Okapi

 The basis of Okapi's work was conceived by the creations of Woodstock, IL native Scott Gorski. Being a self-taught bassist since the age of fifteen, he trudged through several musical genres with curiousity before forming a definitive style with confidence and comfort. After moving his homebase to Chicago in October, 2010, he passed on many unsatisfactory attempts of forming an unconventionally ambitious lineup of musicians. It wasn't until March, 2012 that he was granted with the fortuity of meeting Lindsey Miller, a musician classically trained on the cello since the age of seven.  Lindsey came to Chicago in August, 2010 from her hometown of Columbia, Missouri to pursue the traditional studies of her instrument at a conservatory. In hopes of moving into a more creative and experimental direction, she left behind her traditional studies in search of something new. After contacting Scott through a craigslist ad, the two got together and decided to approach songwriting alternatively as a team. The pair had met and auditioned nearly twenty drummers over a year and half period before utilizing craigslist again to catch the intrigue of Tommaso Moretti in October, 2013. Tommaso began drums at the age of eleven in Macerata, Italy with encouragement from his father. He began studying jazz music and performing with local groups before moving to Rome in 2001. Forming successful groups there lead him to partake in European and US tours which opened up more doors for musical collaborations worldwide. After years of teaching and performing, he moved to Chicago in 2013 where he later met Scott and Lindsey. Together, the group challenged one another to utilize each members' style to form something cohesive and different.  Since writing and recording their first EP (self-titled, released February, 2014) Okapi has been steadily performing, perfecting their live performances, expanding their horizons with venues, and seeking other artists for collaboration. They promote creative approaches to composition and performance, and discourage barriers within the business that stifle musical freedom.  *OKAPI is an endangered mammal native to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It's physical features are similar to that of a giraffe, zebra, and horse. The animal itself has no affiliation to the band, but the "fusion of three animals" concept prompted the trio to use the term as a metaphor for the formation of their project. Each member comes from different musical backgrounds, and offers a significant contribution to what makes OKAPI such a special group.

• http://okapiband.wix.com/okapi