Music Biography

A more focused history of Todd's involvement in music.

Creativity has always had a power over Todd. While in school, he always excelled and showed potential in any creative or artistic area. Often teachers would find him drawing in class instead of paying attention to lessons. Todd's earliest recollections involve a love of music. When still very young, he would sing along endlessly to 45’s like the theme to “Greatest American Hero”, America’s “Magic” or “Abracadabra” by the Steve Miller Band. During adolescence, music would help fill life and establish his identity.

Early on, Todd already had an established love for such 80's cult favorites as Erasure and Depeche Mode, but in the 1990's, music began to change. Todd did not change with the times. Instead he was introduced to the music of the 1970's; namely Rush and Led Zeppelin. Inspired by what he heard he indefinitely borrowed his mother's Yamaha 12-string acoustic guitar and spent hours learning the instrument. He taught himself favorite songs and licks, like the opening to Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” Quickly, Todd developed an ear for playing guitar, usually being able to play a song after listening to it only a few times. 

By the mid-90's, his musical taste finally caught up to the present with bands like Better Than Ezra and Dishwalla. During his senior year of high school, Todd took to the stage with close friends as lead guitarist and songwriter for a local garage band. Next Best Thing rushed to record a demo, but following several incarnations and name changes, they eventually split. "After a time it just wasn't as fulfilling or fun anymore," Todd recalls.

"I knew the band was going nowhere. I wanted to stretch my creativity in ways I couldn’t in that band at the time. Plus, life intervened many times and it got to the point where either myself, or my best friend Chris, were continually in different places at the same time. It just wasn't working. However, the music we created and the time we shared is one of my best memories in life."

One of the changes Todd made was switch to playing bass guitar. "When I ended up writing many of the bass lines in the last band, I found myself really enjoying it. I could add or change the dynamics of a song completely by writing a provocative bass line more than I ever could as a lead guitarist."

Todd played with musicians locally and came close to putting together a new band in 2002 before all attention was focused on a return to school at ASU. "I am always looking for the right group of people to form a band with, and I don't think I'll ever lose that desire," says Todd. 

After his graduation from ASU in 2004, Todd focused his energy into rediscovering his musical talents. He began writing and composing a piano music, another instrument picked up in a very short period of time. It has also led Todd into an area of music that always fascinated him: electronica. "In a sense, my interest in electronica is really a return to my roots of 80’s synth pop," reveals Todd.

In 2006, Todd and his wife, Jenafer, have been working as Family Teachers in a teenage boys group home with Utah Youth Village. Living in the group home fulltime has left Todd with little opportunity to focus on his music, but hope remains, "I am still hoping to play in a band once more." 

Currently, Todd has put his music projects on hold. Eventually, Todd hopes to release several albums, original electronica, a collection of piano instrumentals, unplugged cover songs, and pop songs written over the last seven years including any new material.

Information on Todd's former bands, including lyrics and .mp3 downloads, is available here.