Sonic Discovery Blog

A Tribute to Sensei Kirk Ellis I want to share a story about a person who changed the course of my life forever. A person who turned an unaware 11 year old into a student of life itself. This story is about Sensei Kirk Ellis. I have many memories and experiences I’ve gathered by being one of his martial arts students. There were deep conversations

The Los Angles Jazz Workshop Background The Los Angeles Jazz Workshop (LAJW) was a well respected jazz clinic for up and coming musicians throughout the 1980's and 1990's. It was created and run by professional trombonist Bill Yeager in 1979. The workshop held high standards of professional musicianship that was expected in Los Angeles and

Prologue: I was not quite sure about writing "My Grocery List." After revisiting this idea a few times, I found that, just like a good movie about a subject, it's actually about life and the people that come into and out of the movie that makes it meaningful. And for me, it's the grocery business that became the vehicle to tell this story. This is

It was December while on tour. We were in Chicago for a couple days to play a few shows at The House of Blues and other venues. It was a great time in the band’s career. Every venue we played was sold out. Even all of The House of Blues venues we played across the country were all sold out. During this time in Chicago, I had the wonderful fortune

After a Day Shift in Patrol (6a-6p) This is the story of why I went from a full-time career in music to a full-time career in law enforcement. It’s a broad overview of the process, from playing professionally and composing music, to committing myself to a new career goal, preparing myself mentally and physically to become a police officer. Later,

When I started this article, I thought it was going to be pretty short, not much to write about other than how lucky I was to have worked at Jones Day, along with a few highlights. Then as I started writing, I realized there were some interesting moments and memories worth mentioning. I hope this article is not too long, and I will try to keep it

Postcards from 90's While touring in the 90's, I picked up a habit that I never expected. Every club, every restaurant, every roadside stop seemed to have a stack of postcards tucked away by the entrance or on the counter. Some promoted local bands, some advertised events, others were just clever art or photography that caught the mood of the

Performing at the Titanic world premiere party in Los Angeles Another Gig, Or So It Seemed For the Titanic Movie World Premiere Party, our band was the musical entertainment. At the time, it felt like just another movie wrap party on Whilshire Blvd, the kind of event where you showed up, played your sets, say hello, and then head home afterward.

The Diplomats European Tour This story is about an opportunity I got to be a part of as a graduating high school senior. Being selected as a member of The United States Collegiate Wind Bands. This opportunity which opened my eyes to the world and changed my life forever, was made possible by a lot of people including my high school band director

There are certain days in a musician’s life that stay with you forever. Not just because they were exciting, but because they mean something more. They stand apart from the rehearsals, travel, soundchecks, late nights, and long drives. They carry a different kind of weight. Gratitude, and recognition from the very place you called home. One of