John Andrus
John Andrus
grew up in New York. Being in the music business, his father was able to find excellent professional music teachers and at a very early age, John began taking Hammond organ lessons and learning classical music. While in High School, he began drum lessons and played in the marching band. He learned to play guitar as well by following some of the best guitarists in school playing their Fender Jaguars. John and some friends started a cover band called “The Sound” only to be broken up when everyone was sent off to college.
After college graduation, John started another cover band called Armand Road. He was the drummer in this band playing all around the southeast. It was then he began writing original songs. Never seeming to be able to find an adequate keyboardist with any good equipment, it was at this point John made the decision to switch to keyboards. This was the beginning of the original material band, Athena, with John playing keys as well as some guitar.
John’s current keyboard equipment list includes a Hammond L 1961, Roland MBK 1000 Midi Controller, Kurzweil PC2R Brain, Original Moog D, Kurzweil PC3LE Sampler, Suzuki Hammond XK3C, Leslie 147, 1962 Hammond A-100–C–B3, Moog Electric Blue. His guitars include a 1980 Hagstrom Swede, 1967 Hagstrom Viking XII 12 String and a Mosrite Special Edition. He also keeps a double bass set of Ludwig Stainless Steel Drums and Zildjian cymbals. His influences are many including the Beatles, Vanilla Fudge, Deep Purple, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Kansas, Rush, Heart, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky and, of course, Ludwig van Beethoven… to name but a few.
As a dedicated musician and songwriter, John plays all of these instruments every day. The left side of his brain never stops. Occasionally, he will let the right side sleep for a few hours.
John R. Andrus CCLA