JUSTIN CHITTAMS
Justin Chittams was born in Washington, DC. His father is a classically trained pianist and started Justin on his musical journey at a very young age. Justin started playing the trombone at age 6 and he got involved in playing in school bands and in the DC Youth Orchestra. His transition to the drums took place when he saw his older brother playing the drums at church, and followed in his footsteps. After years of gaining experience in the Church, he began playing with a traveling choir that helped him expand his musicianship.
In 2008 Justin moved to Hilo Hawaii. He began studying Marine Biology, eventually switching to Music and Performing arts; which he later got his bachelor’s degree in 2013. After moving to Hawaii and graduating as a music major, music became his only focus. He began playing drums and singing with many different local rock, reggae, and jazz groups such as N.Y.R, Big island swing, Wendell Ing and friends, The Steppas, Positive Motion along with many other local talents.
Justin currently works towards being a self-sustaining musician. Making music is his life’s work. He practices every day and is constantly expanding his instrumental and musical knowledge to ensure his success. Justin’s hope is that people can connect to his music and be inspired to always keep striving for their dreams and goals.
TJ SCHAPER
Ever since some of his first gigs with his high school ska band at a bowling alley on the South Shore of Long Island, TJ Schaper knew he’d be appearing on stages for a long time to come.
After graduating from high school in 2009, TJ went on to study music education at Ithaca College. Throughout his college years, he would often skip classes to go on extra-curricular musical adventures with his friends which ended up being some of his most crucial experiences as a musician.
Immediately after graduating from Ithaca College as a newly certified music educator in New York, TJ began teaching full-time. As teacher he has taught in various school districts across the state teaching everything from choir, AP music theory, symphony orchestra, music history, jazz band to a 300 person marching band in naming a few types of classes under his belt.
In 2015 TJ got a call from a friend saying that the reggae band John Brown’s Body was looking for a trombone player and that they wanted him to audition. Before he knew it, he had auditioned, taken the gig, quit his salaried teaching position, frozen his retirement savings plan and was on a plane to France.
After touring for a while, TJ decided to pursue an online masters degree in Arts Presenting and Live Entertainment Management from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. As the wheels got turning throughout his coursework, TJ co-founded the Finger Lakes Thaw, a multi-venue, multi-day music festival in Ithaca, NY.
In 2018 John Brown’s Body decided to go on hiatus after touring for almost 30 years. Shortly after the hiatus was put into effect, TJ serendipitously got a call asking if he had ever heard of the band Nahko and Medicine for the People (he hadn’t) and if he would be interested in filling in for their trumpet player for a summer tour. Coincidentally, MFTP had a show in Upstate NY not too long after the initial call; TJ went to meet the band and eventually said “f*ck it, I’m down, let’s go”. After touring with the band for the summer of 2018 and having his life changed forever, Nahko asked him to stay onboard indefinitely and now 2 years later here he is writing a bio in the third person for the bands website..
As a performer, TJ has been heard on dozens of records and has been seen performing all over the world with bands such as Nahko and Medicine for the People, John Brown's Body, Dispatch, The Comb Down, Ralph Malph from Happy Days, Sophistafunk, The Crucials, Dub-Stuy Records, Stick Figure, Double Tiger, Guster and many more.
Aside from his passion for all things music, TJ loves going on long drives around the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York in his 1991 Volvo 240.
PATO Z
Pato has had a lifelong affair with music, picking up the guitar at age 9 and exploring many genres of music; blues, funk, rock, folk, punk rock and ethnic music. He expanded his musical expression with drums and bass and a love of ethnic instruments. Some of the instruments that he plays are guitar, bass, drums, Australian didgeridoo, as well as, African instruments kora, balafon, djembe, ngoni and duns duns. He has played in several bands in Chile including, SantoBando, Orixango, Jahmabless, Afrik, as well as his own projects in Bali; Gypsy Caveman and Mamba Hitam. Currently, Pato has been touring as the most animated and ingenious bassist for the band "Nahko and Medicine for the People".
In 1999 and 2001 he was awarded scholarships to study music at the University "Escuela de las Artes y Musica Popular de Chile" studying Arrangement and Composition until 2003.
When not touring Pato produces music in a studio he co-owns, called Sonic Soul Studio, in Santa Ynez, CA. He has co-produced Nahko’s “My Name is Bear” Solo album and Tim Snider’s “Humanity” album.
Pato is available for studio sessions.
CONTACT
MANAGEMENT / BOOKINGS
Nahko Management
mgmt@nahko.com
PRESS INQUIRIES
press@nahko.com
FAN REQUESTS / MAIL
nahkoteam@gmail.com