Meetthe

band

LEAD VOCALIST

Meredith Walker

Every day, she thanks her lucky stars.Lead vocalist and MPiRE co-creator,Meredith knew she was destined toperform onstage. While singingprofessionally with top bands, she dreamedof having her own group. She hoped for aband that could “really groove” with greatmusicians, tight vocals and powerfulhorns––and MPiRE was born. She thanksher husband for making dreams come true.

She grew up in Connecticut, sang in the school chorus and churchchoir––and excelled in plays and musicals. She studied voice andtheater, attended the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Theater School andwon the Goodspeed Opera House Musical Theater Award. At IndianaUniversity she was chosen to sing for the Singing Hoosiers beforegraduating in 1993 with a B.A. in theatre and drama.

Her professional singing career took off when she moved toOrlando, Fla. After some great cultural experiences singingprofessionally in China and Japan, she returned to Florida and hasbeen a featured entertainer with some of Central Florida’s premiercorporate/party bands ever since. Meredith enjoys all types of music,and is fond of music from the 70s, horn bands and love songs. Someof her favorite groups are Foreigner, Chicago, Tower of Power, SteelyDan, Genesis, The Police, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder andFleetwood-Mac. And she is rediscovering her love for 1980smusic…the second time around....

Singing all genres, including Rock & Roll, Disco, Country, Top 40,Jazz, Swing and the Blues, she enjoys a challenge and constantlyadds fresh material to her repertoire. In addition to performing forsome of America’s largest corporations, Meredith also enjoys singingat more intimate events like a recent private party for Vince Carter ofthe Orlando Magic.

She likes travel, enjoys great food and yoga, her husband, herhuman and feline friends, gardening, listening to music and hangingout near or on the water. Every day, she thanks her husband and herclose friends for their love and support and for her great luck in beingable to do the things she loves best––singing and performing.

Carmen was born in the mecca of classic souland R&B: Motown, home of greats such asStevie Wonder and Diana Ross. Manylegendary careers began there like her favoritesthe Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker andmany more. Carmen's parents raised her with adeep love for all music, from R&B to Countryand from Blues to Rock. As a child, sheexpressed her feelings through poetry, whichevolved into lyrics and arranging songs.

Her parents recognized her love of singingwhen she was two. She'd make up songs inbaby talk and melodies before she could form words to speak. SinceCarmen understood at a young age that every spoken word haspower, she wanted to be uplifting, proactive and inspiring to othersbased on her deep faith in the highest power. And in her own uniqueway you can feel her deep passion delivered through every song shesings.

Carmen attended Ferris State University where she earned a B.A.in music industry management. In college, she was a member of thesocial groups YBBW (You Beautiful Black Woman Org.) and NewVibe Dance Team. She also traveled to Africa three times.Experiencing the culture and absorbing the local music of themotherland was eye opening and life changing. Carmen relocated toOrlando, Fla., after graduating to intern in a local recording studiocalled Blu Note Studios. She wanted to share her heart through songand began studying and developing her individual style and sound.

Carmen sings professionally with top bands out of Central Florida,traveling all over Florida and beyond. Currently, she is one of the leadvocalists for MPiRE and the first sub at BB King’s Blues Club ofOrlando as well as a singer at various restaurants, weddings,corporate and private functions. She is completing a long-awaitedoriginal album. Carmen loves nature, reading, songwriting, workingout and listening to live music. She also enjoys traveling with friendsacross the U.S. and abroad. Carmen is eternally grateful to herparents for giving her the support system she needed to pursue hergoals––and dreams.

LEAD VOCALIST

Carmen “Sunny”Harrell

Tony Manna comes from a musical family; he was taught andencouraged to play drums and keyboards at a very young age. Hisfirst professional gig was at the age of nineteen and has worked as aprofessional musician ever since.

Tony has worked with many accomplished artists and producers,including Bruce Swedien (engineer/producer for Michael Jackson,Barbara Streisand, Helen Armstrong, et. al.); Larry Hoppin (Orleans);Don Barnes (.38 Special); Charlie DeChant (Hall & Oates); WallyPalmer (The Romantics); Ricky Sylvia (The Buzzcatz); LibertyDeVitto, Mark Rivera, and Crystal Taliefero (The Billy Joel Band);John Cafferty; The Malones; The Diamonds; Dennis Tufano (TheBuckinghams); Guy Walker (Backstreet Boys, John Secada); JimiJameson (Survivor); Richard Marx; Sammy Merendino (CyndiLauper); Skip Martin (Kool and the Gang); Maynard Ferguson; JimmyBruno (The Buddy Rich Band); Charlie Morgan (Elton John); GeorgeMarinelli (Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt); and Felix Cavaliere (TheYoung Rascals)

He has also collaborated andperformed with notable artists on originalprojects, including Marty Balin (foundingmember of Jefferson Airplane/Starship),Randy Nichols (Disney’s HollywoodStudios), Bobby Croft (The Derek TrucksBand), Jesse and Noah Bellamy (TheBellamy Boys), Nolan Neal (VirginRecords), Billy Chapin (Backstreet Boys),Stan Martell (Shinedown, Limp Bizkit),Billy Ashbaugh (‘N Sync, Pat Benatar),and Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel).

