Bio

A Creative Presence

Born in Toronto, Ontario to professional dancer parents, Ayden spent the first several years of his life on the road, eventually settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. His musical upbringing included his mother’s worldbeat albums, Sting, Al Green and Cat Stevens.

First a singer at the age of 5, Graham began playing violin when he was 8 years old. By high school he was writing his own songs on guitar and piano, busking outside the local Three Twins Ice Cream shop, and performing as a featured act at The Sweetwater Saloon in Larkspur.

During two solo trips to Ireland, Ayden sharpened his fiddle playing in the pubs and sang on the streets for his supper. Graham attended UCSC for literature and electronic music where he studied poetry, synthesis, recording, and film scoring. He was also introduced to the underground rock, jazz and reggae scene of Santa Cruz.

Graham continued his studies at Cabrillo College with the renowned Jazz educator Ray Brown. There his violin playing evolved in leaps and bounds as he learned the building blocks of improvisation. Graham also met Thomas Sage, a pianist and composer with whom he shared a mutual love of Phillip Glass and Bill Evans. Graham joined Sage & The Chemists on violin and guitar, playing gigs on either side of the Highway 17 divide. He also played keyboard for Ancestree Reggae band while they toured the Bay Area.

Ayden Graham then returned to live in the Bay Area and work as music editor for the boutique fitness brand Bar Method. In addition he studied audio engineering with Jazz pianist and World percussionist Michael Smolens.