California's Premier Bavarian Folk, Schlager & Oktoberfest Music Band!
Description
Meet .. THE MUNICH BOOM-STEINERS!
Phil: Vocal/Guitar/Founder:
Phil is an actor and seasoned performer who's ancestors originate from the tiny town of Angeln in Southern Schleswig, Germany. Phil has sung with many German Folk Bands over the years appearing all over Southern California and also on German Television! After studying Singing with famous German Tenor Raimond Herynx, and also in Munich as a teenager, Germany Phil always had an ambition to found a traditional Bavarian Folk band.
Together with LA's Accordion Diva Gee Rabe, also of German ancestry, he is very excited to have founded The Munich Boom-Steiners to provide Bavarian Folk and Schalger entertainment for all ages, rooted in the exciting Oktberfest party Spirit!!
They are joined by Blake P Cooper, a virtuoso Tuba player and Chris Ross (also with Alpine heritage) an outstanding and respected percussionist to form The 'Boomsteiners'.
Gee Rabe: Vocal/Accordion:
Ms. Gigi "Gee" Rabe traces her roots to Bavaria. She always had a keen interest in musical roots and she is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
An accordionist since 1975, Ms. Rabe has won major awards for her performance, including the Accordion Federation of North America's virtuoso (Western classical) and virtuoso jazz competitions in 1984 and 1985 respectively. Her teachers have included Glenn Stead and LaVoy Halle (Western classical), Frank Marocco (jazz), Pepe Motta (Argentinean tango), and Milen Slavov (Bulgarian accordion) and Petar Ralchev (Bulgarian accordion).
Gee has recorded for television, radio, and film. Her recent sideline debut on the last season of the television sitcom "Friends," aired on February 12, 2004. She has been a lecturer at CSU Northridge since 1995, starting their steel band program, which has become one of the largest on the west coast.
Blake P Copper:Tuba/Trombone/Vocal:
Blake is a proud native of Louisville KY, and the newly appointed Lecturer of Tuba at California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles CA. He also serves as a Teaching Artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Blake has performed as Principal Tubist with many ensembles including such renowned groups as the San Bernardino Symphony, Downey Symphony, and the American Youth Symphony. Blake can also be seen regularly on the solo stage as a recitalist and guest soloist. Recent solo performances include featured solo recitals at the South West Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference in Flagstaff AZ and the Mid South Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference in Corpus Christi, TX. Blake's all tuba quartet has recently returned from Linz, Austria where they competed and won 3rd Prize at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference. He also performs and records regularly with the USC Scholarship Brass, USC Bass Tuba Quartet and many other fine ensembles and artists throughout Southern California.
Chris Ross:Drums/Vocal:
Chris's ancestors were natives of Alpine Austria before emigrating to the USA, and he therefore grew up with Tyrolean Folk Music played in the house. He is excited by the chance to re-discover his Alpine roots with the Munich Boom-Steiners where he joins forces once again with Gee Rabe. Chris has been busy in the studio lately working with Grammy award winner producer and songwriter PETE ANDERSON. Other records coming out are MARK CHESNUTT (OUTLAW) ABBY TRAVIS, BILL MUMY, SOUL PICNIC, THE JENERATORS, SARAH TAYLOR, DAVID RUTCHINSKI, and the FAMOUS PIES! He has also worled in the theatre playing drums and percussion, at the GEFFEN THEATER for a play called " ATALANTA "which included songs written by grammy award winner MARCUS HUMMON. His next theater show was playing drums, singing and acting along with JASON ALEXANDER , LEA THOMSON PATRICK CASSIDY, in the broadway musical "I LOVE MY WIFE". Chris has also have worked with TOM HANKS and RITA WILSON playing drums in their SIMPLY SHAKESPEARE FUND RAISERS, which he played with NATALIE COLE AND LYLE LOVETTE.