Tony has performed at major events(DNC/Former President Bill Clinton), andfor numerous Fortune 500 companiesand professional sports organizations,including McDonald’s, Richard Branson’sVirgin Vacations, NASCAR, PGA, theNBA, Penske Racing, Pfizer, Symantec,Staples, Nintendo, Verizon, Apple, andMicrosoft.

KEYBOARDS, DRUMS, PERCUSSION, VOCALS

Tony Manna

Jordan is MPiRE’s guitar player. His tightrhythms, wonderful solos and monster tone helpmake MPiRE one of the best rhythm sections inthe business. Jordan uses Fender guitars andamps, Mesa Boogie, Gibson 335, Parker guitars,Celestion speakers and Keeley effects.

Growing up in Richmond, he studied violin atthe age of five at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity. In middle school, he began playing thetrumpet and continued through high school.Influenced by older brothers, Jordan picked upthe guitar at age 12––and never looked back.

Jordan is influenced by Led Zeppelin, Tower of Power, Steely Dan,The Neville Brothers, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mark Knopfler,Earth Wind and Fire and James Brown.

He has been with T. Skorman Productions in Orlando, Fla., playingin Snapshot, Hot Property, Dance Express, Latin Express, MotownExpress, Volcano Joe and The Hot Lava Band, Project DJ Slam andBlonde Ambition.

He has shared the stage with Donna Summer, Jim Belushi, MickeyThomas’s Starship, Gladys Knight, John Cafferty, Doobie Bros, LeeGreenwood, Hall and Oats, Jimi Jamison of Survivor and Three DogNight, to name a few.

Jordan has traveled to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Virgin Islands, Mexico,Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and USSR. He also plays guitar at City ofLife Church (Heartland) in Kissimmee and is responsible forguitar/vocals for Soundtrax, the house band at the Rosen PlazaInternational Drive.

He has played with Vinyls, a 1950s band at Universal StudiosFlorida and with Walt Disney World Orlando he played guitar inTarzan Rocks Animal Kingdom, Off Kilter at Epcot and Mulch, Sweatand Shears at Hollywood Studios.

It’s easy to see Jordan loves his music. The only thing he lovesmore than being on stage and belting out tunes is spending qualitytime with his beautiful wife and two-year-old daughter.

GUITAR / VOCALS

Jordan Itzkovitz

BASS / VOCALS

Eric Van Lugo

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ericwas exposed early on to a wide range ofsounds and cultural traditions thatinfluenced him throughout both his lifeand career.

Eric began playing the cello at age 11,the first of many instruments in hisrepertoire. At 14, he began singing andplaying the bass guitar, and quickly started performing his ownmaterial with original rock/alternative bands.

After graduating from high school in Titusville, Fla., in 2000, Ericattended the Audio RecordingTechnology Institute in Orlando,Fla. He also gained invaluableexperience working at severalmajor recording studios.

With his band Social Ghost,Eric toured the country playinglegendary venues like TheRyman Auditorium in Nashvilleand shared the stage with actssuch as Alice in Chains, AceFrehley, Shinedown and manyothers.

He enjoys playing with manydifferent musicians in a variety ofstyles. His versatility, skill, andwork ethic have made Eric oneof the most sought-afterbassist/vocalists in CentralFlorida.

Dru started playing piano at the age ofeight, switched to drums when he was10 and continued to play the drumsthrough junior high and high school. Heattended Ohio State University as a jazzstudies major before transferring toBerklee College of Music in Boston. Hegraduated summa cum laude with adegree in music performance.

After college, Dru worked for a number of cruise lines as a musicianplaying a wide variety of music from just about every genre. He haslived in Central Florida for the past 15 years and works as a freelancemusician playing in a wide variety of venues such as weddings,private parties, corporate events, meeting openers/closers, festivals,restaurants and night clubs.

He has the distinct pleasure of working with artists such as guitaristSteve Morse (The Dregs/Deep Purple), saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa(The Rippingtons), jazz guitarist Larry Coryell, jazz pianist KennyDrew Jr., the boy band O-Town (from NBC's Making the Band), andcomedians Don Rickles, Regis Philbin and Joan Rivers.

DRUMS

Dru Betts

TROMBONE / VOCALS

Gary Anstey

In addition to providing background andlead vocals, Gary plays trombone. Raised inSouth Florida, his first musical experiencesincluded the swinging sounds of Sinatra,Basie and Dinah Washington. He wasinfluenced by his mom who loved jazz andby his dad who was into Johnny Cash, WillieNelson and Merle Haggard. His brothers andsister listened to Zeppelin, EWF and TheWho. So he experienced some of that, too.

