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Reggie Hines

Reggie Hines, a diverse and explosive instrumentalist, is proud to be a New Yorker. Born and raised in the South Bronx of New York City, Reggie came from a very musical family and was spoon-fed various styles of music including the unorthodox sounds of Parliament Funkadelic, the never ending grooves of the “Godfather of Soul”, James Brown, the innovative transitions of Miles Davis and the conventional sounds of southern gospel. Mama Hines was a singer and you could hear daddy Hines during the wee hours of the morning jamming the night away. The constant influences of music were bound to have an impact on young Reggie.

Beating his way into the music scene as a drummer, Reggie played for several gospel groups in New York City and traveled the East Coast. These experiences gave him an appetite for more. Even in high school he was very detailed and had a melodic mindset. He needed more to sustain him so he began to venture out musically. Although the drums was his first love, Reggie wanted to play an instrument that allowed him to be more expressive and began to play bass guitar. Reggie later went to school for music and took an interest in the saxophone and knew immediately that this was it.

Living in the South Bronx, Reggie lived among mostly blacks and Hispanics, therefore limiting his range of musical education. In the Bronx he surrounded himself with the highly syncopated sounds of Salsa, Merengue, and of course authentic Hip Hop. In order to broaden his horizons, it was imperative for him to venture to other parts of the city. He began attending school in Manhattan and quickly made friends with Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese and people from varying ethnicities. Pleased with his diverse relations Reggie embraced his educational experience and began studying Hindu, Arabian, Japanese and other types of musical cultures. This diverse lesson is easily detected in his music. Reggie’s rapid progression earned him a scholarship to the prestigious Usdan Camp of Performing Arts in Huntington, Long Island. After successfully completing this prestigious school, he attended Julia Richman High School’s Talent Unlimited program in Manhattan, New York where the foundation was laid for Reggie’s new and adventurous career.

Reggie was always interested in going to college and focused on The Berklee School of Music in Boston. In order to obtain money for tuition Reggie decided to join the Army to get the GI Bill. The Army provided Reggie with intensive music training and allowed him to play with the distinguished Army band. After being all he could be in the Army, Reggie changed his mind about Berklee, but instead embarked on an exciting music career.

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