Finnzarby Richwood
Jazzy Piano Man, Based in Christchurch
Upon realising he didn't like maths as much as his teachers wanted him to, Finn decided to Study at Ara MusicArts.
Here, he discovered the world of J a z z.
Since then, he has been honing his skills as a keyboardist and producer, playing in and recording bands such as The Fisher Ave Street Band, the Reuben Ishrahm Band, Black Heart, and Ella Waswo. Among these projects he has also been composing and recording his own material, to be later released as an extended EP.
To cut a long story short: synths, jazz, production, recording; he's into it all, and excited to get going.
Finnzarby Richwood
Jazzy Piano Man, Based in Christchurch
Finn has fond memories of sitting in front of the stereo as a child, listening to the likes of Jack Johnson and the Finn Brothers. Less fond are the memories of being dragged along to piano lessons, but this quickly became less of a chore, and more of a childhood hobby.
At about 13, after having a song writing competition with his friend, Finn decided it was time to record something, so he purchased his first studio quality microphone. There were many recordings from this formative era, but as one can imagine, few of much musical worth.
It wasn’t until about 16 that Finn began to focus more on his skills as an instrumentalist. A jazz combo was started at his high school, which he joined with a few of his close friends. This combo gained some traction, and would play at most school events, occasionally being hired out to corporate events. A year later, this combo won ‘southern jam’; a south island wide jazz competition, where Finn was awarded ‘best keyboard player’. The combo also won Cashmere’s October music competitions for the two years they were active.
It was also about this time Finn began lessons with Christchurch based pianist Darren Pickering, who has shaped Finn’s appreciation for Jazz and his style in playing.
Finn is currently gigging around Christchurch with his band ‘The Fisher Ave Street Band’ and the “Reuben Ishrahm Band’. He has set up a small home studio to record anything he or his band need, and continues to expand his recording knowledge and equipment, hoping to being offering small recording sessions in the future. Also present is a love for interesting electronic equipment, such as synthesizers, so Finn has developed an in depth understanding of subtractive synthesis, and loves to incorporate modern synth sounds and techniques into his playing.