Alexander Burke (born 1983) is an American musician, songwriter,
composer, music producer, television producer, writer and actor. From
2013 to 2016 he was the keyboard player for the band Save
Ferris.Alexander was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Laguna Beach
and Irvine, California with his parents who are both vested in the
arts (his father is a well-respected painter and his mother was an art
gallery curator before becoming a therapist). His grandmother, Flora
Burke, was an accomplished actress (and an early inspiration to
Alexander). Alexander always had a passion for music (he was
considered a vibraphone prodigy) and while in high school joined Drake
Bell’s band Drake 24/7 and went on to perform on the Amanda Show at
the Palladium and other high-profile venues around LA and on TV. After
high school, he went to Columbia College Chicago, where he became the
youngest musical director for the renowned Second City. Alexander was
asked to be the musical director for “iO Theater 25 Anniversary
Concert DVD†that included performances by Mike Myers, Amy Poehler,
Tim Meadows, Andy Dick, Andy Richter and Rich Talarico (Rich later
hired Alexander to be the composer of Frank TV on TBS â€" which would
be his first TV gig). While in Chicago he was also busy doing jazz
gigs with musicians such as Von Freeman and Chuck Hedges.After
graduating from Columbia College Alexander moved back to Los Angeles,
where he studied at the University of Southern California’s
film-scoring post-baccalaureate program. After graduation, he quickly
found work in television (being hired as part of the house band for
the television pilot for Robert Townsend’s talk show “Night of
Townsend†on TBS) where he met Eban Schletter (the composer of
“Sponge Bob Square Pants†) and Grant-Lee Phillips (who was also
part of the house band) and that relationship led to Alexander playing
in Phillips' band. These relationships lead to Alexander and Eban
being asked to perform with, and open, for Ryan Gosling and Zach
Shields' band Dead Man’s Bones. During this time, Alexander became
friends with Monique Powell (the lead singer of the band Save Ferris)
through his neighbor Abby Travis (the bass player for The Bangles) and
ended up playing on records for both of them and later joining the
band Save Ferris. Alexander was a member of Save Ferris when they
opened for Gwen Stefani at Irvine Meadows and for Mexico City's
infamous Ska Festival.He has also done behind-the-scenes music work,
such as being the musical director on the MTV Movie Awards, and
co-producing Ben Lee's album Freedom, and the first two Garfunkel and
Oates albums.
composer, music producer, television producer, writer and actor. From
2013 to 2016 he was the keyboard player for the band Save
Ferris.Alexander was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Laguna Beach
and Irvine, California with his parents who are both vested in the
arts (his father is a well-respected painter and his mother was an art
gallery curator before becoming a therapist). His grandmother, Flora
Burke, was an accomplished actress (and an early inspiration to
Alexander). Alexander always had a passion for music (he was
considered a vibraphone prodigy) and while in high school joined Drake
Bell’s band Drake 24/7 and went on to perform on the Amanda Show at
the Palladium and other high-profile venues around LA and on TV. After
high school, he went to Columbia College Chicago, where he became the
youngest musical director for the renowned Second City. Alexander was
asked to be the musical director for “iO Theater 25 Anniversary
Concert DVD†that included performances by Mike Myers, Amy Poehler,
Tim Meadows, Andy Dick, Andy Richter and Rich Talarico (Rich later
hired Alexander to be the composer of Frank TV on TBS â€" which would
be his first TV gig). While in Chicago he was also busy doing jazz
gigs with musicians such as Von Freeman and Chuck Hedges.After
graduating from Columbia College Alexander moved back to Los Angeles,
where he studied at the University of Southern California’s
film-scoring post-baccalaureate program. After graduation, he quickly
found work in television (being hired as part of the house band for
the television pilot for Robert Townsend’s talk show “Night of
Townsend†on TBS) where he met Eban Schletter (the composer of
“Sponge Bob Square Pants†) and Grant-Lee Phillips (who was also
part of the house band) and that relationship led to Alexander playing
in Phillips' band. These relationships lead to Alexander and Eban
being asked to perform with, and open, for Ryan Gosling and Zach
Shields' band Dead Man’s Bones. During this time, Alexander became
friends with Monique Powell (the lead singer of the band Save Ferris)
through his neighbor Abby Travis (the bass player for The Bangles) and
ended up playing on records for both of them and later joining the
band Save Ferris. Alexander was a member of Save Ferris when they
opened for Gwen Stefani at Irvine Meadows and for Mexico City's
infamous Ska Festival.He has also done behind-the-scenes music work,
such as being the musical director on the MTV Movie Awards, and
co-producing Ben Lee's album Freedom, and the first two Garfunkel and
Oates albums.
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