The folioWhere he has been playing.

Photos

On stage and in the room.

Live performances

As a freelance musician, much of my work means being on stage. Luckily, it's one of my favourite places to be. I've had the privilege of stepping on stage with not only excellent musicians, singers and dancers, but many of my best friends. Every show is unique to the specific crowd, venue and group, and it's an amazing experience to be able to call it your "job".

When they started to play catch-phrase at 3am in the dirtiest hotel I've ever seen, that's when I knew this was the band for me.Alex, on joining The County Line

Studio performances

In addition to playing stages around North America, Alex has had the pleasure of working in numerous studios as a creative band member, hired session player, and drum tech.

He has worked out of 604 Studios, Infiniti Studios, Baker Studios, The Woodshop, SilverSide Sound, and several private studios. Producers and engineers he has worked with include Joby Baker, Adam Sutherland, Ben Erikson, Hayden Cyr, Lucas McKinnon, Vince Vaccaro and many others.

Some artists Alex has recorded with

Alex and the engineer in the control room

A few tracks he has played on

And the Raven — Fistful of Sun
And the Raven — Heavier Than Air
Mad Mona — Her

Percussion

Since 2016 Alex has ventured beyond the familiarity of the drum kit and stepped to the front of the stage as a cast member for Scrap Arts Music's show "Children of Metropolis", mixing athleticism, high energy performance, and mixed percussion. He also works with assorted world percussion instruments, both in the studio and live.

Ten people, or ten thousand people. Just remember you're on stage with your friends, creating music.Advice from a bandmate, thirty seconds before the downbeat

I was about to step on stage in front of a crowd of 10,000 to perform at a conference, with a group I had recently joined, playing a complicated piece I had only fully rehearsed the day before. My bandmate teasingly said "you aren't nervous are you?" Thinking he was joking, I admitted it was a bit nerve wracking playing new music in front of a crowd that large for the first time.

"Look," he advised, "there could be 10 people, or 10,000 people sitting in front of you, but no matter what happens, just remember that you're on stage with your friends, creating music. That's all there is to it. Just have fun with your friends, and play with them." It always stuck with me, and it's really what music is all about for me: sharing and creating musical moments with friends, and elevating the energy of those around us.

When touring and playing shows every night, the "work" of it is in crossing borders, airplanes, trains and yet more airplanes, learning material, prepping gear and long rehearsals. Being on stage is when passion and concentration come together in an experience unlike any other.