The ALPs

Andrew started really getting into playing music in high school, drawing on earlier, short stints of piano lessons and music classes in order to really sit down and figure some things out by himself. The music worked with was a book of selections from the rock opera Rent, which Andrew had seen during a summer in high school, and soon he was banging out and singing the tunes. The next book his was to get was in late high school and the interest in it came from the suggestion of a mail delivery guy, who, on hearing Andrew at the piano, said something to effect of "You gotta play some Billy Joel." After receiving a book of Billy Joel's music, Andrew obliged as he had been a fan of the rock-pianist.

With these two books in tow, Andrew headed to college and in his sophomore year joined up with the Boston College University Chorale as a tenor and would perform multiple times with the group and on a tour to Prague and Vienna. His work with the singing group, ranging from American classical to sacred works, strengthened his voice and confidence, providing him with a chance to really increase him musical acumen in general. That year Andrew took up the guitar, thanks to a roommate and veteran player, and made quick strides to getting down the basics.

The next year, Andrew studied in France and kept up his singing, as he temporarily joined the chorus of the University of Paris, practicing as a tenor in the Fall.

Speed ahead to the year following college, and again there's a French and music connection, as Andrew lives with a group of people that includes a very musically-inclined Frenchman. He absorbs plenty of classic and current French and international music from him and jams with him on a guitar Andrew bought, coincidentally, in Paris.

The next year, Andrew is back in France, this time assistant-teaching English in Bordeaux, and takes classes at a most unique location- the Rock School Barbey- a combination music school, practice center, and serious music venue. He takes a class where you get to play with other students in a group, band-like, setting. With a majority of the songs English-language, Andrew gets a little slice of home there, though he sings and records French as well as English songs as part of the class, including some James Brown and a '80s French pop hit.

Upon returning from France in 2004, Andrew began to really songwrite for the first time and performed at some open mics in Miami with his new material and few other favorites. Once moving up to Boston, he has continued to write and perform on the Boston area open mic circuit. His original songs include several tunes that are in French.