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Barb Valente - Violin/Keys/Loops
Barb Valente grew up surrounded by music. She began violin lessons at age 4, piano at age 7, and has dabbled with other instruments throughout the years, including clarinet, guitar, cello, viola, bass and mandolin. Barb competed in violin** and piano performance throughout high school, winning both state and national awards, including a music scholarship to Pepperdine University in 1996, where she performed with the Tony award-winning Pepperdine University Orchestra. It was during this time that she met her husband, Troy. Her senior year, she joined a blues/funk band and embarked on a national tour with the band. After completion of the tour, Barb began teaching and performing locally and regionally.
Over the past decade, Barb has played in many different groups, becoming accomplished in a myriad of musical styles. With M Squared, Barb is able to use her formal training and technique through live looping, incorporating the freedom of jazz improvisation throughout. In addition to performing with M Squared, she still teaches, does recording for studio sessions, performs for live venues for nationally-touring artists, as well as private events. Barb and Troy currently live in the Rocky Mountains near Lyons, CO with their two children. When she is not busy with her music, she enjoys gardening, hiking, running, camping and ANYTHING that involves being outdoors. To inquire about lessons, studio session work, or to book Barb for an event/concert/venue, contact her through her website (www.barbvalentemusic.com) or directly at barbvalentemusic@gmail.com. (**Custom 5-String Violin courtesy of Jack Brainerd @ Veritable Violins, Boulder. www.veritableviolins.com) |
Thom Sandrock - Bass/Guitar/Loops
Thom Sandrock has been playing the guitar since he was sixteen years old and has been involved in music since the age of seven when he took on the violin in elementary school. Having a natural affinity towards music, Thom took on several other instruments including voice, piano, harmonica, drums, and more. His passion for music has led him on a relentless journey to spread music and music education. Thom feels that music is a necessary element in everyone's life: one that deepens the soul and promotes overall well being.
Graduating first in his class (summa cum laude) with a bachelor of science in music from the University of Colorado at Denver, Thom has become an active player in the Denver and Boulder area. Before attending college he was a member of several bands, starting as early as the eighth grade. From there he wrote and recorded music, developing his own unique style through several regionally and nationally performing acts and solo settings. With over 20 years of performance experience, Thom now wishes to play and teach what he has learned in order to enrich other’s lives through performance and education.
If you're interested in taking guitar or bass lessons, or booking Thom for a venue/gig, visit www.guitarboulder.com or www.thomsandrock.com.
Graduating first in his class (summa cum laude) with a bachelor of science in music from the University of Colorado at Denver, Thom has become an active player in the Denver and Boulder area. Before attending college he was a member of several bands, starting as early as the eighth grade. From there he wrote and recorded music, developing his own unique style through several regionally and nationally performing acts and solo settings. With over 20 years of performance experience, Thom now wishes to play and teach what he has learned in order to enrich other’s lives through performance and education.
If you're interested in taking guitar or bass lessons, or booking Thom for a venue/gig, visit www.guitarboulder.com or www.thomsandrock.com.
Troy Valente - Drumset
Troy Valente (Va-len-tee) was born and raised in Northern California and has been living in Northern Colorado since July of 2001. Even though his interest in the drums started at a very young age, his mom insisted on piano lessons prior to letting him play drums. This was something he was restless with at the time, but later came to appreciate. Troy’s musical career began with basic singing and acting through his school and church at the age of 4 as well as taking piano lessons throughout half of grade school. Music, especially music influenced by jazz, is constantly changing throughout the song. The drummer should change as well, whether it is through pocket development, fills, texture, etc. Having a melodic and musical theory background prior to moving to the drums has been instrumental in how Troy approaches the drumset and how he anticipates and adapts to the musical discourse of a song.
After gaining a general understanding of music in grade school, Troy started percussion in 7th grade and drumset in 8th grade. He was heavily involved with jazz in both junior high school and high school, both programs competing regionally. He also maintained his piano throughout high school, even dabbling in some pop composition. In high school Troy studied with John Mehler, who studied with Freddie Gruber (a close associate of Buddy Rich). Troy’s stent with John Mehler revolutionized both his technical and mental approach to the drumset. Troy won the Louis Armstrong National Jazz award for his local area as a senior in high school . He then went on to play and study jazz and pit orchestra at Pepperdine University on a small music scholarship, where he met his wife (Barb), also on scholarship. They toured nationally together with a blues/funk band out of LA prior to coming to Colorado.
Troy continues to push his level of playing and has recently begun dabbling with bass guitar. He is an incessant student of the drumset, spending hours a week practicing, and is a stickler on technique. Troy recently studied for a year with local Colorado legend Gary Lefrancois, owner of Denver’s Metro Drum School and another student of Freddie Gruber’s, to further develop his Moeller technique that John Mehler had introduced him to years earlier. Troy’s life is music, and he is very insistent on pushing the musicians he plays with to new levels of musicianship and encourages them to “be in the moment”. Troy believes that bringing yesterday’s baggage into today’s moment can ruin it without proper balance and perspective. Let the music be fresh every time you play and fully commit your body, mind and soul to your art.
***If you want Troy to play on your album, contact him at customdrumgrooves@gmail.com and/or visit his website: www.customdrumgrooves.com
After gaining a general understanding of music in grade school, Troy started percussion in 7th grade and drumset in 8th grade. He was heavily involved with jazz in both junior high school and high school, both programs competing regionally. He also maintained his piano throughout high school, even dabbling in some pop composition. In high school Troy studied with John Mehler, who studied with Freddie Gruber (a close associate of Buddy Rich). Troy’s stent with John Mehler revolutionized both his technical and mental approach to the drumset. Troy won the Louis Armstrong National Jazz award for his local area as a senior in high school . He then went on to play and study jazz and pit orchestra at Pepperdine University on a small music scholarship, where he met his wife (Barb), also on scholarship. They toured nationally together with a blues/funk band out of LA prior to coming to Colorado.
Troy continues to push his level of playing and has recently begun dabbling with bass guitar. He is an incessant student of the drumset, spending hours a week practicing, and is a stickler on technique. Troy recently studied for a year with local Colorado legend Gary Lefrancois, owner of Denver’s Metro Drum School and another student of Freddie Gruber’s, to further develop his Moeller technique that John Mehler had introduced him to years earlier. Troy’s life is music, and he is very insistent on pushing the musicians he plays with to new levels of musicianship and encourages them to “be in the moment”. Troy believes that bringing yesterday’s baggage into today’s moment can ruin it without proper balance and perspective. Let the music be fresh every time you play and fully commit your body, mind and soul to your art.
***If you want Troy to play on your album, contact him at customdrumgrooves@gmail.com and/or visit his website: www.customdrumgrooves.com