Please tell us about yourself and what you do.
I am a composer and performer based in Auckland. I am drawn to performances using analogue keyboard instrumentation of different sorts. I currently play a Wurltizer EP, Yamaha CP70 Electric Grand, Kawai EP-608, Harpsichord, Accordion (basic skills only), and Rhodes instruments, as well as a Hohner Clavinet, and acoustic pianos where available. I am the Programme Manager and senior tutor at MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) where I teach Musical Semiotics, Advanced Composition, Improvisation, and facilitate Capstone projects. Perhaps my most memorable performance was when I played with King Kapisi at Glastonbury festival, my favourite music festival of all time. More recently though I was privileged to support the NZ tour of USA's Jerron' Blind Boy' Paxton at the Hollywood Cinema, Avondale.
I am becoming addicted to performances involving AfroCuban music and practising hard to master the independence of hands necessary to play this beautiful music. Last year I acted in an advisory capacity to the Royal New Zealand Ballet's production of Hansel and Gretel. Claire Gowan composed and arranged the orchestral score and I was lucky enough to help advise on arranging from a jazz perspective. As well as being a performer and composer I am a host of the 95bFM The Jazz Show with Dom Nola, and write a column called X-Factory, part of NZMusician magazine in print and online.
Please choose 2-3 of your works/albums and tell us about them.
Good Song is a collaboration between Tom Dennison, Steve Harvie and myself. This track was video recorded during the making of the album Rhodes Scholar, released in 2015.
Nolens Volens is a composition recorded for my Doctor of Musical Arts degree, performed as a solo piano piece.
and Clap Your Hands and Salvation were tracks composed by King Kapisi; however I wrote and recorded the keyboard parts.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am writing and recording a latin-jazz album, consisting of original music. I am hoping to collaborate with other musicians experienced in Latin music and record it with my stalwart rhythm section Alex Griffith and Dylan Kalev.
How can people connect with you?
Academia
Website
Facebook
psychologyinmusic
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