GERRY MONKS

Started playing guitar twice and quit twice, before finally starting and sticking with it at age 14. Wrote my first song around the same time, but due to my limited chord knowledge then, it sounded suspiciously like "Louie, Louie!" Played trumpet and tuba in high school and college and majored in music education for two years before wandering off to join the service.

Over the years, I've played solo acoustic gigs, bass in a jazz big band in college, lead & rhythm guitar and vocalist in rock, pop and variety bands. Throughout that time, I continued to write in whatever genre I happened to be performing. Performance-wise, I've spent the past several years playing acoustic folk/Americana in a duo called "Mark Twain's Dog," with my good friend Ken Zans, as well as playing the occasional songwriter's nights and open-mics in the Kansas City area. I'm also writing and playing guitar in a recording project with my sons Nick and Sean called "Gregorian Chance" (http://www.reverbnation.com/gregorianchance). We're kind of a cross between 80's Euro-pop and progressive rock. In addition to all of that, i'm continuing to write in whatever genre ideas pop-up in.