Zach Pendulum was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and moved to Mobile Alabama
at age 6. There, his earliest stylistic influences were Baloo the bear and King Louie
the ape. His father taught him some drumming technique starting at age 6. Excelling in
Math, in the 4th grade he won a Computer Camp scholarship where they were to study
computer programming, using a fundamental dos language known as 'basic' or 'qbasic'.
In middle school he got to play saxophone and formally practice music theory thanks
to a very kind & talented band director. The same year, at age 11, he was taking on
a challenge and interest in piano, guitar, bass, vocals, and songwriting. Surrounding
influences were classic art rock. Doing lead vocals while playing drums in the talent
show that year, with his brother on guitar, this band performed 'Owner of a Lonely
Heart' by Yes. They would go on to establish their first original band, 'The Spare
Parts Band'. Zach was gigging by age 12 and continued to develop as a composer.
With nearby friends interested in hard-rock & hip-hop, it was only natural in his
early teen age, to be involved with groups wanting to play louder music. Zee found
sanctuary in the colorful stories within the strong sounds of the bands Yes & Rush.
His teen-age band 'Majo-Zajo' would last from ages 14-16. They played a variety of
conservatively hip songs from 'Genesis' to 'Mr. Mister' and at Mardi Gras of '88, they
played in the parade, and on a courtyard-stage with an audience that became about 6k.
Feeling stifled by chaos and yearning for expansion, Zee moved to Atlanta Georgia at
age 16 to join his mother and new step-father. There he would find himself abandoned
by romance, but blessed with the company of great new friends. Having already found
an interest in some jazz-fusion, Zee met Tony Hayes who would in fact love fusion so
much that they would get together about four times a week and just listen to more of
Tony's favorite classics. Zee was easily influenced by the rhythmical, colorful,
melodic, and poetic sounds such as from : Joni Mitchell, Michael Hedges, Kazumi
Watanabe, Bill Bruford, Pat Metheny, Chic Corea, Al DiMeola, and Weather Report.
Zee would find these to be much akin to some of his all-time favorites : Madness,
Thomas Dolby, Yes, Rush, The Beach Boys, The Jungle Book, Queen, and the Beatles.
Due to the colorful nature of his favorite music, Zach began to experiment with charts;
attempting to understand and be able to explain harmony, while consulting the current
published state of the art. He found no explanation in terms of why musical moments
seem to be made up of the modes of scales which connect with other musical moments
in a logical but intangible relationship. This intrigue was not only the birth of what
would later become a working modal theory. It was also the beginning of his desire
to become a theorist within the branch of science known as metaphysics . . .
