Biography

My love for music started at an early age and has stayed with me throughout my life. It has been more than just a hobby; it has been a lifelong passion and a driving force behind many of my biggest achievements. Looking back… it is amazing to see how a few early experiences and influences set me on a path that I continue to follow today. Here is my bio.

At the age of five years old, I was already taking music lessons. My parents enrolled me in organ classes, which turned out to be one of the best foundations I could have asked for. Playing the organ taught me not just how to read music, but also how to understand it. It trained my ear to hear subtle differences in notes and timing, and it gave me an intuitive sense of rhythm, melody, and structure. I played the organ until the age of eleven, building years of musical knowledge that would later shape my approach to DJing, production, and sound design. I had the privilege of playing Trombone in the Lion’s Band and travelling.

At around the same time, my curiosity for technology was also starting to grow. Thanks to my father's career at IBM, I had early access to computers a rarity for an eight-year-old in the 1980s. I found myself sitting in front of a glowing screen, learning how computers worked and imagining new possibilities. This combination of music and technology created the perfect storm. I wasn’t only interested in listening to music. I wanted to experiment, manipulate, and create it.

My father also had a collection of records which was my source. To encourage my interest, he bought me an old turntable. I would spend hours flipping through vinyl, absorbing the sounds of earlier generations. I listened to everything I could, records from my father’s collection, radio broadcasts, and music videos.

Then came a major turning point in 1988. I was on a youth group trip to Saskatoon I met DJ Kool Kurtis, a working DJ who shared my passion for music. Meeting him opened my eyes to what was possible. We ended up making a mixtape together during that trip, to me it was groundbreaking. For the first time, I saw how a DJ could use existing music to create something entirely new. It gave me the motivation to dive even deeper into the art of DJing.

Another early influence during this time was a family friend named Lloyd ‘Tony’ Francis. His mother, Mavis, would often take care of me when my parents were away. Tony and I would spend our time listening to records, discussing music, and making mixtapes of our own. These experiences helped solidify my desire to be involved with music not just passively, but actively. We were more than just fans, we were creators, even if we were just experimenting with what little we had.

At that age, I did not have access to professional DJ equipment. Instead, I improvised. I wired together tape decks, old stereos, and anything else I could find, rigging up makeshift systems that allowed me to record mixes. It taught me important lessons about making the best of what you have. This is a principle that still guides me today.

In 1991, I entered high school and decided to get a part-time job. I wanted to invest in real equipment, and a steady paycheck made that possible. This enabled me to buy used turntables, a basic DJ mixer, and a tape deck for my bedroom setup. I also shopped for records. This was my laboratory, where I practiced relentlessly, honing my skills and learning the craft through trial and error. Every spare minute I had, I spent experimenting, recording, and mixing.

I started making mixtapes for my friends. Word got around, and before I knew it, I had turned my hobby into a small business. I would sell tapes to classmates, and this expanded by word of mouth. Every tape I made was an opportunity to improve, to try something new, and to share my love of music with a wider audience. It wasn’t only about making money, it was about building a product, a reputation and connecting with people through sound.