Grammy Awards
Daniel Weiss grew up in Switzerland with a passion for music and electronics. He played the electric violin (one that he built himself) as well as bass, before developing an interest in building and playing synthesizers – something that he learned from a magazine. He started to build his own amps...
Cecil McBee studied clarinet in elementary school and was inspired by the encouragement of his band director. He knew from that young age that he wanted a career in music. When he was a teenager he switched to bass and began playing at local clubs and parties. His incredible career includes live...
Andrew York has a powerful way of expressing himself, by using his words and his music. With his articulate delivery, he provides a special insight into the drive of playing and composing the music that is within him. It’s that inner drive that has given all of us works such as “Sunburst,” “Evening...
Orianthi is an Australian born guitarist who, as a young teen, experienced what most aspiring musicians can only dream of. She had opened for her hero Steve Vai, traded solos with a guitar legend Carlos Santana, and soon after, backed Carrie Underwood at the Grammy Awards. Later, she toured...
Allee Willis wrote a number of successful songs that have become part of the fabric of pop music. Allee either wrote or co-wrote songs such as “September” by Earth Wind & Fire, the theme for the sitcom Friends entitled “I’ll Be there for You,” the Broadway musical The Color Purple, and "Neutron...
Kamau Kenyatta grew up surrounded by a family that had a deep running passion for music, and as a result Kamau was able to get his first clarinet when his grandfather, an electrician by trade, bartered with one of his customers to support young Kamau’s growing passion for music. Later he decided to...
Harry Casey wrote a few songs and headed into a Miami studio with the simple goal of making a dance record. He used the studio musicians and would later ask those guys to tour with him when his record became a big hit. KC and the Sunshine Band helped define the disco era, even though Harry always...
Tom Paxton spoke eloquently about the role folk music played during critical events in American history, such as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s for which he was involved with. Tom marched, wrote songs, and played the songs of others, such as Pete Seeger, in order to bring about...
Daniel Ho happily participated in the ukulele boom of the early 2000s. He grew up playing Hawaiian music and studied composition at the Grove School of Music. When given the change to help design a ukulele with luthier Pepe Romero, Daniel proudly added his thoughts and ideas to the design and...
Paul Nelson was playing guitar behind his friend and musical hero, Johnny Winter, when a friendship developed. The two became musical partners, wrote songs and gigged together over the years. When Johnny had difficulty getting sober, it was Paul who stepped up to help his friend during a...