Artist Biography

I started my musical journey about 6 years ago, when I was about 14, in Wichita, Kansas, when I heard a young man named Dan Elwick, who I would eventually start a band with and ultimately become best friends with, playing metal songs from bands like Metallica, Pantera, G&R, Megadeth and just about any other mainstream metal act at the time. I walked into the room and asked, "Where in God's name did you learn how to do that?" brbr

And so it started...I proved to him that day I had the drive to be a dominating force in music...so we decided to start a group and I became the lead singer and practiced guitar so I could play rhythm to his leads. That duo was eventually named Bleeding Halo. brbrbrbrWe went through quite a few drummers and bass players but nobody seemed to want to practice/rehearse more than once or twice a week, when we played 7 days a week and I was in sports year-round...people just made excuses. That...and we wanted somebody that would bring something to the table, not just fill in the space at it. brbrbrWell to make the rest of the story short I moved away, but I still keep in touch with Dan. In fact, he opted to pick up the keyboards with another childhood buddy of mine, Chris Rives, and started a duo known as Speak EZ. I've actually cut a few tracks with them and also brought back some Bleeding Halo songs. brMy primary instrument is guitar but obviously I can play bass too, I also have a keyboard I play a little bit, I'm just learning how to bow on the violin, I sing, write lyrics, rap, pick up the harmonica sometimes and...I've been practicing quite a bit on the drums but I still suck at them...so I usually just stick to guitar or bass. brAfter I moved from Wichita I devoted myself quite a bit more to guitar. Thats when I found influences like Dream Theater, Al DiMeola, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dragonforce and so many others. I've since been in the hardcore death metal band Whoracle (Topeka, Kansas), the cover band Skin (Topeka, Kansas) (We covered songs from Metallica and Pink Floyd just to name a few), an unnamed Tool-esque band in Iola, Kansas, ran by a man named Jamie Brummel. I was also in a community college jazz band in Iola, Kansas as the only guitar player. I enjoy all styles off music and I'm looking for unique players to start a...I want to say "Super Group"...but I don't care what skill level we play at as long as it sounds good...thats the point...isn't it? If you're interested hit me up.brI'm primarily self-taught...but I learned from playing with others and soaking up and archiving (computer and file folders) any information I could, from theory and sight-reading, to sequenced sweep arpeggios with tapping. But recently I took a few studio lessons from a solo acoustic artist named Andy Mckee in Topeka, Kansas. If you get a chance, check him out at andymckee.com he is absolutely amazing.brAs for what tommorow brings? Who knows? I'm teaching my wife bass and she already knows how to play a decent violin...I don't know what will transcribe here in Topeka, Kansas...I'm always collaborating with people and I'll jam with anybody, but as for when I'll get the next group together or join an existing one...I don't know. I got more than enough musicians around to start a band or join one, but I want everyone in the group to have musical dedication and freedom. By that I mean I don't want to be confined to a style or a technique I want to exhaust all possibilities. If that means being in more than one group so be it, but I burn to be on the stage...for that moment...when everything else is reality and you're in a dream of adrenaline...there's nothing like that feeling.

Artist Mission

Music Influences

Alternative Links

• Speak EZ's Myspace Page
  My boys from Wichita, who I plan to join up with for good soon.
• Andy Mckee's Web Site
  My Ex-Guitar Teacher's Web Site...fingerstyle acoustics and harp guitars.
• My Music Myspace Page
  My music on myspace