A unique sound is created within Toby’s playing fusing Jazz, Funk, Soul and Gospel together. His time dedicated to transcribing great pianist and musicians of the last century crafts an impressive and well-rounded sound. He has also achieved three Grade 8 certificates with an extensive knowledge of music theory, which he believes to be used when appropriate, only ever adding awareness but never restricting from modern ideas. Toby targets to be the most versatile and accommodating keyboardist to produce exactly what is needed, pulling from the understanding he withholds.

 

Currently in his second year at the Royal Northern College of Music, Toby is working towards his bachelor’s degree in Popular Music. He has learnt valuable skills in Song Writing & Arranging and Creative Music Production studies; building a polyphonic synthesiser in the programming software ‘Max’, developing a ‘Kontakt’ sampler instrument with a fully sampled Grand Piano and learning how to produce and remix in digital audio workstations such as Logic Pro and Pro Tools. Toby also involves himself with the Session Orchestra, Big Band, and ‘Exploring Jazz through Repertoire’ ran by Steve Berry.

 

Toby has a passion for composing and arranging for both Argo and other projects he works with; pushing limits of genres plus completely style interchanging. In his spare time, he composes for film and media, including animations and short films. This is done from Toby’s home studio in which he regularly records keyboards and saxophone for artists including Fleur East, Izzy Bizu and Jamie Cullum’s saxophonist - Simon Allen. Always working to his full potential, Toby will produce anything from backing tracks to video editing remote session bands.

"He Has A natural sense of musical style combined with a hunger for knowledge"

                                                             - Ted Carrasco, SMJC