While I enjoy listening to a wide variety of different music styles, from classical to jazz fusion all the way to extreme death metal, I am particularly passionate about modern progressive rock in its various incarnations.
Some of my favorite artists in that genre include:
On the more popular side, these bands are considered foundational to progressive rock and really helped shape my taste in music:
I go to a lot of live shows, and living in Los Angeles we are very fortunate to have access to regular performances by some of the top musicians in the world. I can honestly say that I go out to see more live concerts than movies in theaters.
I can be spotted very often at gigs of my favorite artists around town, and I am a regular at the Baked Potato club in Studio City. So much great music happening all the time there, this place almost feels like a second home to me.
CalProg is a great organization putting up consistently awesome prog shows in Southern California. I am proud to have been a regular patron since its inception back in 2003, although they have since stopped putting together their annual festival.
My first musical instrument was the keyboard, for which I had lessons as a kid after showing an early interest. I even started writing my own music as a child. These days, my favorite instrument is the electric guitar. I bought my first Ibanez RG at the Guitar Center store in Hollywood in 2001 and am completely self-taught.
I later expanded to other stringed instruments and can be occasionally spotted playing electric bass with the Peninsula Symphonic Winds in Palos Verdes, where my wife also performs on French horn.
I have also started learning to play the drums in the summer of 2017. I have been posting a few videos of my progress on my YouTube channel.
I am otherwise not currently part of any band or studio project, though I have been known to occasionally write and record music in my home studio.
For a recent performance of my guitar playing, here is a video of myself performing the classic “Johnny B. Goode” at my wedding in July 2014.
Through my new company Catloaf Productions, I have had the privilege to help some of my favorite musicians with their online presence, social media, marketing and other business needs. Most notable mentions are Ryo Okumoto from my favorite band Spock’s Beard and ProgJect, a prog supergroup he recently joined. It is truly a labor of love for me!