Gary’s dad had an old trombone in a closet(doesn’t everyone have a trombone in the closet?), and Gary decidedto try and play it. At the age of 12 without knowing what he wasdoing, he was able to repeat all of Jimmy Page’s guitar solos off ofLed Zeppelin II. Gary attended the University of North Florida, wherehe studied under the great Rich Matteson, Dr. Bill Prince,Jack Peterson, Dr. Marc Dickman and John Moak.

Since 1991, Gary has been in Orlando and a member ofthe Universal Studios Brass Band and Disney HollywoodStudios Hollywood Hitmen Band full time––as well asplaying anywhere with anyone. He also spent a lot of timeplaying in Tremors—a great convention/show band based inOrlando.

Gary has performed with artists such as Bob Hope, TonyBennett, Rosemary Clooney, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles,Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval,Marcus Printup, John and Bill Allred, Harry Connick Jr.,Parliament Funkadelic, The Eagles, The Spinners, The Four Tops,The Temptations, The Four Freshmen, Nat Adderley, Diane Schuur,Aerosmith, Ratt, Pat Travers, Pete Christlieb, Rob McConnell, SonnyRollins, Joe Lovano, Michael Feinstein, Lauryn Hill, Jars of Clay, TitoPuente, Ray Vega, Reel Big Fish, Carl Fontana, Johnny Mathis andMel Torme. This is a partial list, and it continues to grow.

He loves football and working out. And when he isn’t gigging orwriting a horn chart, he enjoys spending time with his wife Shauna,his daughter Kyleigh and son Cam. And it just doesn’t get any betterthan the time he spends with his family in the mountains of Coloradoand Wyoming.

SAXOPHONE

Joe Bolero

Joe hails from Boston and grew up in amusical family. As a youngster, he attendedrehearsals of his father’s 20-piece touringbig band, the Bob Bolero Orchestra. Hedreamed of one day becoming aprofessional musician.

Joe studied privately with Sid Goodman,Louis Bruso and Terry Anthony from FrankSinatra’s band and also enrolled in jazzclinics at Harvard University taught by jazzsaxophonist legend Illinois Jacquet. Duringthis time, Joe received the prestigious LouisArmstrong Jazz Award.

After graduating from college and moving to the sunshine state, Joebegan performing in the booming Florida music scene. Over thecourse of the next few years Joe recorded with, performed with oropened for acts including Ray Charles, Earth, Wind and Fire, The

Eagles, Gregg Allman, LindaRonstadt, Linda McCartney,Leon Russell, Brian Johnsonfrom AC/DC, John Paul Jonesfrom Led Zeppelin, TheJames Brown Horn sectionand N’Sync’s Joey Fatone. Healso was involved in studiorecording at TranscontinentalStudios, home of N’Sync andThe Backstreet Boys.

Joe also works as aperformer/trainer/consultantfor the Blues Brothers show atUniversal Studios Orlando. Hehas made many of his dreamscome true––and continues todo so as the beat goes on.

Steve is MPiRE’s trumpet player as well asthe "icing" on top of the horn section. His fierysound is an integral part of the dynamicsound blazing from MPiRE’s hot three-hornsection. Steve plays a Conn Vintage 1 horn,a Bach Flugelhorn and Warburtonmouthpieces. Steve considers being a part ofMPiRE a real treat. The musicians get alongwell musically, and he has never had somuch fun onstage. The joy of being in a tight,hard-driving band is something he looksforward to each and every time the group plays.

Growing up in El Paso,Texas, Steve was heavily influenced byMariachi bands and Tejano trumpet players and their huge soundsand percussive approaches to instruments. His first teacher JimmyOlivas advised Steve to move to Denton, Texas, where he graduatedfrom the prestigious University of North Texas. While in Denton, Stevestudied with greats Don Jacoby who coaxed out the best in his soundand "fiery" approach to trumpet playing and Dr. Leonard Candelariawho developed his reading and technique.

While studying, he really got into the sounds of legends such asMaynard Ferguson, Doc Severinson, Arturo Sandoval, Bill Chase,and Tower of Power’s horn section, and, of course, the many greattrumpet players in the Dallas area. Other influences coming out ofthat era were the bands Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, T.O.P.,Steely Dan and the Brecker Brothers. The music of CountBasie––with Snooky Young on trumpet––also weighed heavy as amajor influence. Steve went on to become a lead trumpetplayer/musical director for a major cruise line for several years,traveling the world before landing in Orlando, Florida, where heresides.

Steve worked at Walt Disney World as lead trumpet in many bands.He has also performed and toured with Paul Anka, Donna Summer,Ray Charles, Don Rickles, the Temptations, the Four Tops and manyothers. Steve also is a member of BB King's All Star Band––aposition he highly values. He spends his downtime fishing thebeautiful waters of the state of Florida––which has earned him thenickname "Fishin' Steve."

TRUMPET

Steve Falkner

CHRIS SHUSTER / Manager(386)760-2862 Office(386)527-0129 Cell (386)248-0594 Faxchris@thempireband.com

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