Marty Bouchard aka “Skels” began playing the drums at the age of 12. As a child of deaf parents, Bouchard played host to countless jam sessions and band practices growing up. These sessions gave him the opportunity to learn how to play a wide variety of styles ranging from jazz, funk, hip hop, rock, and experimental, as well as a chance to write original music. He is a self taught musician and has not had any formal music training.
Bouchard mostly listened to rock and pop music growing up; however his musical taste shifted gears during high school, when he discovered jazz, with the aid of his brother Eric (bass player.) Through jazz, he discovered some of the world’s most talented musicians that would later become some of his biggest influences.
Bouchard’s professional playing career began with the Groove Killers, a funk-jazz outfit based out of his hometown, Bowie, MD. During his tenure with the Groove Killers he also became a member of the Niki Barr Band (pop rock.) With this project, he was able to tour internationally, while learning a lot of the ins and outs of the music business. His departure from the Niki Barr Band landed him a role as a session player with the D.C based duo Zwei (r&b), where he would go on to perform countless gigs and record the Album 2’sday Night. His collaboration with Zwei connected him with Sol Edler (r&b), with whom he’d go on to perform with and record a few tracks on the album Songs of Solomon. In 2004, Bouchard joined forces with the Written Prisms (hip/funk/jazz.) The band performed extensively up and down the east coast and recorded the album Ellipsis, prior to disbanding in 2007. Bouchard has been performing with fellow funksters Higher Hands ever since.
Myspace: www.myspace.com/martybouchard
Facebook: www.facebook.com/martybouchard
e-mail: marty.bouchard@gmail.com
