notable exceptions. I tended to gravitate towards a more rebellious side of the movement. There was Coil, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Cabaret Voltaire, Nitzer Ebb, but there was also Cockteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, among others. I was also greatly moved by the neo-punk rock movement (Sex Pistols was a staple of course), and Jesus and Mary Chain, Butthole Surfers; Ska music through The Specials and The English Beat, and I couldn't do without Reggae. I was enchanted by Grunge when it came, and of course I admired Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins when they were around for their songwriting genius, and Rage Against The Machine for their power.
In the end, when I think about it, the music that I love the most is anything that provokes me on an emotional level, one way or another, no mater what the genre. I think you can hear many of these influences, and more, within my music.
Some of the most memorable bands and ensembles that I have had the great privilege of being a part of include:
St Michael's Choir (choral)
Kick Me Kill Me (ska & reggae)
Sara Pallek (folk)
Miranda Stone (folk)
Subtonic Monks (spontaneous sonic explorations)
Piercing Obsidian (folk)
Haze (dark folk)
Niki Andre (R&B)
Firedance (percussion & world)
Nicole Coward (folk)
Elelu (choral)
Wychwood Children (folk & world)
IO (percussive folk and world)
Panthea (world) [on bandcamp | on CBC]
... and others
While attending, I trained in Royal Conservatory piano. Since then, I have applied what I have learned to many other instruments, which include various woodwinds, ethnic flutes, recorder and alto recorder, the tuba, tubular bells, xylophone, glockenspiel, guitar, ukulele, chanter, gralla, drum kit, and a cornucopia of hand drums including the djembe, ashiko, adufe, bongos, congas, timpani, dun-dun, darbuka, dumbek, bodhran, native drum, singing bowls, and many others that I can get my hands on.
My lifelong musickal project of original compositions is called Panthea. A lot of Panthea musick has manifested through the numerous bands and ensembles of which I have been a part.
My influences can only be described as truly eclectic. Obviously, I began with a classical and chamber musical influence, while becoming enchanted with New Wave in my youth. But the Celtic influence really set in early on through Enya, Clannad, and the Chieftains, but I developed a taste for traditional folk music as well, that is with me still today. This led me to the Galician music that is close to my heart and heritage through Carlos Núñez, and then round about to early medieval and renaissance street music, and Dead Can Dance. I also became heavily influenced in the Industrial movement through Skinny Puppy, Front 242, Einstürzende Neubauten, and then what has been called the "noise bands" such as Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle, à;GRUMH..., and even Psychic TV, and Chris and Cozey, among many others. Within the electronic scene, I was never very impressed with the pop, house, and rap stuff - with notable exceptions. I tended to gravitate towards a more rebellious side of the movement. There was Coil, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Cabaret Voltaire, Nitzer Ebb, but there was also Cockteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, among others. I was also greatly moved by the neo-punk rock movement (Sex Pistols was a staple of course), and Jesus and Mary Chain, Butthole Surfers; Ska music through The Specials and The English Beat, and I couldn't do without Reggae. I was enchanted by Grunge when it came, and of course I admired Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins when they were around for their songwriting genius, and Rage Against The Machine for their power.
In the end, when I think about it, the music that I love the most is anything that provokes me on an emotional level, one way or another, no mater what the genre. I think you can hear many of these influences, and more, within my music.
Some of the most memorable bands and ensembles that I have had the great privilege of being a part of include:
St Michael's Choir (choral)
Kick Me Kill Me (ska & reggae)
Sara Pallek (folk)
Miranda Stone (folk)
Subtonic Monks (spontaneous sonic explorations)
Piercing Obsidian (folk)
Haze (dark folk)
Niki Andre (R&B)
Firedance (percussion & world)
Nicole Coward (folk)
Elelu (choral)
Wychwood Children (folk & world)
IO (percussive folk and world)
Panthea (world) [on bandcamp | on CBC]
... and others