A Musical Life

Evan Ogborn is a multi-instrumentalist who performs with both Pretend Friend and Animal Parade. He recently completed a degree in bass performance/jazz studies at Wichita State University.

Julia Trechak is a singer-songwriter based in Wichita who performs under the name Freezy.

“I was studying poetry at the University of Kansas and attending a few house shows every now and then that really inspired me for their rock ‘n’ roll energy. I was inspired to buy a guitar and see if I could play it as well.

For me, the process of writing a song is very similar to writing a poem. The guitar draws the lyrics because the chords evoke emotion and feelings and all that good stuff.”

Billy Bloomquist performs under the name William Bloom. His most recent recording is Keys With No Teeth.

Julian Langston is a Wichita-based musician whose stylistic interests range from heavy metal to hip-hop and beyond.

“I’m originally a drummer. In the past six or seven years I’ve gotten into playing bass and guitar and doing vocals. Or, more so getting more comfortable displaying my vocals.

Brian Tiemeyer is a Kansas-based musician who focuses on acoustic soul and reggae music. Here, he discusses one of the difficulties some musicians discover when playing reggae.

Aaron Moreland currently performs with the Moreland Contingent after having toured and recorded with Moreland & Arbuckle for more than a decade. Here, he discusses playing guitar without a pick.

Gia Watson is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and music educator.

“My dad’s a pastor, so I’m like the queen of the impromptu solo. I got really comfortable with getting up and just singing. That’s what I’ve always done and what I like to do. I wish there was a platform where you could just gig and having nothing prepared. And people would just throw things at you. That would be so much fun because it would feel really natural. Not necessarily produced.”

Weston Townsley plays drums with Not Cops and The Somber Arrows. He is also a photographer and sous chef at Siena Tuscan Steakhouse.

Dusty Grant is a singer-songwriter based in Wichita.

I’ve been writing songs since college. I was about 19 when I started. I got my first taste of writing writing rap metal. I was in Omaha, Nebraska, that’s where I got my start. I had a band that was fairly popular in the area. Then I got more into metal scene. Now, I’m writing all the stuff by myself. I’m writing all the guitars and everything.

This Musical Life profile was originally published on July 7, 2017.  

In 2013, Aaron Lee Martin left for a most unusual recording session. Martin's friend and fellow musician Danny Brewer had a cabin in the remote woods of northern Georgia. He wanted to know if Martin had any interest in making a record using solar power.