After years of idolizing the musicians in my favourite bands, the idea of being a drummer became an obsession for me when I was 12 years old. I started taking lessons with a local teacher, jamming with any friends who played bass or guitar, and started a band by the time I was 13. Throughout high school I played in several different rock bands, as well as the high school Jazz band which took me to Jazz festivals and intensive workshops and really humbled me and showed me how vast the pool of talent out there was. There were child prodigies who made me look like a newb. It motivated me to practice!
After taking a year in the Jazz program at Capilano University, I slowed down on school, just doing part time courses. I decided to focus on getting gigs and playing, teaching myself to record the drums, and making drum videos to promote myself. I began teaching private lessons, building a base of students in the Vancouver and Burnaby area. I also started getting a lot of gigs…eventually getting to the point of playing an average of 150 shows a year, working with several bands and artists.
Playing the drums has brought me to places I never would have gone. I’ve toured all over the world playing music. I recently had the privilege of touring the UK, in spring 2019 with Rare Americans. In January/February of 2020, I embarked upon LA and the Dominican Republic with Trilojay, and then the Okanagan Valley in March of 2020 with Krystle Dos Santos. In 2012 I toured in Ireland, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium with the Rebel Spell, and in 2008 I toured in Beijing, X’ian and Shanghai playing in a jazz ensemble while I was in my first year of University.
However the bulk of my work has been in my home, Vancouver and the surrounding areas. Whistler, the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and other local Islands, Penticton, Kelowna, and the Kootenays. The History of Motown school tour I do with Krystle Dos Santos takes us around British Columbia, and our monthly Guilt and Co gig Underneath The Harlem Moon is in gas town in Vancouver. My cover band Trilojay is very active playing at private events, including weddings and corporate events for everyone from Lulu Lemon to Joey Restaurant group all over North America (so far..) It’s truly a blessing to be able to explore my own province, go to towns I’d have never gone, and share music with enthusiastic lovers of art.
In the past couple years I’ve done studio work for local artists at Bluelight studios and Hipposonic (Previously Little Mountain Sound), and some film and TV shows including ABC’s When We Rise, Marvel’s Legends of Tomorrow and Netflix’s Riverdale. Along with working at bigger studios in Vancouver like The Warehouse and The Armoury, I record from my own studio at Treble 5 Records for people from all over the world. Through a growing YouTube channel called TheBreakMonster, and a steady Instagram content stream, I’ve been lucky to meet and record drums for people as far away as the UK, Miami and Jamaica.
I teach private drum lessons regularly and I’m currently accepting new students!