Craig Schneider

I started out as a pianist and singer in Canberra - my first gig was probably at the revolving restaurant in Black Mountain Tower. I put my first jazz trio together while doing my music degree at the ANU and worked with the same band for years. They became the engine room of my corporate 8-piece band and big band the Kings of Swing. I realised fairly quickly that to be a professional musician in Canberra I needed to be versatile, and I spent many years in Canberra playing in clubs and festivals, weddings, corporate events (I got to know the inside of New Parliament House very well, playing for major events there). During this time I learned about the business aspects of being a musician - negotiating with clients and venues, hiring PA and AV equipment, costing and quoting and publicity, and did it all myself. I started to put my own shows together, and did some great concerts including playing as the support act for James Morrison and the Ray Brown Trio on two occasions (hanging out in the "world's smallest dressing room" with legendary bass player Ray Brown was a highlight). I released my first self-titled CD in 1995, coordinating all aspects of the album from recording, mastering, artwork and manufacture, and went on to release another 5 albums of original music and jazz standards.