Playing Since: 1975
Experience Level: Intermediate

Interests:
[Socializing]

Occupation: Painter, Musician

Gender: Male
Age: 63

My Instruments:
Banjo 5, Harp

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Tucker Zimmerman, Derroll Adams, Eli Gilbert, Ganstagrass, Dixie Chicks, Seasick Steve, etc...

Classified Rating: not rated
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 5/3/2024
Last Visit 11/17/2024

I was born accidentally on December 26, 1962 in Pill Hill, Oakland USA. My father, a fan of the Beach Boys, and my mother, fed me children's songs until I was 8 months old, when my legs taught me the first steps of independence. At the end of primary school I tried to write in my notebooks in a very empirical way melodies that came to mind. My parents then enrolled me in music theory. I wanted more than any other instrument to learn the bagpipes. I think it irritated a psycho-rigid teacher who discouraged me from continuing. I found an old tenor banjo that was missing a key, so I started playing the 3-string banjo on real cowhide. Then I followed classical humanities of Latin Greek and Math in an internship at the ARPB in Marchin. My uncle Yves brought me a real 5-string banjo from Connecticut. It was thanks to him that I was able to learn to play and participate in the first groups with Etienne Delvaux “La Mirabelle” French song and Etienne and Marc Wathieu “Objectif Lune”. It was also and especially during these years that I met Tucker. I must have been 15 or 16 years old. Neighbor on the other side of the woods, I spent most weekends in his studio listening, discussing, expanding the space on his unique and singular poet's voice. Then I studied illustration at the Institut Superieur des Beaux Arts de Saint Luc in Liège where I taught drawing for 4 years before choosing a life as an independent artist. I never stopped playing and took part in some recordings, guitar harmonica voice or banjo with Olivier Manderlier, Nicolas Champagne, the Backsliders (blues band) and...Tucker with Tucker Zimmerman's Nightshift Trio. Finally, I founded L'Orchestre du Vent in 2008, a group with which I continue to work....to be continued About Tucker, he also created magnificent and moving compositions for some of my exhibitions, Paroles d'Oiseaux, Icarus, September 11, Aeon. We have been friends for over 40 years. Just like God, time is a Belgian joke, a song in E or an Antwerpen-Liège trip in a Citroên BX and we often laugh about it.