Navi
NAVI is Robert Trusko, Robert Chapman, Daniel Porter, and Matt Van Hiel. Their band has brought both the live performing arts and the video gaming community to a new level. With their contemporary textures and improvisation utilized over the video game music of the past and present, Navi has captured a broad audience across the spectrum of the artful and accessible entertainment world. As live audience members are free to step up and play the games, the band reacts to the events in the game, giving the audience complete control to design the band’s sounds themselves. The musicians that make up this group are always creating new ways to sculpt there sound and they infuse almost every genre of music with their art to create a sound that is interesting and enjoyable.
Band Members
Matt Van Hiel is a Percussionist/Vocalist/Composer based out of the Chicagoland area. His influences span across many various types of music including Rock, Funk, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, R&B, Hip Hop, Electronica, and Classical works; he has traveled to New York, Florida, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Italy to perform. Matt has also worked with such notable people as Ed Soph, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Peter Erskine, Ali Jackson, Jose Aponte, Poovalur Sriji, Joel Spencer, Jeffrey Kissel, and the Afro Cuban and Bridge World Influence (South Indian) ensemble of the University of North Texas. He now resides in Denton, TX composing and performing all genres of music and engaging in the professional music world.
Originally from Austin, Texas,
Robert Chapman is a percussionist, guitarist, vocalist, and steel drummer in the DFW area. He is currently pursuing a percussion performance degree at the University of North Texas. As a percussionist and pan player, he has had the opportunity to work with people such as Andy Narell, Mark Nuccio, Mark Walker, Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, Ed Smith, Paul Rennick, Eugene Corporon, Igor Lesnik, She-e Wu, Poovular Sriji, Steve Weist, Lord Relator, Ray Holman, Liam Teague, Leon Foster Thomas, the UNT South Indian Bridge Ensemble, the UNT Indoor Drumline, the UNT 2 o'clock Steel Band, and the UNT Wind Symphony. He has had the opportunity to perform in countries all over the world, including Costa Rica, Belgium, France, Poland, and Croatia. He currently resides in Denton, Texas, performing and teaching in a wide variety of styles. |
Robert Trusko, a Philadelphia native, currently resides in Denton, TX and is pursuing a Master’s degree at University of North Texas in Music Composition. As a freelance composer and bassist, Robert’s main focus is creating music that is both artful and accessible. Through his musicianship, Robert has been able to perform across Northeast America in New York City, Hartford, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, as well as internationally in the Czech Republic. Robert has been privileged to collaborate and perform with Doug Wimbish (Living Colour, Sugar Hill Records, Lauryn Hill), Black Ice (Def Poetry Jam), as well as open for Jaguar Wright (Jay-Z, The Roots). In addition to performing, he also has completed successful work as a film composer, songwriter, engineer, arranger, and producer.Robert has studied with Dr. William Coble, Dr. Kirsten Broberg, Poovalur Sriji, Dr. Robert Maggio, Peter Paulsen, Brian Casey, Dr. Panayiotis Kokoras, Jeff Bradetich master classes, Dr. Larry Nelson, Dr. Van Stiefel, Dr. David Cutler, Mika Howard, Sean Jones, Mike Tomaro, Dr. Eli Tomar, and Dr. Patrick Burke. Robert has also taken guest lessons with Michael League and Brian Lock.
Daniel Porter will send me his bio to put here :-)
