Gregory S. Funk
(480) 838-1817
nzbiz@hush.com

Gregory S. Funk

 

I was born in Phoenix, Az. on February 3rd, 1965, until moving to Tempe, Az. in 1978. After moving moving to Prescott, Az in 1995, I started playing on cruise ships in the showbands and have been traveling the world and just recently returned from New Zealand.

 

I started playing drums/percussion when I was 9 years old, and immediately started private lessons with Joe Gilboy. At the time, Mr. Gilboy was the Principal Percussionist with the Phoenix Symphony, and still plays with major stars in the Phoenix area. Mr. Gilboy instructed me on tympani, vibraphone/marimba/xylophone, rudimental snare, drum-set, accessory/hand percussion, and music theory. I have a deep respect for Mr. Gilboy, because he emphasized rudiments, attention to dynamics, practice discipline, and versatility in music genre.

I've also studied with Mark Sunkett, a music professor at Arizona State University, who furthered my knowledge and abilities with mallet instruments, drum-set, and accessory percussion.

 

I attended Mesa Community College starting in 1983 as a music major. While studying theory and piano, I also played in the marching band and jazz band (Grant Wolf-instructor) The marching band was instructed by a feisty drummer named Don Bothwell. There were 42 people in the band total, with 20 of us being on the drum-line. The halftime show consisted of mostly drum solo's (of course!) I also got the priviledge of studying privately with Mr. Bothwell on the drumset. Lots of Max Roach study. I continued music studies at Yavapai College.

Influences: Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Louis Bellson, Gene Krupa, John Bonham, Stuart Copeland, Terry Bozio, Steve Gadd, Hal Blaine, Chad Wackerman, Thomas Lang, Neil Peart, Steve Smith, Billy Cobham, Rod Morgenstein, Simon Phillips, Blue Man Group, Tito Puente, and many, many others. Too many to name.

I have played in All-State Orchestra's and Bands, and attended Northern Arizona music camps as a youth,  played a season with the Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra, numerous seasons with  orchestra's and jazz bands at Yavapai College, attended various clinics, and picked the brains of fellow musicians to gain knowledge, skills, and different perspectives in music.

 

I've also played with many styles of bands. Jazz, Swing, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Top-40, Blues, Fusion, Latin, Showband. Some local notables I've played with include The Swing Tips, Donnie Dean, and The Hank Tomlin Band (Arizona Blues Hall of Fame Inductee).

I have more recently played on various cruise ships in the Orchestra/Showband, backing up the Broadway-type shows (playing to a click), and Guest Entertainers. Entertainers include Jane Powell, Wes Epae, Jeff Harms, George Solomon, Tony Gato, J.C. Fisher, Steve DePass, Igor Portnoi, and others with Holland-America, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

 

From '89-'91, I spent time traveling the country as a roadie, pulling steel into the air (scaffold work) for the Rolling Stones (Steel Wheels) tour, The Who, Paul McCartney, and various other acts. This gave me the "other side" perspective on what it takes to make a successful show happen. I also worked dozens of concerts as a local roadie at various venues in the Phoenix area, working with sound, lighting, and yes, rolling cable....lots of cable.

 

My solo act, G-Fu, involves playing multiple instruments, including acoustic/TD-20 drums, hand percussion, keyboard, bass guitar, vocals, and the Zendrum.

 

Some hardware and software used in my show are, Panasonic AG-DVX100B camera, Ben-Q projector, Edirol Motion-Dive Video Controller, Korg Triton-Rack, TC Helicon VoiceLive, Project Mix I/O, Boss GT-6B, Zendrum, TD-20, Sony Vegas, Pro-Tools, as well as various other sound modules and software.

 

I am seeking out other opportunities for gigs comparable to my talent, skills, and knowledge, as well.