top of page

THE

Over 40 top musicians (and counting), Adrian calls the Promised Land Band, help tell our American story. He's invited the music world to sing on 170 songs to help us all get to the land we were promised 250 years ago. It's time.

rtdnow.com the rock opera to save america

Adrian

Executive Producer, Director, Lead Vocals, Songwriter & Visionary

Adrian is an ordinary guy who got tired of watching the deflation of the American Dream and conceived both REDEEM THE DREAM, A ROCK OPERA TO SAVE AMERICA and RTDNOW.com. Adrian’s mission is to band three hundred million citizens together, because 300-Million-As-1 cannot be ignored. His folk song blend of lyrics and music tell the story of the loss and the redemption with mass appeal to ordinary citizens who will be inspired to join in and REDEEM THE DREAM NOW! All lyrics and music were written by ADRIAN.

Tim Ellis

Musical Production, Guitarist, Multi-instrumentalist

Owner of Kung Fu Music Studios, Tim played locally and internationally over forty years, bringing his music and musical expertise to symphony orchestras and local bands. He was also a philanthropist, regularly taking his music classes to local schools. His 60th birthday was celebrated at Revolution Hall with an all-star tribute concert. Tim passed away in February 2016, shortly after the production of the 100th song for REDEEM THE DREAM. He is missed everyday by family, friends and fans, as evidenced by his induction into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in October of 2016.

Dean Baskerville & Jeramy Burchett

Production Gurus

Dean Baskerville did the band sessions sound engineering and all final mixing and mastering. Dean and Jeramy Burchett are two overly talented guys: Music producers, expert sound engineers, play piano and drums respectively, and did all the post production making a basic rough track into a polished song. They also did Background vocals on many tracks. Thanks to Katie Burchett for awesome background vocals on Left Behind and Your Personal Invitation and many others.

Albert Reda

Bass

Albert Reda has been in the music business since 1977. More recently, he has been honored by the Cascade Blues Association with 11 Muddy Waters Blues Awards and by being inducted into their Hall of Fame for his exceptional style and performance on Bass. 

Troy Welstad

Keyboard, Accordion

A skilled and versatile musician, Troy has toured with Pink, Hillary Duff, and A Fine Frenzy, among others. He's backed artists on TV appearances including the MTV Music Awards, Conan, Ellen and Good Morning America. More recently Troy co-founded THE LAB PDX, a live art and music experience highlighting up and coming Portland talent.

Mike Braun

Drums

Mike is a musician and songwriter most well-known as Hall & Oats longest touring drummer. Twenty years of touring took him all over the world and provided him with an opportunity to back up two of the most prolific songwriters of his generation.  He has worked with many greats like Billy Joel, Kenny Loggins, Carly Simon and Michael Bolton. 

Jean-Pierre "JP" Garau

Keyboards

JP (pictured 4th from left) is a phenomenal musician.  JP has played keyboards on many album projects, documentaries, industrials, regional and national TV and radio spots. In addition, he’s a composer, music adaptor, chart writer and music educator. Currently JP performs as a soloist and with various ensembles on piano, keyboards and vocals.

Tim Jensen

Saxophone

Tim is a multi-instrumentalist (sax, flute and clarinet), composer and band leader.  He has backed up many artists including Julie Andrews, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, The Manhattan Transfer, The Temptations, Frankie Vallie and more. He has toured with Broadway shows including Cats, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. Aside from his self-titled debut CD, he is featured on over twenty-five recordings, and performs with the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Opera, and numerous big bands and ensembles.

Paul Mazzio

Trumpet

Paul is a gifted ensemble player, an unmatched soloist and is a much sought after teacher in the Portland area. Paul's professional career led to international tours with the Woody Herman Orchestra and recording artist Delbert McClinton. His recording credits include work with artists ranging from Gino Vannelli to Ben Wolfe and Tom Grant to Adrian! Paul has performed live with Tony Bennett, Larry Carlton, The Moody Blues, and numerous national touring Broadway productions. His didn't get the nickname “The Golden Horn” by accident!

Lars Campbell

Trombone & Arrangement

Trombonist Lars Campbell performs with the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theater orchestras. He was the co-founder of the Portland Jazz Orchestra, which he led from 2005-2010. He has recorded for Storm Large’s “Le Bonheur”, Pink Martini’s “Hang on Little Tomato”, Pepé and the Bottle Blondes’ “Pambrosia”, and Portland Jazz Orchestra’s “Good Morning, Geek”. He also a talented composer and and arranger. Lars is shaping the next generation of musicians as the director of Instrumental Music at Clackamas Community College.

Dick Titterington

Flugelhorn

Having founded The 3 Trumpet Band as a rehearsal/composition project in 2010, the project has steadily gained creative momentum and is now  exclusively playing original music . Dick has done 11 recordings as a leader, and many more as a sideman. He has had the pleasure of learning from some greats in the Jazz world such as: LeRoy Vinnegar, Lonnie Smith, Ira Sullivan, Bobby Shew, & others. 

