The first CD from this acclaimed percussionist can best be described as experimental funk rock with a healthy dose of humor thrown in. This is a "must-have" record if you are into experimental funk.

11 MP3 Songs in this album (49:55) !
Related styles: AVANT GARDE: Electro-Acoustic, ROCK: Funk Rock

People who are interested in Frank Zappa Ornette Coleman should consider this download.


Details:
Todd is a percussionist with a desire to create music and explore new sonic possibilities with musicians, artists, and playwrights. Todd has earned a reputation as a highly sought-after percussionist and sound designer, working with notables such as Keith Glover, Darren Welch, and Junk.

I didnât choose to be a musician - it chose me. From a very early age, I remember stretching rubber bands between the kitchen cupboard and drawer knobs and plucking them to get a sound. I remember pulling the bands tighter for a higher pitch and letting them loosen up a little for a lower pitch. Soon, I started beating on pots, boxes, tabletops, lampshades, and anything else I could find that made a sound. At the same time, I had a penchant for opening up various electronic devices in the house, including transistor radios, 8-track tape players, and record players. I wanted to see what was inside the box! I remember raiding my Dadâs toolbox to find the tools that would enable me to crack open the cases of the various devices - once inside, I remember studying the component layout, marveling at the design, and, in the end, twisting off all the cool, colorful resistors, capacitors, transistors, switches, and diodes from the circuitboards.

Since then, very little has changed. At every gig, performance, or session, I remain curious. I am still excited by the sounds that my and othersâ instruments can make. I am still amazed at how all the little bits of wire, components, and solder can come together to help capture a performance - a record of a specific moment in time. I have spent a large part of my life refining my ability to express myself on my instruments and learning how to faithfully capture performances onto media. There is still a part of me that wants to make sound out of whatever I can find, and break down and explore the underlying technology that allows us to capture those sounds. With the technology that is available today, both old and new, electro and acoustic, I am still looking for ways to see inside the box, and then ultimately, break down the box and discover new ideas.

At a recent performance, the dynamics of the gig were such that things were âclickingâ and musically, things felt great. Musical ideas were being tossed about on stage, and the musical conversation that was happening was very interesting - moving between happy, sad, hopeful, and tragic. I found myself in that odd position that happens to musicians sometimes, where you are playing in the moment and are a part of the music, but also want to step outside of those responsibilities and just listen. As I looked out into the audience, I noticed several people âair-drummingâ to what I was playing. They got it. They were involved. Their hearts were in it. The possibility of experiencing connections like that, though fleeting, are why I take the chance and open myself up musically and emotionally for every session, workshop, or performance.

I am continually on the search for new sonic possibilities and for the opportunities to make music with other musicians and artists, especially when there is the opportunity to blend older technology with newer technology. I am eager to stretch into immersive performances - performances that involve artists, musicians, audio and video technicians, audience members, and casual observers into a performance experience that changes every time - no two performances can ever be the same. I want to have a lasting impact on audience members, listeners, and fellow musicians and artists. The state of technology gives us the tools as artists and musicians to communicate our ideas to an audience like never before. I look forward to collaborating with other musicians, artists, dancers, actors, and technicians to continue to explore these possibilities - and to continue to break down the box to see what lies beyond.