I am a freelance artist, musician and ghostwriter who relishes joyful connections and the absurd. This explains my deep love of nomadic travel, brass street band madness, fusion dance, and comic-making.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've spent the last three years as a nomad traveling all over the US, playing trumpet in community brass band festivals (honk! - http://honkfest.org/) and dancing in the woods at blues fusion events (Recess - http://www.bluesrecess.com/). I've met people and cats and couches that changed my life. After befriending a few different bands from all over the world (Perhaps Contraption from London, PaKaVa It' from Moscow, and Os Siderais, a protest band from Rio de Janeiro) I felt inspired to venture deeper into the world; to tread a little further from home. After my 2015 European tour with a sweet folk duo Months of Indecision (https://monthsofindecision.bandcamp.com/) I was hooked.

Interests

Rocking out on my trumpet, accordion and guitar. Singing at the top of my lungs in abandoned train tunnels. Meeting rad humans and dancing/making art/laughing/crying/exploring new places with them. Making comics (here's my latest - http://imgur.com/ZizILPE). Climbing rock walls, buildings, trees, and people. Snuggling and wrestling. Acro yoga. Silly shenanigans. Epic odysseys. Keeping bees (check out my blog - http://apiatrix.tumblr.com/). Devouring everything.

• cats
• arts
• poetry
• singing
• concerts
• festivals
• mardi gras
• dancing
• tango
• cooking
• bbq
• yoga
• sauna
• comics
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• guitar
• trumpet
• blues
• wrestling
• rock climbing
• jiu jitsu
• freelancing

Music, Movies, and Books

The bands I've been digging on lately are Wild Belle, the Haidouti Orkestar, and Glass Animals. My favorite authors are Borges and Nabokov, and the last movie I saw that I loved was "Chef" -- amazing soundtrack, and much of it is set in Austin and New Orleans (ah! those places! my heart!).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I played trumpet on MTV with Childish Gambino for the 2014 Woodie Awards, rocked the accordion on a month-long 6000-mile tour from Austin, TX up the East coast to Montreal, and back down through the midwest. I played with a Balkan/Bhangra brass band in a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade. When I was 16 I won a scholarship to live in Finland, and spent a summer exploring Helsinki and sauna-ing in Lapland. That same year I won first place in a biotechnology expo with my original composition "the Sinister Situation of Psoriasis." Charming, no?

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm always interested in learning new things -- could be how to cook a new dish, being introduced to a killer new band, or discovering an awesome philosophy of life.

I dance blues and Argentine tango, and would love to teach you some sweet moves, take you out for a night on the town, or twirl you around the kitchen.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook, and would be thrilled to whip up something delicious for dinner. Homemade sushi, Thai curry, a gourmet salad, mouth-watering BBQ straight off the grill, you name it.

I'm a musician and will happily give you a mini-concert, lesson, or jam (you can totally borrow my egg shaker, or school me on your hurdy gurdy).

I'll make you a quirky piece of art! I'll tell you ridiculous stories about reindeer! I'll encourage you to pursue your dreams!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Finland, United States