Aaron Meyer

Rock Violin

Aaron’s mastery of the violin as a concert rock violinist has mesmerized audiences worldwide. After performing as an original band member for Pink Martini, Aaron Meyer recorded on the album Sympathique, which sold a million copies worldwide. He continued to refine his unique musical style with notable performances across the world in Ankgor Wat, Cambodia, Venice, Italy, and National Anthems for the  NBA and the NFL . He has since released nine albums, including his latest “Hang On To Your Pants”.

Matt Salinas

Lead Guitar

Matt Salinas is a raging good guitarist in the Northwest and beyond! He regularly works with Dean Baskerville and Jeramy Burchett, appearing on many artists' records. Matt came in and added the rocking intro to the RTDNOW song Will of the People, and lent his talent to Bcrazy Like Me and The Fugue is Over.

Paul Brainard

Dobro Guitar

Multi-instrumentalist Paul is a veteran of the Alt-Country and Americana scene, playing and recording with many top names, including the Decembrists. He specializes in all forms of Steel Guitar—pedal, non-pedal, Dobro—as well as guitar and trumpet. He leads several ensembles and is a much in demand session player, noted for his producing skills and his arrangements for strings and horns.

Brian Dunning

Flute

Brian is a world renowned Irish flautist and composer. Most widely known for being in the Celtic band NIGHTNOISE, his style ranges from traditional Irish to “Irish jazz”. He has collaborated on several Celtic albums and is featured on several movie soundtracks. He lived in Portland for about 15 years, and got to know Tim Ellis before returning to Ireland. Brian would pop into the studio to work on REDEEM THE DREAM when he was back in town.

Renato Caranto

Saxophone

Renato, most recently on tour with Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, also toured with Merle Haggard up until his passing. He has been performing professionally since the age of 15.  He arrived in America at the age of 26 and toured with various top-40 cover bands. Renato’s smoldering tenor saxophone is considered a fixture in the music community throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He is in high demand as an instructor of sax and Jazz studies, in addition to his circuits performing and recording.

David Lipkind

Harmonica

David is a harmonica master who plays in multiple bands. He can play country, honky tonk, blues, jazz and just about anything else.  David has toured all over the world, playing festivals, clubs, showcases, on radio and television, the college circuit, juke joints, and all points between. He currently plays regularly with Portland Country Underground, an all-star band of some of Portland's finest, delta blues-influenced rock musicians, and still takes the time to teach classes  both privately and with Portland Community College.

Fiaindratovo Manavihare (Mimy)

Percussion

Originally from Madagascar, Mimy settled in the U.S. in 1998. He has been collaborating, composing, arranging and performing with a varied group of artists, composers, conductors, and dancers ever since. He has been honored with the Roy Haines Award from the Zildjian Company and was a recipient of the World Tour Scholarship from Berklee College of Music for four years.

Backup Vocalists

Lisa Hart is a local professional vocalist who appeared by the special invitation of Tim Ellis. (Adrian is pictured next)

Michele Van Kleef is a professional singer with her own show on the Portland Radio Project: “Monday Music Muse”. She toured with the band “Calobo” over six years, recorded as “Mackabella” for the TV/film industry, and has been a featured solo artist heard in Starbucks coffee shops nationwide.

 

Steve Hale is a multitalented singer, songwriter and producer who has toured with many different bands of many styles. Locally he is known as Steve Hale & The Super Soul Heroes, but also appears with The Nu Wavers, The Rob Rainwater Trio, Canoofle and The Mark Bosnian Trio.

Jim Walker

Background Vocals

A prolific song-writer and performer, Jim has had the pleasure of opening for many acts ranging from Crash Test Dummies to The Temptations. He's written songs for films such as Mirror Mirror and Redline, and others that have been featured on daytime dramas like The Young and the Restless and General Hospital. He worked with violinist Aaron Meyer, scoring the modern dance project ETHOS and played hundreds of shows with Tim Ellis.

Our Next Leaders: Youth Voices

SUNSET HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR, Beaverton, Oregon. This talented youth choir brought magic into the opera singing on four songs in one late afternoon session including the title song Redeem the Dream Now. “Thank you so much!!!”

Director: Chris Rust. F
ront row left to right: Spencer Heywood, Kenya Horton, Nelson Jeffers, Jacob Cox, Paige White, Allie Ruggles. Back row left to right: Hannah Tew, Perry Waggoner, Nikky Martin, Jake Lairmer, Bridget Roney, Nathan Harris 

RTDNOW Choir

(from left to right) Kylee Kamikawa. Rachel Bard and Natail Plotkin make up the RTDNOW girls choir.  These girls sing in several choirs, performing all over Portland. They brought their youthful voices and expertise to add a special touch to the opera whose purpose is so all our voices will be heard.

Please reload

THE BAND

bottom of page