S M Pocus.jpg
STEPHEN MICHAEL POCUS - Musician: keyboard. Do not listen to this episode of LISTENING LYRICS while drinking Red Bull or coffee. Stephen brings all the energy we need. He has been playing piano since the age of 10, but has been surrounded by music his entire life. He began playing by ear, writing songs and leaning from his parents and siblings. By the time he was 14 he was playing at local Winery’s and Brewing companies doing private parties and events as a solo artist. He also was playing in his high school jazz band and his own side project metal bands with friends. During that time, he was also involved in the San Jose Jazz Society programs going to jazz camps during the summertime and participating in their Advanced Youth Latin Jazz Ensemble and Advanced Youth Jazz Ensemble groups throughout the school year. After graduating high school at 16, he began playing in the college level jazz bands at West Valley Junior College and was working steadily as a work for hire pianist. Soon after he received a full ride scholarship to the Jazz Institute in Berkeley and after 2 short years of working on his degree, he took a year off school and moved to New York to experience a new part of his musical life. During his time in New York he spent most of his nights at the jazz clubs in Manhattan, while gigging on the weekends at various locations around Brooklyn and Manhattan, and working at a French Bistro during the daytime. After spending a year in New York, he decided it was time to move back home. He is currently living in Sacramento working as a full time musician and teacher. He works for Sacramento State University playing in their Advanced Latin Jazz Ensemble. He also plays in many different groups around the local Sacramento area and teaches at a private music school in Natomas called the Natomas Music Square. He has recently been working with his own Jazz Quartet called Memories of Tomorrow; He is currently working towards finishing his first jazz-fusion album with them. His other groups include the High Octane Latin Band, Bomba Fried Rice, and the most notorious biker band in the world, the Fryed Brothers Band.
Short video of Mr. Pocus in the studio https://youtu.be/JjFmIk4eOcM
All Listening Lyric shows are live on Fridays from 4:00PM to 5:00PM. For those outside the listening area, the show will stream live online at KDRT.org . It will also be available for replays in the show archives or as an podcast on iTunes under LISTENING LYRICS