TK's Bio
The Beginning
Hi there! I’m Tony. Thanks for taking an interest in checking out my bio. If you are ready for a long, somewhat boring read, then let me take you on a small journey and tell you little bit about my musical story. I was born into a musical family with influences coming from my brothers and also my Dad. Being around music and band practices my entire childhood, it was inevitable that music was my destiny.
At the young age of 2 years old I was a regular guest at both my brothers’ band practices. One night after one of these adventures my family heard a bunch of noise coming from my room. They ran up to see what was going on and found me banging on alphabet boxes that I had set up in the manner of a drum kit. My dad decided to complete the set up with pie tins for cymbals and chop sticks for drum sticks. (See 1st pic over there ->)
After showing several years of dedication and pounding on these boxes, mimicking my favorite drummers of the 80’s, like Alex Van Halen, Neil Peart, and Tommy Aldridge, I received my first junior drum set at age 4. The journey had begun. (no pic)
At some point in these early years, I got the childhood nickname “Tonykins”. This later became TK from my brother Randy who shortened it as I grew into my teenage years. Being such a universal nickname, “TK” eventually took on several other meanings: Being a drummer, I often referred to myself as a Time Keeper. So that stuck. But one of my favorites was born from my goofy days in high school, Toe Knee. Get it? (Sorry, that is just my kind of humor, and sort of a pic to the right in the white shirt.)
A Growing Force
Being somewhat of an autodidact, I continued to pursue my drumming passion. I began tinkering with keyboards and pianos when I was 12. By the age of 14, I had composed my first song. Though I consider it somewhat of a train wreck, it was the spark I needed to start my love for writing music. (Yes it was that bad, and no you cannot hear it!) Haha!
Being a self-admitting band geek, I have a huge soft spot for orchestral music and all the instruments it encompasses. I decided I wanted to take a shot at creating an orchestral piece when I was 15. About 2 years later, this piece was transcribed to be performed by my high school orchestra at the end of my senior year. (it sorta happened, long story)
In my late teen years my love for music continued to grow exponentially as I explored different styles and genres of music. Like most young musicians, I took a job at a local music store hoping to learn as much as I could about different instruments. This is where my journey with the bass guitar began. Already being a drummer and understanding rhythm, the bass just jumped at me. I really love that commanding low end that drives a band. I was completely hooked!
Through the years, I had many different band experiences, both live and in the studio. While playing live shows was unlike anything else I could describe, the creation of music as it takes form in the studio found a very special place in my heart. It is like creating something that can speak to anyone. From my perspective, I see music as the universal language of the world. Not everyone may be able to speak it, but everyone understands it. I knew it was inevitable that I would put together my own studio someday.
In the year 2000, .....hey, wake up! I'm not done yet!.....I helped form the band 7th Source. It was an amazing experience of playing shows and recording albums. I learned a lot of what I wanted to do musically. Our recording experiences left me with an even deeper hunger for the studio life. I was in my element and loving it. Unfortunately, this incredible journey with 7th Source came to an end in 2007 due to unforeseen circumstances following a record deal that fell through.
Metamorphosis
While these days were bright and some that I still hold most dear to me, they were not the end of my story... (I know, I know, just hang in there). Even though it all ended so quickly, it was still my dream to continue creating music. After taking an extended hiatus and sorting out some personal direction, I decided to use this time to start building my own home studio. After several years and soul searching, it was finally time to move forward with a new idea. While maintaining my collaboration with my brother Randy and our project Dr. Z, I set out to create my own symphonic hard rock band, Symphonia Vita in 2015. It quickly dissolved following the release of our single, Ever After. While the song idea was good, the sound suffered immensely due to the programmed guitar work. I just couldn’t seem to land that thick rhythm sound I was searching for. So, it was back to the drawing board.
After yet another failed project, I refused to admit defeat and continued writing and recording ideas. In 2018 I finally hit the end of my frustration of trying to solve the guitar sound issue. In my search for that heavier and more realistic sound, I decided the only way was to finally bite the bullet and learn guitar.
During this endeavor, I continued to sharpen my skills as an audio engineer and recording artist as well. Being a huge fan of European bands like Evergrey, Epica, Nightwish, and Stratovarious, I truly had a love for the symphonic metal sound. Then I discovered Ayreon, and fell in love with Arjen Lucassen’s collaboration style of Opera Theater. These influences, along with several others, made a huge impact on my writing style. I wrote a few orchestral pieces in this time and started putting ideas together with some guitar rhythms I was coming up with.
After forging ideas and grinding them out in the studio, it all became clear and Gates of Autumn was born. It encompasses my love for orchestra, driving rhythms, and a thick low end. Being the sole member of GoA, writing and recording all the instruments, I found myself in yet another problematic situation. I did not have a vocalist. So, in 2019, while still trying to figure out this mystery of guitar, I embarked on trying to learn vocals as well.
An Untold Future
I’m not exactly sure where my journey will take me next, but I am really enjoying the path I’m on right now. I might even consider exploring some artist features or collaborations in the future. The only rules in music are the ones you set for yourself. With that said, I truly hope you enjoy the music from Gates of Autumn. I also want to encourage you to reach out and say hi. I’d love to hear from you. My dream is to build a fun and interactive community with the friends of GoA.
If you are still awake at this time, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time and letting me share my journey with you. If you are one that considers yourself a fan, then I personally consider you my friend. Have a wonderful day!
God Bless, TK