It all began, as these things often do, with a small child and a guitar that wasn’t quite in tune. Six-year-old him, equipped with the unshakable confidence of someone who had never been wrong before (and wasn’t about to start now), pointed this out to his dad. Skeptical but curious, his father rechecked the tuning, and lo, the child was right. The next day, perhaps out of awe or a desire to channel this terrifyingly accurate ear, his dad took him to a piano lesson. From that day forward, music became his guide, his obsession, and his excuse for missing a perfectly good episode of The Simpsons

Over the years, his repertoire grew: guitar, electric bass, upright bass, banjo, and an unreasonable amount of ukulele. By 2012, he had packed his life into a metaphorical suitcase (and some real ones) and hit the road with a couple of touring bands, traveling nearly coast to coast across Canada. His mum, who had always wanted him to pursue music, was thrilled.

But life, in its infinite capacity for plot twists, had other plans. In 2016, his mum became seriously ill, and his dad needed help. So, he did what any good son and decent human would do—he left his programming career, moved home, and helped care for her. When she passed in 2017, the loss hit hard, but it also crystallized something within him. Music, always a companion, became his purpose. He threw himself into it full-time, not just as a career but as a tribute to her memory.

By 2018, he discovered the joy of teaching. Sharing his love of music with the next generation of aspiring rock stars, ukulele enthusiasts, and bass aficionados turned out to be even more satisfying than he imagined. It has become a delightful new chapter, filled with students, parents and lessons plans.

Meanwhile, his performing career refused to sit quietly in the corner. Despite the universe deciding to pause civilization for a global pandemic, he kept creating. Alongside his bandmates, he spent lockdown DIYing feature-length art films and award-winning soundtracks, proving that even in a crisis, you can be productive (and slightly eccentric). By the time 2023 rolled around, he was touring New Zealand, which is objectively cooler than most people’s post-pandemic plans.

Today, he’s a respected bass player in Vancouver’s many music scenes, juggling three bands, a packed teaching schedule, and the occasional existential question about who decided the direction string numbers go in. He teaches private lessons, group classes, and a varied range of workshops; inspiring new musicians all over the GVRD.

His mum would be rather proud of him.