The Breakers - Meet the Guys

The current group formed when a suggested surfing trip to Malaysia took an unexpected turn. Several months and a number of inter-state (and, for one member, cross-continental) rehearsals later, Equinox was born. This, The Breakers Vocal Band’s debut concert series, took place in and around Kuala Lumpur in the spring of 2005, and was what first put the band on the map.

Since then, the band has been blessed with a variety of opportunities to share its music with audiences around the world: from a privately commissioned performance in Cadaques, Spain, to a featured spot at the Syracuse Jazz Festival. In 2006, the band collaborated with Nokia for its N91 Product Launch in Malaysia.

The Breakers Vocal Band exists in unconventional fashion. From its inception up to today, no two members have ever lived in the same city at the same time. Parts are learned individually, rehearsals taking place as long weekend retreats, if and when scheduling allows. While limiting in some respects, this process creates space for the personal improvisations that have been instrumental (no pun intended) in developing the unique style of their arrangements.

The band is currently on hiatus while its members devote more time to each of their “solo careers”—a diverse and eclectic mix of pursuits ranging from business school to audio production. To all who have encouraged and supported us along this crazy adventure we thank you, and we look forward to when our paths will next cross.

		Adam Farouk Adam Farouk is a full-time musician at large, currently operating out of Boston, Massachusetts. Born in Penang, Malaysia, Adam spent his formative years in a variety of places, learning to appreciate myriad different musical styles and genres. Through this grew the diversity of talent for which he is now known. Current projects are too numerous to list here; needless to say they all involve music, rhythm, heart, and soul. For more information, visit www.adamfarouk.com.

		Andy Goldin Andy hails from Long Island, NY and is currently working in the HR department for a major airline. He has been involved with some form of music for most of his life, with experiences as a singer, an instrumentalist, a musical director, and an arranger. The group's resident "flexitone" has a BS in Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior. Talk with Andy and you'll find that he is likely to communicate in a voice that is not his own because it's just more fun that way. He is also the only one of the guys with glasses, which means he can see better than anyone in the group. He can see better than you, too.

		Chris Wildeman Originally from Scottsbluff, a rural community in western Nebraska, Chris now lives in the metro New York region. Most recently, Chris sang with the Cornell University Glee Club and its subset, The Hangovers. He has dabbled in many walks of vocal expression including barbershop quartets, swing choirs, musicals, classical ensembles, and the ever popular karaoke. When he is not singing, Chris works as a Payroll and Benefits Manager in Greenwich, Connecticut. He has plans to begin business school in the near future. To find Chris in a crowd of Breakers, listen for the lowest notes and look for the tallest bearded man.

		Greg Pratt Eighty blue-eyed kilos of handcrafted funk, vocal soul-rending machinery, aerodynamically superior lines and trenchant wit... Greg sails the vocal stratosphere of The Breakers' world shouldering the lion's share of the high tenor lines for the group. He's a product of Hawaii, a karmic strange attractor, and has a weakness for jazz, soul & funk. Greg reminds the gentle reader that unlike florescent lighting; music is nearly always good for your soul.

		Steve Engelbrecht Hailing from the snowy suburbs of Syracuse, NY, Steve is the resident crooner of The Breakers. His diverse musical experiences have included everything from musical theatre productions to international performance tours, and a recent spate of wedding performances as a classical baritone. Steve is obsessed with his German heritage, and is looking forward to his upcoming solo tour, "The Best of the Wurst: Adventures in Lederhosen", a collection of knee-slapping yodeling hits throughout the years. That was a joke; no such tour shall take place. I promise.