His earliest inspirations ranged from 1990s alt-rock heroes (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins) to classic rock icons (The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd), and by his early teen years he was rapidly digesting a massive amount of esoteric influences….. everything from avant-garde rock & classical music (Captain Beefheart, Can, Charles Ives, etc) to jazz & fusion (Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Weather Report, etc) to left-lield pop/rock (The Beach Boys, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, etc) to soul/R&B (Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone, Prince) to acoustic fingerstyle virtuosos (Nick Drake, Michael Hedges, John Fahey, etc) and countless other musical neighborhoods.

At age 15, Alex had the opportunity to make his first professional recording, working with Billy Oskay (veteran Windham Hill Records producer/engineer/artist) to produce a 5-song EP of instrumental acoustic guitar compositions at Big Red Studio in Corbett, Oregon. Alex learned a great deal about the recording process from Oskay, and this knowledge would serve him well in the years to come.

By 17, Alex had become highly proficient on guitar (electric & acoustic), bass guitar & keyboards, having taught himself the latter two instruments. He was soon gigging regularly with several local jam/cover bands, sometimes switching between several instruments in a single night.

In 2002 (age 18), Alex became the bassist/co-songwriter with Othello & The Hipknotics, an experimental hip-hop group specializing in a blend of concious hip-hop lyrics with the crafted arrangements of a live jazz/fusion band. The band’s album “Classic” was issued in Japan (on Miclife Records) as a CD/vinyl release in 2004, and quickly reached the #3 spot on HMV’s Hip Hop Album charts (just behind The Beastie Boys & The Roots). A Japanese tour (also featuring The Procussions, who employed The Hipknotics as their backup band) took place in early 2005, and the band performed to sold-out crowds throughout the country.

Back in the USA in 2006, Alex became the guitarist for Sambusa, a six-piece Seattle rock band best described as “alternative soul”. The band self-released one album (Riddle For Reason), toured the West Coast and generated a massive following in the Seattle area before calling it quits in 2010.

The next chapter saw a long & extremely fruitful tenure as guitarist & songwriter with Saruna, which also featured Seattle luminaries such as Kent Halvorsen, Christa Wells, Jeremy Lightfoot & Derneill “Woogie D” Washington. Saruna specialized in a unique blend of rock/pop/jazz/r&b, and the band was a major staple of the Seattle scene from 2013 until 2025, with an extraordinary self-titled album released in 2023.

At this writing (2025), Alex’s professional performing/recording career focuses around his longtime work with Lee Oskar & Friends (astute listeners will know Mr Oskar’s harmonica wizardry from his legendary work with the band War) and The Witness (a theatrical combo focusing upon classic soul/r&b deep cuts and original music in that same vein). New original music is also brewing in a singer/songwriter context.

Besides the above, Alex has worked with MANY other bands & artists as a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, singer, producer & songwriter. A short list would include: Blake Lewis (American Idol), KJ Sawka (Pendulum, Destroid), Thomas Erak (The Fall Of Troy, Just Like Vinyl, Chiodos), Blackout Media, Awake Underwater and many more.

After teaching music (on a semi-professional basis) for many years, Alex became a full-time teacher at The Music Factory in 2011. Specializing in guitar instruction, he also provides lessons on electric bass, keyboards and ukulele, for all ages, styles & skill levels. Not being an adherent of the “one size fits all” approach, Alex custom-designs his lesson plans for each individual student based on the student’s goals, influences & personality.