Martin Traynor

Born in Glasgow Scotland in 1965, Martin’s love of music started at an early age listening to 45s and LPs of Elvis, Gerry Lee Lewis, The Shadows, Mason Williams, Shirley Bassey and Acker Bilk when he was 4. By age 7, Martin began to play keyboard on a monophonic organ. Martin immigrated to Canada in 1975 and played a variety of instruments throughout elementary school including the French Horn, Trumpet and Drums. By age 15 Martin discovered guitar and began studying it intensely. At 16, Martin began writing songs and playing the piano; and in his final year of high school he wrote music for an original high school musical.
After high school Martin attended York University in Toronto where he studied Classical and Jazz Guitar with Joe Goldstein, Ted Quinlan and Lorne Lofsky; and Film-scoring with Louis Applebaum and Paul Hoffert . He used the studio facilities to record his own songs. At York, Martin was accepted into the faculty of education and began to study to be a music teacher which required him to become a multi-instrumentalist increasing repertoire to include various wind, brass, percussion and string instruments.
Martin was still playing in various bands (Deja Vous, Exit In, Scotland Yard) while at University and after graduation in 1989 he worked on a small variety of recording project. He began teaching music at a high school in Toronto where he still teaches Guitar and Instrumental Music. Over the years his school band has performed locally and internationally including the Bahamas; MGM and Busch Gardens, Florida.
Martin began writing music with Alexandra Kyrzakos in 1997 and they won a song writing competition for Who Will You Run To. In 1998 they formed that band SoundPoets and produced their Debut CD at Phase 1 Studios in 1999. The SoundPoets received great interest with the songwriting being describes as “spiritual and crafty with unforgettable melodies.” The SoundPoets appeared on CBC Daytime, Breakfast Television CityTV, Twiggy’s, The Indigo, Weston Harbour Castle, and had radio airplay in Southwest Ontario and Belgium.
From 2002 to 2004 Martin began playing with the jazz trio Swing Noir, which played throughout Toronto and the surrounding area at venues like the ROM, Royal York Hotel, Port Perry Jazz Festival, and Timothy’s coffee house. During 2005 Martin appeared as a solo guitarist at Chapters and Indigo bookstores.
In 2006 Martin started Neo Mundo a world influenced pop jazz ensemble with Darren Moore and Bohdan Turok. Neo Mundo has played at the community venues like 10 Feet Tall on the Danforth and various private venues in Toronto. They have played to larger events at the Toronto Club, Assembly Hall which was broadcast on OMNI 1, and Dundas Square for Dignitas International’s Race for Dignity, and various jazz festivals. Their music has been described as a “sultry blend of jazz , pop and world music that envelops the audience in an exquisite feast for the ears.” (SNAP) The New Homeland wrote “Neo Mundo has proven that audiences can expect a highly professional performance… and a promising future.”
With the release of his first solo CD, which is a compilation of his greatest songwriting Martin is taking on that promising future. These songs, filled with emotional depth and wonderful melodies, capture your heart and open your eyes to the possibilities that life presents, if you are courageous enough to be present each and every day.