My introduction: Hello and welcome my name is Graeme Gibson currently I am 32 years of age, and I have been playing music for some 13 years and some time earlier in my childhood. Before hand I was playing mostly classically inspired music in technique regards to the instruments and lessons at this time in my music. Starting at ages of 9 to 11 I was mostly playing the piano at a music teacher Joanne Broduer's home at the time in South Vancouver as I recall. My first music teacher Joanne Broduer she was instrumental (yes the pun is included) in inspiring me to play music not just listen to music. Although these therapy sessions as a young child were "informal" although they were very helpful through out my life. I am not a classical trained musician though I do take many elements in the music I play traditional to contemporary to what I like to call "uniquely my own". I enjoy learning from others involved in world music, who play, collect or who are simply fans of this umbrella genre of world music. I continue to learn on a daily basis my knowledge in ethnic or world music is more profissiant in some areas and lacks in other areas.

Circa year 1988 to 1990's: When I started playing music in my adolescent youth. My first musical instruments were various small to medium sized digital electronic keyboards they were toys although not professional synthesizers Though this was the basis of my musical exploration. As the old adage goes “one has to start from some where”.

Year 1999's: Through a long year of persistence with Mom and I, and with the help of a friend of ours Jaron Lanier. Thanks to Jaron Lanier I and my family and I got connected with Randy Raine Reusch. My teacher Randy became both a teacher and friend in which I am deeply grateful to him. He is a persistent teacher in which has stayed teaching me through years and years since we first met. This was along time ago at that time he lived in a loft in East Vancouver some where. I memorized the names of the musical instruments citing things such as "dutar", "tanbur", "rebab", "dulcimer" and so on).

Year 2000's: I became deeply interested in the triangular body three-stringed Russian instrument the balalaika. In this brief time I studied with Mr. Bibb's Ekkel who briefly lived in the outskirts of Vancouver before he moved to England. My first song I learnt was Korobushka or "Korobeyiniki" which from Russian to English is "The peddlers" this also was the basis for the theme song in the video game "tetris". The balalaika being my first instrument at the time was a cheep poor-quality imitation of a balalaika. After through several sources in who were mainly individuals I knew during this time.

>>> My current music teachers <<<

Randy Raine Reusch: Randy Raine Reusch is my teacher for quite a while since we first had met through a mutual friend Jaron Lanier. It was largely thanks to him and those involved who “hooked me up with Randy”. At first Randy was a bit skeptical yet when he showed me his collection at the time. I was one of the only young kids he knew in which I was able to recite the names of the instruments, stringed instruments, plucked, and bowed and so on. Randy was quite impressed and the lessons then began and stated something among the lines “there is something there with this kid”. I took that as a compliment right away and I still do to this very day too :-). In turn Randy and I remain very good friends as well as student and teacher.

Rene Hugo Sanchez: He is also a very close friend Rene and I were introduced by a friend of mine in Vancouver who knows Rene.Many In-fact many musicians are in formal or informal training with one or more teachers. Rene is from Rio De Oropeza in Peru. Both are professional musicians yet very good ones at that too. I've learnt so much from both teachers, Rene teaches me the specific regions with in South America particularly Peru, Bolivia and pretty much the rest of South America.

Bill Laswell: http://music.hyperreal.org/labels/axiom/ - I consider my self very fortunate to which I had a unique very personal oporitunity to having met this amazing musician, producer, recording-artist when I was in NYC in year 1999, in which I went on vacation with my father. A friend of my fathers arranged the meeting.

Celso Machado: http://www.celsomachado.com/ A personal friend of mine.

Jaron Lanier ~ http://www.well.com/~jaron/ - This is the musician, inventor, composer who introduced me to my teacher Randy Raine reusch.