Talent: piano, keyboard synthesizers

Began Music At Age: 7

Why I Began: My parents and siblings all knew how to play songs on the piano - even my brother who never took formal lessons. I didn't want to be left out.

Musical Background: classical piano lessons for 10 years at Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore, MD; played with several local R&B bands (The View, Smile) during my high school years in Baltimore; played in jazz/fusion bands (Soul Purpose, Quiet Fire) while attending Hampton University; part-time piano teacher for 8 years

Favorite Musicians: Oscar Peterson, Wynton Marsalis, Vince Guaraldi, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Luther Vandross, Sade, Bob Marley, Chopin, Beethoven

Favorite Pastimes: spending time with my family, travel (check out My Trip Reports)

Musical Eureka Moment: Learning chord substitutions from jazz pianist, Larry Willis - While I was performing Autumn Leaves with a jazz/fusion group (Soul Purpose) at a jazz club in Hampton, Virginia, a gentleman walked up to me and asked if he could sit in. Our saxophone player, enthusiastically nodded to me to let the man play. This man played a solo in the tune that totally blew me away. I could not believe the creativity and skill I was witnessing. I later found out this outstanding musician's name was Larry Willis, a famous jazz pianist that has recorded many jazz albums and played with many jazz legends. During our break, Larry gave me a lesson on chord substitutions and how to flavor a piece. This 15 minute lesson seemed to totally change my approach to playing jazz and take my playing up a notch. To this day, I still look for interesting chord substitutions to incorporate in any music I play.

Greatest Musical Accomplishment: Family Christmas Recordings - In 1991, 1993, and 1996, I recorded my family singing Christmas Carols, reciting Christmas poems, or simply wishing the rest of the family a Merry Christmas. I gave a copy of the tape to each household as a Christmas gift. Between arranging the music, recording family members, doing the mixdown, and making copies, I put in many hours and several all-nighters. Despite this, I totally enjoyed making the recordings because it gave me a chance to visit my relatives and catch up with what's been going on in their lives. In 1993, I managed to travel to three states and record 72 family members! Since then some of my relatives have passed away; however, we can still hear their voices on the recordings wishing us love, peace, and seasons greetings. In 2003, I converted the Christmas tapes to CD and gave them to my relatives as Christmas gifts. I am grateful to my family for participating in this project and am proud to have something to pass on to future generations of our family.

Joined Special Blendz: April 1998

How I joined Special Blendz: I answered a posting Carole Spiller (Special Blendz manager) put on an AOL Musician's Message Board. The group was looking for a second keyboard player. Carole invited me to hear the group perform at a club called The Sand Trap. I was impressed with the musicianship, the uniforms, the vocal harmony, and the energy. The group invited me to audition. They liked my playing and I like their seriousness about rehearsal. The rest is history.