|
Ryan Clifford (Dave Matthews) - Vocals, Acoustic Guitars
Influences: Dave Matthews, Howie Day, John Mayer, David Gray, Paul Simon, Dashboard Confessional
Favorite Bands: DMB, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, O.A.R., Counting Crows, Tragically Hip, Pat Magee Band, Dispatch, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20, Fuel
Favorite Quote: "Oh you complain and pray for more from above, you greedy little pig."
Favorite Beer: Labatt's Blue Light
Bio: Ryan joined The Dreaming Tree after playing with a Dave Matthews acoustic tribute, A Jimi Thing. Ryan has been playing the guitar for about three years and is a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band, having attended over 15 shows as far as Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, and Montreal. Ryan currently attends SUNY Brockport, and is a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
Cynthia McCaffrey (Boyd Tinsley) - Violins
Influences: Michael Flatley, Mark O'Connor, Charlie Daniels, Karen Briggs, Jean-Luc Ponty, David Gray, B.B.King, Yanni, Vivaldi, Vaughn Williams.
Favorite Bands: DMB, Vertical Horizon, Enya, Leahy, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Led Zepplin, Heart, Dixie Chicks, Nirvana, KISS, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns 'n' Roses.
Favorite Quote: "Never say never"
Favorite Beer: Labatt's Blue and Molson XXX
Bio: Cynthia McCaffrey, originally from Amherst, NY, started her musical journey at the tender age of five. Guitar was the first instrument she learned to play. At age six, she started playing the piano. Just three years later, after being in Catholic schools she enrolled in the public school system where it was a requirment to play either a band or orchestra instrument. Cynthia (with the encouragement of her mother) chose to play the viola. That same year Cynthia auditioned for the Erie County All State Orchestra and made it with flying colors. Cynthia continued with her studies on the viola all throughout college and beyond. "In my college years, I jammed with a variety of musicians which helped me become more comfortable with the art of improvisation. I also went to a lot of open mics and sat in with whomever asked me to play." Four years ago, Cynthia decided to try her hand at "fiddle" (violin). She joined an already established local top 40 country cover band named Dallas Alice. With this group, Cynthia opened for such national acts as Ricochet, Daryl Singletary, David Lee Murphy, and Gary Allan. In addition to recording and playing with The Dreaming Tree, you can also find Cynthia in local coffeehouses where she plays acoustic shows with guitarist Laura Widman. "I eat, sleep, and breathe music and play as much as I can. I wouldn't trade playing music for anything. It is a true passion that cannot be replaced."
Chris Abramo (Leroi Moore) - Saxophones, Flute, Pennywhistle
Influences: Charlie Parker, Coltraine, Grover Washington Jr., Bobby Miletelo, Leroi Moore, Jeff Coffin, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Charlie Haden, Jimmy Smith, Joe Baudo, and Dave Shiavone.
Favorite Bands: DMB, Bela Fleck, Maynard Ferguson Band, Charlie Haden Quintet, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Creed.
Favorite Beer: Labatt Blue
Bio: Chris originally started off his musical career playing clarinet at the age of 8. After 4 years on the clarinet, he began playing his alto saxophone. Chris began playing in the jazz band and when he began high school, picked up the tenor sax. Through his playing career he made All-County for the clarinet many times and area All-State once. He has also made the All-County jazz band twice on the tenor. Chris had the pleasure to travel and tour Wales, England with his high school jazz band. Chris was awarded the Best Soloist award at the Performing Arts Jazz Festival competition, where his high school jazz band took first place. Chris has played with numerous reputable area musicians, such as Bobby Millitelo and Sam Scamaca. Chris' prior bands include Midnight Jones, One Night Stand, Bill Baley Band, and other jazz bands. He is currently attending Fredonia State College majoring in engineering, although first being accepted to the School of Music for clarinet. Chris currently performs with a jazz combo band at school and also plays in the big band. He is currently studying on the saxophone with Dave Shiavone. He has also taken lessons from Sal Andolina and Joe Godios. Music has taken me farther then I could imagine. *I would not be where I am with out music.*
Eric Stachewicz (Stefan Lessard) - Bass Guitar 
Fav Bands: Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, Stu Ham, Charles Mingus, DMB, Rush, Primus, Mozart, Bach, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Sepultura, Pantera.
Hobbies: Music (listening and performing), photography, writing, riding, DRINKING, PS2, and reading while drinking all kinds of coffee.
Quote: Life is not like chocolate. It's like water: once you pollute it, its hard to perfect.
Current Projects: Single bass player looking for a good home. Paper Trained. Friendly.
Fav Beer : Lab. Blue!!!!
Ryan Puckhaber (Carter Beauford) - Drums, Percussion, Vocals.
Ryan Puckhaber started playing drums at the age of 13 when his mother decided to buy a new set of pillows for the couch. Since all the pots and pans in the house were dented, Ryan saw a perfect opportunity to play on a bigger kit. His mother soon convinced the rest of the family to chip in and buy him his first drumset for Christmas. Ever since that year, Ryan has not left the back of a drum kit. Having played in all the high school events and competitions through his tenure at South Park High School, he was exposed to a lot of great drummers in the area and studied with several instructors and conductors. While Ryan credits drummers like Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckyl, David Silvera, and Chad Sexton, no other drummer has had an influence on his playing more then that of Carter Beauford (drummer for Dave Matthews Band). Ryan has dedicated much of his time to studying Carter. He has also been the recipient of many awards since playing drums. Some of his credits include, 1995-96 All-Star Soloist in the Performing Arts Jazz Competition, 1996 Directors Award, and 1995-96 All-Erie County Marching Band. Since then Ryan has played in several original bands in the Western New York area until the formation of the Dreaming Tree in the year 2001.
Pete Thomas (Tim Reynolds) - Lead Guitar
Pete has been playing guitar now for eight years. He began to learn the guitar his freshman year of high school when all of his other friends were studying the six-stringed instrument. His father gave him his old Gibson acoustic guitar and a book and Pete was on his own from there on. Pete's talents grew as he would play 3-4 hours a day, playing Nirvana and other alternative music in his bedroom. About a year into his playing, Pete then picked up the Dave Matthews Band album, "Crash." Completely amazed by the catchy, unique guitar work displayed on the album, Pete then sat down and began to mimick the style of Dave Matthews, learning the songs by ear ("Lie In Our Graves" being the first DMB song he figured out completely). From there, Pete embraced the improvisational style of DMB as he would solo endlessly to the songs on the DMB live album, "Live at Red Rocks," a recording which brought his attention to the unusual, awesome style of guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds. After listening further to Tim's soloing style, particularly on the Dave and Tim acoustic album, "Live at Luther College," Pete became determined to adopt and bring his skills to the supposed "unreachable" levels of Tim Reynolds.
As Pete kept increasing his playing ability through the years, it wasnt until the summer of 2001 when he became involved in his first music project, when him and his high school friend, Ryan Clifford, got together to form A Jimi Thing, a tribute to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. This role really sparked growth in Pete's soloing ability, along with becomming more comfortable with performing in public, after all those years in the privacy of his own home. When contacted by Ryan Puckhaber to join The Dreaming Tree, he and Ryan C. were fortunate to stay together in this venture, carrying their extensive knowledge of DMB music into the group. Pete's presence in the band is unique, as it makes The Dreaming Tree the only DMB Tribute in existence with a Tim Reynolds part. Pete's influences include Tim Reynolds, Dave Matthews, and his own imagination. Pete is a senior at SUNY Fredonia persuing a degree in Communications.
Sound Provided by:
SONITECH PRODUCTIONS
Lighting provided by:
SHOWCASE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES
|
