RMc

I fell in love with music straight out the box, and music has been my savior ever since. Both my parents were musicians, so there was always music in the house. Mostly classical and jazz, but they both appreciated a good melody and good musicianship regardless of style, so I heard alot of "pop" as well. We had a piano in the house which was invaluable to me. Even though I never became a pianist or much of a keyboard player, I always loved exploring the notes and the relationships between the keys -- the patterns and combinations were endlessly intriguing. I wrote my first song at 6 and I still remember most of it. It was an ecological song called "This Poor Earth" about how badly the human race was treating Mother Earth. I started playing bassoon when I was 8 -- I had to wait until I could reach all the keys. Both my parents played wind instruments and I always loved the low tones, so it was logical to me at the time. I played in some youth orchestras including the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and also wrote some classical pieces during this time. However I was a victim of the times and I started writing alot more pop-rock-folk-oriented songs, so the bassoon was phased out. I had been playing electric bass for some years at this point and got my first guitar, an acoustic, when I was 15. I played in a bunch of bands as a bassist and at home worked on writing songs and getting better at the guitar...

I studied International Music and theory at the New England Conservatory. I tried to get into as many jam sessions as I could while I was there, and with the nearby Berklee blokes there was much competition for guitarists to step up if you wanted to play with good players. I immersed myself in Jazz as well as Reggae, Funk and African music and got my chops together playing in several ensembles and bands.
This experience broadened my perspective and I started writing songs infusing elements from all of these influences into my own style, which I continue to refine.