Who are you, anyway?
Why hello there! My name’s Kirk; I’m a musician based in San Francisco. I write, teach, perform, and love music a whole ton. Murfins is primarily a music and pop culture blog, but I write about whatever strikes my fancy, really.
I’ve recently found myself doing more freelance writing, too – I’ve gotten some articles published in various places, and am also lead writer and editor of the gaming site Gamer Melodico.
What’s your musical background?
First and foremost, I’m a saxophonist and woodwind player, though I play a lot of other instruments, as well. I attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables and got my degree in Studio Music and Jazz performance in 2003. I gig around the SF Bay Area and have been lucky enough to play some pretty spectacular shows over the years both with my own groups and alongside a lot of music legends.
I also do quite a bit of work as a composer, arranger, and producer. Arranging was a passion I discovered during my time at UMiami, and everything else flowed from spending so much time writing and in the studio. Nowadays, I write charts, arrange and re-arrange songs, produce albums, and help people with their writing and composing. Working on other people’s music is something I really love to do.
I also teach – in addition to private lessons, I direct a jazz band at The Urban School of San Francisco, a really cool small independent high school in the Haight. I have a lot of freedom in how I approach my group, and do quite a bit of nontraditional writing, arranging, and performing with my kids. We have a blast.
What’s this album you’re always going on about?
Though I make a living via the above musical pursuits, my main creative focus is as a songwriter. From 2003 to 2007 I was the lead singer and bandleader of the SF rock band Squaretape, and during that time, we did some pretty awesome stuff. I spent 2008 writing, recording, and producing my first solo CD, titled “The Exited Door,“ and am currently performing shows in support of that music. Suffice to say, that project is my main creative focus.
I’m all over the internet in the usual places – I’m on Twitter, have got a Myspace music page, as well as a Facebook fan page.
What is a “Murfin,” and what does it have to do with Burglary?
A Murfin goes quite well with a Burglar. It’s not the most common combination, but if you ever had it, you’d enjoy it.
