Take us back to the very beginning. How did your interest in music first begin and how come you ended up behind a drum kit?
Both of my parents are musicians so, of course there would be plenty of great music in the house at all times. They noticed that I had an interest in rhythm and spent a lot of my time tapping on my thighs or making the start of beats on the dinner table. However, it was my grandfather who gave me the push I needed and got me some lessons when I was 12 at a local music school to get me started. I was hooked ever since!

Which drummers do you think helped shape your style growing up and learning the instrument?
This is a big question and I could probably name a few dozen greats, but I think my biggest influences were Carlton Barrett from Bob Marley and the Wailers, Questlove from The Roots, Jon Bonham of course from Zeppelin, Brian Blade, Steve Jordan and last but definitely not least, Paul Brennan. Paul was the previous drummer for Digging Roots and has played with many Canadian groups like The Odds and Big Sugar. I had the absolute pleasure of shadowing Paul for many years. He was always very generous with me in sharing his secrets and I learned the vast majority of my feel from watching him. Thanks, Paul.